The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-11
A BAD MAN.
The Deputy Marshal's Full Days |
Work.
From the San francisco Aroonaut


From the Son FrdnciSco Aroonaut.
IF he's in that part Of the state, or in any
part of 1t, for that matter (mind you, ]
don't believe he's fool enough to linger IL
this country, when he's had plenty of chance
to get to Canada or Mexico). he's our meat
I've got a deputy down there who's on tC
bis job, and If your friend Mr.. de Vries il
In shat neck Of the woods, Stiles can pro.
duce him in twenty~four hours
That is what the United States marshal
said to the special agent of the treasury de.
partment, who had come west in search OF
Hamilton de Vries, Ascending bank presi.
dent. The latter, unwittingly. had got
himself into trouble with Uncle Sam, as
well as with the authorities of his state
and was, therefore, In a surer way to gel
into the hands of justice than If be had been
careful not to tamper with the patience of
the long-suffering uncle aforesaid.
The marshal was so certain of his deputy's
ability to lay hands on Mr. de Vries-lf, as
the special agent believed, the ex-bank pres
ident was sojourning, in said deputy's
neighborhood-that the agent, who was
only human, and, besides, had no personal
interest In the matter, left the affair, for
the present in the marshaPs hands and pro.
ceeded to take life as easily as possible
while be might was much better than
going, partly by stage or horseback, into a
wild and woolly region after a man who
might not be there. after all.
While the special agent, who had been up
late the night previous, yawued and
stretched, preparatory TO leaving to return
to his hotel, the marshal wrote a telegram
to be sent 20 the deputy who looked after
the three 'toughn counties in the southeast
corner OF the state
Here, Ball. take this to the Office, will
your And to Uncle Sans emissary he re-
marked: Nov, then, that's settled
5tiles'H have him by Saturday, if he's there.
Ever take anYthingp
The special agent rose with some alacrity.
and they went out and drank to the health
OF the down-trodden aud over-w worked en-
ployes of a sordid. exacting government
When the marshall appointed Bob Stiles
deputy, and assigned TO him the duty Of
attending TO the three southeast counties,
he knew what he was aboat. He had al
ways been firm believer in the truth of
the old saying that sit takes thief to catch
thief" On the same principal he held
that 1t required bad man to handle bad
men; and in making his appointment for
Jones, Elkhorn aud Antelope counties, he
had no hessancy in selecting Mr.. Stiles,
whose application for the place was in
dorsed by many leading citiZens-not be-
cause they were keen to see Bob get the
place, but because he asked them to indorse
him, and a refusal TO do so involved DOS
sible, indeed, probable, unpleasant conse-
quences.
Yes, Bob Stiles was, undoubtedly. bad
man. Not that he had ever made himself
amenable to the law-at least, not that
anybody knew of-but he had q blood
stained obituary list of persons who had
disagreed with him, and beautiful disre-
gard for the consequences Of anything he
chose TO do; and he chose TO do some very
peculiar things, especially when he had
oSerIndulged in his favorite intoxicant,
which was quite frequently. When Mr..
Stiles was not engaged in his official duties
his avocation was that of a gambler, and he
was not an prescriptions one, either, in
fact, l am obliged to confess, albeit with
much reluctance, that Mr.. Stiles enj )yed
"skinninR a sucker" as well as did any other
member OF the fraternity.
1t happened, however, that one sad night,
the very night before the day the marshal
sent him the telegram concerning the miss
ing bank president. Mr.. Stiles and a con-
frere had sat in game with a supposed
Sucker" from the mines who turned out
to be very much Of player himself, and
that Mr.. Stiles and his friend rose from the
game "busted," and each owing the house
for several stacks OF chips. and Mr. Stiles
stood on a corner this bright afternoon
looking very down-hearted and sadly out Of
his usual spirits when the boy came along
with his telegram.
Him! Tall man-black whiskers-dark
complected-gray eyes, uni Greet, III
look after ye tmorruh, Mister d. VrlesW
He had been walking as he read, aud had
reached the postoftice by this time. In re-
Spouse to his inquiry. the clerk handed him
an official looking envelope. He retired TO
q corner to read it, and the contents made
his eyes dance. "Stabueno! Hyars luck
fer ye, Bobby, OF boy Five hundred dol.
lars reward Thanks, Bobby, we don't
care if we do; O, no, not any! n And as
Robert Stiles walked up the street TO his
usual "hang-outh he felt quite c eerful, and
whistled as though the $500 we're already
in his possession, for he knew right where
be could find certain Thomas Rudey, ex-
moonshiner, urgently wanted for the MUIR
der, several months previously, of a reve-
nue. officer who had raided Mr.. Rudey's
still In a neigbboring state.
Next morning, bright and early, the dep
uty marshal rode gayly forth. He had
made q small "borrow," and won a Sl0C
or so the night before; he would make $500
and some fees to-day; and these facts, to-
gether with the brightness of the morning,
the beauties of nature and the excellent
breakfast he had just eaten, conspired to
make him, if anything, more cheerful than
usual, and that was very cheerful indeed.
There was only one thing that troubled him,
and that was the fact that no reward was
offered for the arrest Of De Vries, whose
history he had read in the papers.
"Th' ideel'' the deputy marshal said to
himself. ''Hyar'S this high-toned cuss firm
Ohio-busts a bank, robs lis fr'ens, an
takes tn bread away firm orph'ns an wild
ders, an gifts away; no inward FIR him
Hyar's a poor devil of a moonshiner, got
nothing but still T. keep lis family on, an
thinks he's got jest's much right & make
whiskey-dam good whisky, too-as any
body else; shoots a revenoo offuser th't
mos likely shot at him first, an Uncle Sam
offers $500 fer fml It's tough, no use
talkin'." And Mr.. Stiles chirped to bis
horse. which was nibbling at the branches
OF the trees by the roadside.
Four hours later Bob Stiles, deputy mar
shall, rode into little valley into which the
by-road had led him from the main trail.
He looked to his revolYers carefully, to see
that they were all right for the emergency
which was quite probabla, and decided on a
plan of action. He dismounted and pro-
ceeded on foot toward the shabby, tumble
down log cabin that stood in a little clear
ing on the hillside above him.
AS he reached the edge OF the clearing be
halted and took note OF the cabin and its
surroundings, observing with some sur
prise the neat appearance OF the garden aud
yard and the unavailing repairs that had