The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-11-13
THEY COULDRF HANG HIN.
Natural Dcath u an IrSPrezihls. Indatrusti.
BE HOne fhiei.

News comes from Weeping willow,
Arizona, Of the death Of Harney r. Rug
gles. The chances are that the reader
will not recognize the name, though its
bearer perfected one Of the most ingenious
inventions Of the age. We doubt Il Edi-
son could have exceeded him in origi.
nality. still be dies unknown. Repub-
lies are ungrateful; they are also forget
full, and unless man is president or is
pushing the sale Of q IS shoe Is apt to be
lost sight Of.
Mr.. Ruggles is dead, and II seems q
fitting time to speak Of his invention.
Indeed, he would have died several years
ago had it not been for his inveation.
Nothing ever more clearly heightened
life. In the first place, we should say
that the late Mr.. Ruggles was not 4 par
ticularly honest man. Not to put any
point on 1t at all, Harney P. RugGles was
q horse thief. He followed the vocation
from his eighteenth year till the day Of
his death, but It is not to be concluded
from this that his taking of was one Of
violence, as he died calmly Of peritonitis.
Ten years ago, when living in Deaf Smith
county, Texas, Mr.. Ruggles was taken
one night by the efficient local vigilance
committee and hung by the neck TO a
mesquit tree. The puriferso Of Deaf Smith
society then rode rapidly away. Rug
giles hung for some few minutes, when
the limb broke and he fell TO the ground
in an insensible condition. He recov-
cred, however, and made his escape, but
the incident rendered him thoughtful.
He could not seem to forget it. Even
after the lacerations made by the rope on
his neck had healed he would frequently
speak Of It. The result was that for six
months he did not follow his profession,
but devoted the time to thought and
study. But little came Of 1t, however,
until he one day read in Memphis paper
Of doctor inserting q silver tube in q
child's throat for it TO breath through
while suffering from diphtheria. In
stautly a great light rushed in on the
mind Of Ruggles. He would have sill
yer tube put in his throat below the rope
zone. The next morning he was in San
Antonio, where he gave a doctor named
Blake 1900 to connect a silver tube with
his windpipe. When Harney ?. Rug
giles rode out Of San Antonio the next
day all doubt had vanished from his
face and serenity and confidence were in
Its place.
Mr.. Ruggles now returned to the scene
Of his former triumphs and again took up
his work with a vigor which surprised
both friends and vigilance committees
alike. He stole horses right and left and
sold them openly in the nearest market.
After two weeks the committee again
took him in charge. They hung him to
the cross arm Of telegraph pole, and,
as he had escaped before, sat down and
waited, lesuiling the time with pleasant
stories. When he had hung thirty min
utes they cut him down. He got up
from the ground, shook hands ~! around,
thanked them in a few brief but well
chosen words, got on the leaders, horse
and rode away. The committee were
dumbiounded. They were powerless 10
render any resistance. They plucked up
courage, however, to make another at
tempt q week later. This time they
allowed him to hang all zight. The
only complaint that to hang Ruggles
made when cut down in the mnrning
was that they had disturbed him before
he had finished his sleep.
From that time till he was taken III
week ago, Ruggles's history has been one
Of continued prosperity. He operated all
over western Texas, New Mexico and
Arizona. Over 100 different committees
had him In hand at different times.
Their usual course was to lynch him after
supper and then retire, the intention be-
ing to take him down In the morning.
Ruggles would help himself down softly
after midnight, secure few good horses
and pass on to another community. A
handsome full beard always concealed the
silver tube, and his secret was never dis
covered by the committees. On one
occasion the Willing Workers vigilance
committee Of Saints Rest, New Mexico,
kept him suspended two days, but
though he suffered somewhatirom hunger
that was all. He accumulated fortune
o.