The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-04
Land Loan Bill under this title, "a bill to
provide the Government will; the means of
supplying the nation with circulating me-
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WHERE OUTLAWS HOLD SWAY,
A Georgia Mountain Re,roa, and ~.

A Georgia Mountain Retreat, and ths
hins Pin of Its K"bber Crew.
In the remote southeastern part of Geor-
gia, divided from Alabama only by the
Chattahoochee River, is country well fitted
for place of refuge for bandtti of every
description. The people of Harris County
are quiet and peaeeable, and in themselves
law-abiding. but the topography of the
country in which they live makes their
county the asylum for those fugtives of JUS
tice. who, after the preparation of soma
great crime, find 1t convenient to 90 into
temporary hiding. Much of the county, in
TACT, all the eastern part OF it, is mountain
GUS, range known as the Pine and Oak
Mountains rising hundreds of feet above the
level OF the ground, and darkly covered
from base to summit with a thick heavy
growth of timber. All of that part oil Geor-
gia Is heavily wooded, and affords fine faciI-
ites Tor the escape of criminals. 1t has
peen, on frequent occasions. the refuge of
Burrow and members of his gang, who,
once In the solitude of the forests, could not
be followed.
terrorized by freebooter named Will
Wallis, who has never been engaged In any
big enterprises in the line of robbery, but,
for cruelty and absolute disregard of human
lie, Is without an equal in the annals of
outlawry. Wallis, up to the time of his
thirteenth or fourteenth year, was an ex-
emplary youth. After FIVE years in the
saddle as Texas cowboy he returned to his
old home. Wallis has become nightmare
70 the mountain region OF southwest
Georgia. When he Is known to be on the
foray couriers are sent ahead to warn the
people OF his coming. 1t was for time sup
posed that he was alone, but it is now prac-
tically settled that he has band of follow
eers who only differ in degrees from himself
In the possession of the elements OF out
lawry. The band has been variously
estimated in strength at from 50 to 100
mem members. 1t is probably below the lowest
limit named.
The way the discovery that Wallis is the
leader OF a band was made grew out of the
hrSf, last, and only time he was ever ar
rested. The dead body of a man was found
lying before the door of the house i'll which
Wallis lived in the early years Of his out
lawry. Circumstantial evidence, conjoined
to his bad reputation, pointed strongly to
Wallis as the murderer. bench warrant
for his arrest was issued, but was not
served. Two months afterward Wallis
walked into Cataula, laid his weapons
at the Sherltf,s feet, and said he was
that court was not in session, but as the
outlaw insisted on having hearing the
officer laid a trap for him. mock trial
was organized in the back room of a store,
and while Wallis was answering questions,
with his back turned toward the door, two
strong men grasped his arms from behind,
while the Sheriff bound him hand and foot.
Wallis has the strength Of a giant, and
struggled desperately, but he had been
taken by surprise and the odds were heavily
against him.
He was put in Jail, and remained there
for several days. One morning when the
Sheriff went down to feed him he made the
discovery that the bird had flown. Some
one on the outside had opened the door and
the outlaw had walked out. 1t was then
suspected that he had followers, and the
suspicion was soon confirmed by the dis
covery of camp of hutS along the Chatta-
hoochee River in the neighborh0od of Pine
Mountain. They live by hunting and off
the profits of illicit distiliing. Wallis occn-
pies one Of these buts-the most inaccessi-
Bile of the lot. He has been seen there, but
nobody has ever dared to approach his
abode.
Most of Wallis depredations have been
committed by himself lie is gifted with
remarkable strength, and his speed and ac-
curacy in firing are nothing short of mar
yeIous. These ac 'omplishments aud the
feats he has performed by their employ
ment have made him sort Of rawhead
and bloody bones In every household. His
appearance is ferocious in the extreme, and
adds to the terror which his cruelty aud
guilt have inspired.
A story is tuid i'll ustrating Wallis won $
derful skill as marksnan. While he was in
Jail at CataulaIa col0red preacher delivered
sermon in which lie asserted that Wallis
was sure of warm reception in hell After
the outlaws escape he heard of it, and
meeting the preacher in the road one day he
asked him If it was q fact that he had
preached his soul away. The African could
not tell lie. and Wallis then compelled
him to stand on a bridge and repeat the
words as he remembered them. This done,
he put cigar in the preachers mouth and
then shot 1t out. Telling the darky to run,
he fired number of shots after him, one
through his hat and two or three close
enough to whisper in his ears.
Wallis, in making mis- raid, always goes
heavily armed. Besides a Winchester rife
long dirl1-knife. He is more brutal than
courageous, as far as reports so.-Columbus
(Gal spe cial to st. Louis Republic