Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-07-17
THE TEXAS vIGILANTES.
"reminiscences of the Days When Crime
Was Summarily Punished.

Was Summarilv Punished.
The halcyon 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 a term in the
penitentiary because he killed neigh
bor's steer in order to provide his .starv-
ing family with meat fills them with
such indignation as can only be re-
Eeved by resurrection of oft-told tales,
long since dead and buried. Uncle"
Biddle Ackerman's memory is especial
ly good. There is a tradition that in
the old days no one was more deft with
the moose than he.
Ibid 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?0 If so. hang him!es And
all the other old fellows nod willing as
sent
Remember the trouble we had with
that low-down chap, Bill Spangle. in
1882 No? Well, 1t was this way: Bill
and his wife and q big brood of young
ones lived in q shanty about four miles
out. Somebody was leaving the skinned
carcasses 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
C to Bill Spangle. Next day five vigil
olantes had him. swinging from a 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. evS
He paid no attention, and the third
day, Just as the sun was coming up, the
same fivevigflantes rode up and hitched
their horse; 10 some trees fifty yards
from Bills 'front.' door, They all dis
mounted and one of them. took off the
belt containing his katie and revolvers
oand threw it on the ground. stripped
G himself to his7shirt, boots, trousers and
sembrero, 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 a rife aimed
over his shoulder. The bnarmed man
walked on slowly, with his hands high
above his head. One of those who re-
mained behind cooked his rifle and
stood partly concealed behind his horse.
a"For nearly half an hour this un-
armed Eaan stood and talked with Bill,
while two revolve4s and a rifle were
still aimed at his heart He was urg-
ing Bill to. leave thes country for the
sake of his family. From what they
could hear heeothers knew that Bills
answer was that this was his home and
he would not leave it alive Twice the
unarmed man lowered his hand slowly
to his brow, and each time he did so his
oofnrade glanced along the barrel of his
rifle at BiIl' from behind the horse.
But twice the. unarmed man raised his
| hand again and resumed the. conversa-
|. tion.s So
''At last the iInarmed mans left hand
slowly wiped the perspiration from his
brow, while with his right he delib-
erately removed his som brero. AT that
instant rifle rang out from among the
trees, and Bill Spangle slayadead across
his own threshhold:"' - Brownsville
= (Tex.) Cor. n. Y. Press.