Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-02
TAR AND FEATHERS.
A Kansas City Sun Correspond
ent Roughly Handled.
WAC0'S CITIZENS AVENGED.
Fort Worth and Corsicana, Il is Claimed, Sent
Representatives.
The yillifier of Men, Women and Children
Strapped, Bound, Gagged and
WACO'S CITIZENS AVENGED.
The yillifier of Men, Women and Children
Strapped, Bound, Gagged and
Treated to Spring Suit of
Tar and Feathers at Waco.



For some time past that paper has CON
tanned articles from different Texas cities
abiding to leading citizens, and often ladies
who are above suspicion were made the
objects of the base attacks. The writer Of
these articles worked incognito, and he
could not be held accountable for what he
had dore Fort Worth, Waco, Dallas,
Austin and Corsicana were most promi-
nently mentioned in the paper. Some
things that appeared recently caused the
Waco young men to swear vengeance
against the writer should he ever be dis
covered, and sharp lookout was kept for
him. The young men not only suffered as
regards their regulations, but financially,
some of them going so far as to buy every
copy coming to Waco to prevent the articles
being circulated.
THIS BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION.
THE GAZETTE of Thursday contained the
announcement that w. Roll Reel had been
arrested here charged with criminal libel,
consisting of publications in the Kansas
City Sunday Sun. Reel remained in jail
here Wednesday night and all day Thurs
day. He employed counsel to defend him
and this morning at l O'Clock he gave bond.
In company with Il numbero of friends who
wanted to secrete him. he entered a hack
and was driven from the Jail in westward
direction out Austin avenue, thence by
Padgitt's park When the carriage reached
the park il was overtaken by another oc-
Cupied by a crowd, all of whom were
masked. The pursuerS covered the pursued
with pistols, and taking Reel from them
they transferred him to their carriage and
started III the direction of Bells hill, where
the famous arteSian wells are located.
Here the crowd took their captive from
the carriage and each gentleman admins
tered 10 him few licls with a strap. The
whipping over, Reel was treated to a ride
on q rail.
The worst punishment was yet to come
The party was prepared to administer to
him that which is most dreaded by those
who are offenders of public opinion,
TAE AND FEATHERS.
Reel was bound, and gagged with copy
of the Kansas City Sunday Sun. A bucket
Of pitch aud 4 bag Of feathers were pro
duced and an elegant coat was administered
to the gentleman. He got it in nice shape,
and before he is able to get rid OF II he viii
have an opportunity to ponder over what
Waco wants to know
The scene of the tar and feather picnic
was near one Of the artesian wells, and
after he had been covered with his dress
suit, similar to that Worn by the feathery
tribe, he was given ducking in the famous
thermal water of the Waco artesian wells.
Before the punishment was administered
to the villfier Of the ladies he made q con-
fession He barred his heart of his acts.
He told OF the different articles he had
written, dating them Fort Worth, Dallas,
Waco, CorSicana, or whatever place the
circumstances suited. He told how he had
written the article about
LADY or FORT WORTH.
He said that on that job he had assist
ance. talented writer who expressed in
words ideas that were suggested by him as
dictator.
He told with smile what he had done.
He let his pen fly, strike whom it might,
be it the fair name of lady or the black
ened character of a demimonde. He con-
fessed to al attack on young lady at Cor
Sicana, and spoke Of the desire OF that
young lady's father to see him. having
offered $3.50 reward for him, but he did not
care to be seen, so he said.
In each town he said he had an accom-
plice who gave him pointers, and he put
the pointers into readable shape.
All of these things he told, and for all Of
these his captors punished him.
TORT WORTH AND CoRsICANA TOOK A HAND.
Waco citizens were not alone implicated
in what was done. Delegations were pres
ent frem Fort Worth and Corsicana, who
represented themselves and their cities.
Some may say that the punishment was
too severe. His back was dashed until it
was lacerated and then the coat of tar and
feathers were put on. Severe or not as it
may be, the fact must be taken into consid-
Grafton that in the crowd ofregulators were
young men who had lost positions by his
writings. fathers and brothers of ladies who
were slandered and friends of villified per-
sons. Crazed with rage at what had been
done by their captor to damage the char
acters of men and women, they knew not
what they did. As the citizens of New Or
leans avenged the death of Chief Hen
messy and struck death blow to the Malta,
so did the citizens of the
GREAT EMPIRE STATE
avenge the publications in the shiny light
of the Sabbath day of Kansas City.
Public opinion is the law and this man
who stabs in the back with his mighty
faber, received the penalty of an unwritten
law. The statutes provide for the muir
derer, but the man who debases the fair
name of woman is left to the tender mer-
cies of an indignant populace and
THAT mercy he to others gave,
That mercy he received"
HIS RELEASE FROM JAIL.
When arrested, Reel asked that he be ad-
mitted to bail, but his bondsmen were not
forthcoming. About midnight last night
he made bond in $500. He was warned to
beware if he should be seen, but he felt
safe in the hands of his friends, and secure
within closed carriage. ne left the jail. He
reckoned without his host. The jail had
been under close surveillance, and when he
left party of regulators followed.
It was quietly arranged and none but the
were aware OF what lay in
store for him.
THE SCENE OF ACTION
was grove of trees on hill overlooking
the Central city. From his position the
young man could look down upon Waco, the
home of those he had maligped. Sur
rounded by artesian wells, from which
flowed pure artesiau water. synonymous
with the Characters of those ladies who
suffered from the productions of his vile
pen, he had few minutes in which to pom
der and few more in which to ask forgive
ness from his God and confess.
What followed is written above as well
as words will express it.
4 TERRIBLE LESSON.
The punishment inflicted upon Roll Reel
will be q lesson to all who in the future rep
resent the journal he has so ably repre-
sented. and which proved sad thing for
him 1t is probable that they will give
Waco wide birth. While it is expected
the city will be roughly handled by the
journal which is bent on reform, which in
one column contains Sunday-school lessons
and in another base allegations against
men, women and children, it is to be hoped
that their correspondents will not visit
here. The reward given Reel awaits others
of his class.
THEME OF CONVERSATION.
The talk of the town to-day is the ad-
venture of w. Roll Reel Occasionally one
can hear word of sympathy. 1t is the
talk of the town and many have expressed