The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-11
IN THE DAYS OF WGlLANTES.
A Reminiscence of the Time When Crime
Was Summarily Punished in Texas.
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A Reminiscence of the Time When Crime
Was Summarily Punished in Texas.
Especial Correspondence.l
BROWNSVILLE, Tex, May 23.-The hal
cyon days of the Vigilantes, when justice
was swift, sure and poetic, are just now
much bemoaned by some of the old timers.
The spectacle of a man tried and sentenced
to term IN the penitentiary because he
killed nsighbor's steer in order to provide
his starving family with meat, fills them
with such indignation as can only be re-
lieved by q resurrection of oft told tales,
long since dead and buried Uncle"
Biddle Ackerman's memory is especially
good There is tradition that in the old
DAYS no one was more deft with the moose
than he.
Did the man shoot the steer because he
was hungry for meat? If SO, all right.
Did he shoot the steer and then sell the
hide? If so, hang himw And all the other
old fellows nod willing assent.
Remember the trouble we had with
that low down chap. Bill Spangle, in so?
No?, Well, it was this way: Bill and his
wife and a big brood of young ones lived
in shanty about four miles out. Some
body was leaving the skinned earcasses Of
cattle around on the prairie. They were
always shot in the head. None Of the meat
was ever taken, but their skins were always
missing We traced three OF the skins to
town and then traced the shooting and
skinning to Bill Spangle. Next day Eve
vigilantes had him swinging from limb
in front of his house. On account Of his
family they let him down before he
croaked and warned him TO pack up and
get out before another sunrise. Bill failed
to move, and they warned him again. He
paid no attention, and on the third day,
Just as the sul was coming up, the same
five vigilantes rode up and hitched their
horses to some trees fifty yards from Bill's
front door. They all dismounted, and one
of them took or the belt containing his
knife and revolvers and threw 1t on the
ground, stripped himself to his shirt, boots,
trousers and sombrero, raised both hands
above his head, and walked slowly toward
Bills door. Bill stood in the door with
two revolvers cooked and aimed Behind
him stood his wife, with rife aimed over
his shoulder The unarnied man walked
on slowly, with his hands high above his
head One of those who remained behind
cooked hs rife and stood partly concealed
behind his horse
For nearly half an hour this unarrnes
man stood and talked with Bill while two
revolvers and rife were still aimed st his
heart. He was urging Bill 20 leave the
country for the sake Of his family. From
what they could hear the others knew that
Bills answer was that this was his home
and he would DOT leave 1t alive Twice the
unaFmed man lowered his hand slowly TO
his brow. and each time he did SO his com
rads glanced along the barrel Of his rife at
Bill from behind his horse. But twice the
uuarned man raised his hand again and
resumed the conversation.
AZ last the unarmed mans left hand
slowly wiped the perspiration from his
brow, while with his right be deliberately
removed his sonbreGo. At that instant a
rife rang out from among the treas and
Bill Spsngle lay dead across mis- own
threshold CTKTE DTsHl.M.