The state herald., 1893-06-23
A QUESTION OF GUILT +
A QUESTION. TOO. THAT WAS
NEVER ANSWERED.
NcPherson's Last Night Passed Sur
rounded by the Flood and With
tho Sheriff Riding Fast
to Secure Him.


to Secure Him.
In the spring Of 1883 CHANGED to
make the Acquaintance Of a young
tenderfoot who had become fascinated
with the Wild ways Of Colorado and
who had probably come to the state
- the result Of course OF dime
rovel reading. had made an ar
rangement with a man named Cog
gins whereby was to aid him for
year in managing his ranch ana to
take certain share Of tho profits.
The ranch was on Little Grow creek,
nosr tho cs,. .,. :, boundary line of tho
state Our nearest hoienoor us q
young man who had claim OF 100
asres ten miles south Of lis, says a
Philadelphia Times writer. His fiame
wds McPhdts6n. ard he had, come
from Scotland three years before,
Some time after we were settled he
came over to our ranch and helped us
with the chores and In looking after
the horses and cattle.
Ono hot spring afternoon Cog gins
md myself rode over to Grover, q
little town twelve ihilss from ,oiir
ranch. to lay In stock OF provi sicns
for tho following week.
y Just ds We reached tho main street
OF tho town We heard two pistol-shots
fred In quick succession. and q man
dashed past us riding at q furious
pace, with his head bent ovor his
horses neck. Taylor, the president
Of the bank. was standing at the
cato Of tho lumber yard with smok-
Ing revolver in his hand, and he
shouted to us to give chase, Several
others joined us In tho pursuit, but
tho fugitive had a good start on us,
and We followed the direction in
which he disappeared until nightfall
When we returned Taylor. who
was lame and had not been ablc TO
join the party. told us that the mar
had walked into tho bank with
mask on his face, and had held him
up for $500 in cash.
Four weeks inter the robbery
Coggins and myself were smoking
our pipes on the corral fence. after
We had made things all right for the
night. and were watching the gather.
ing thunder clouds that wcro coming
down upon us ncross the Wyoming
border Little creek had been far
up over its banks for the past week,
and we could hear 1t roaring furiously
in the dark.
Pretty soon we saw the herd COM
ing towards us with the herd ers
circling around them swinging their
long lashes above their heads.
There's flood coming down the
creek" called out ono OF them. at
looks like 1t was going to wash out
all tho fcllers along tho hollow"
Hardly had no finished when he
heard a roar as II Niagara were close
upon us, and then the believing OF
cattle and the shouts OF the hcrdcrs.
That's it." said Coggins We'd
better go down and see II Mcphcrson's
going to need any help"
We were saddling our horses when
two men rode up TO the sheds. Ono
of them was the Greeley sheriff. lie
was prepared for business and had a
cartridge belt around his waist and u
revolver at each hip. 1--we got n
clue to that bank robbcr." said he.
THAT young Scotchman's my man.
land hos going to the penitcntiary for
It."
What. McPhcrson'" exclaimed
Coggins "Why, you're out OF your
head surei"
"You wait and see, said tho sheriff.
And we all rode away together in the
pouring rain.
The house was surrounded by
water, and IL must have been ut least
foot deep inside.
'Now the question Is. where in
thundcr's McPhcrson?" said tho
sheriff. anxiously. ale can't be in
side there. I've been chasing the
rian all over the state for week.
and know he's been ut that ranch
within the last six hours"
Scarcely had hc finished speaking
when the lightning flashed ngaln,
and we saw u light shining strong
and clear out from McPhcrson's win
dow over the fast rising watcrs
That settles It," cried the sheriff,
joyfully. .'llo's there. and no must
come out or drown
We could sec that the water was
rising every minute. We rode out
on little point OF land that stretched
on, In the water close to McPhcrson's
window. The light still burned in
side. but the window was covered by
curtain. We all raised our voices
In enc frightful yell that might have
brought dying man to tho window
had one been inside, and we were re-
warded by seeing the curtain slowly
raised. Mcpherson was sitting at IL
table with his face almost as white
rs n sheet
"for Gods sake, get out OF that"
shouted Coggins. you'll drown. man!
Don't you khoy tho waters all around
you There's noodn
The young man looked ut us with
u vacant. gloomy stare His mouth
was twItching norvously. lic kept
his eyes on us for fully minute and
then turned slowly nwny without so
much ms word. Presently We saw
him lay pieces Of paper on tho table
before him one. by one and then. when
there came lull In the roaring Of
food. wo heard him saying In u
cIuhr. strong voicci
alive. ten. fifteen, twenty"
A terrific peal Of thunder came and
drowned his voice. Ito was counting
grocnbacks We all looked ut each
other.
Hell get mp to four hundred"
cried tho sheriff desperately. "lt's
vii there. every cent, but how In
thundcr'll We got hlm"
Tho water roso II foot while We