Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-08-15
cRAwFoRo's BIG SCOOP.
The Poot-Soout's Clever Diplomacy Afts
the Custer Massacre.

the Custer Massacre.
Captain Jack Crawford, the poet-scout
Is noticeable figure In the kaleido'
scopic life of the capital this spring. II
is difficult TO realize thatthis handsome.
brown-haired, gentle-mannered young
man has faced death in every form for
twenty-five years; that those mild bluo
eyes have not seldom looked calmly
into the muzzle of loaded gums" in the
hands Of furious enemies, white and In
dian, and that billiards. and short ra-
tions have been familiar companions
since boyhood. aaI
Jacks special hobby is, strange to say
OF a frontiersman, temperance. He
never In his life tasted drop of liquor,
and, as he is ready and eloquent speak
er. he is naturally in great demand at
the meetings around town.
=, 1t requires some diplomacy to get
Captain Jack to talk Of the exciting
events in which he has figured, but
when he docs his vivid and picturesque
narrative is treat
When Crooks expedition was march,
ing to Clusters relief In 1887, there we're
number of correspondents of Eastern
journals with the column. One night
when oncamped near peadwood, the
news OF the massacred reached them.
OF course the first thought OF each was
TO get his dispatches in ahead OF his
brethren, The nearest telegraphic
station Of which they know was at Fort
Laramie, some four hundred miles
away, through wild country swarming
with hostile Indians.
Tho New York Herald representative
sought out Captain Crawford, then chief
OF scouts for Crook, and offered h::a $500
II he would land his matter In New
York ahead OF his rivals. Jack took
his package, and at midnight started on
q fiery little broncho alone. He reached
Custer, eighty miles away, the next
evening, and led his worn-out horse into
the hotel stable, where it incontinently
lay down and died. This was pretty
serious matter, but his own wants had
to be attended to, and so no entered the
dining-room Of the log hotel and order
cd his supper. While eating he vas
rather disagreeably surprised by the en-.
trance OF his friend, antelope Frank"
another noted scout who was on SINH
lar errand to his own for another paper.
Frank" said Jack abruptly, 1--WE arc
both dead tired, so let us agree to stay
here over night and make fair start
together in the morning"
''I'll go you," said Frank.
And so they retired to room togeth-
or. About midnight Jack awolse and
instantly looked for Frank, He found
him quietly sleeping. Still disturbed
and anxious, he went down to tho bar
room, and by few leading questions to
the functionary in attendance he found
that Antelopo Frank" while keeping
to the word Of his agreement, had sent
on messenger hours before with
package for Laramie. Jack instantly
rushed to the stable, found there afam-
GUS racing mare belonging to his friend
Davis. who kept the hotel, and in two
minutes was out on the Laramie trail
and away. But stern chase is long
chase, and he never headed Franks
messenger.
Riding through the Red Canyon the
next day he discovered little ahead of
him small band OF Indians. He had
scant time for ceremony, so, with wild
yell, ho rode straight at them. firing
both revolvers at the same time. The
redskins took to the hills
and he rode on, reaching Rawhide that
evening. Here he found the terminus
Of the Government field telegraph line,
and in charge OF some Of his friends.
This was enough for Jack, and, taking
the boys to the suffers ranch, he in
formed them that they owned every
thing In it-he would pay all bills. He
then handed them the dispatches. They
fixed 1t with the Laramie operator and
in q fow minutes tho first news OF the
Custer massacre was being clicked of TO
the New York Herald.
Franks messenger meanwhile, was
plodding along faithfully to Laramie, as
he had been instructed. When he ar
rived there he found tho wire occupied,
and the matter he had carried bad
TO wait until the Heralds spec
ial and long string OF inconse-
quential stuff, improvised by Jack to
hold the wire. had been sent The
scoop" was complete, and Bennett sent
him not only tho $500 promised, but
$3.50 additional for his bold ana intelli-
gent exploit.1-w Washington Post aA3
. A cold orange salad Is fashionable