The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-12-16
A NERVY CAPTURE.
How Billy Barsford Arrested
Three Fingered jack.
The Deputy Sheriff Went Alone Into the
Teton Basin and Brought Out the
Horsethief and Two OF
His Pals.

His Pals.
al say" said Col. George Barry at
the Lotos club one night says the New
| Yor,; Sun, 81 see they've got Three
Fingered Jack at last Killed him
9-wn on the Strip. He went into q
little town down there with lot of
other bad men, and got filled full Of
fine, little holes.
| We'll, sir, there was horsethief
foI you. He lived simply to steal horses.
| 1t wasn't business with him, it was a
passion, and he was most exalted,
supreme high ruler, grand past master
OF The art There isn't town in the
northwest where his record Is not
known, and not ranchman in Wyom-
ing ard Montana who won't be glad To
knew that Fingered Jack has
passed in his checks. It's curious, too,
lie heard men who knew him say that
Jack was as soft as woman about
some things. and as hard as woman
about others. BARRING horse stealing
he was honest as the day; and there
wasn't man wearing six-shooter
who'd 60 further or risk more to help a
'pard' out of difficulty. I've heard 1t
said that some men don't know what it
IS to be afraid. Harry Dacello used to
say Three-Fingered Jack couldn't COM
prehcnd fear when he saw il in others.
! rather guess, though, that fear is q
question of stomach, much as sea sick
ness is Jack never would have been
sea sick. Ill bet chat sinking sensa-
tion of cold never struck the pit of his
stomach. I've often thought that one
reason sailor men are as rule so brave
Is simply that their stomachs are we'll
behaved.
But what started out to tell was
about the only time I ever heard of
rhree-Fingered jacks being arrested.
lie had God knows how many fights
With the officers, lost two fingers and
got his distinctive title in one of 'em,
| ;hink. But somehow he always man
tged to come out first best. Barring
perhaps Scott Hyde, there wasn't a
quicker man with a gun in all Wyoming
,r Montana, and when he shot he
Usually shot straight
well, sir, knew man at Cheyenne,
when was stationed at Fort d. A.
Russell, whose business was catching
thieves 1t was a passion with him.
lust as stealing horses was with Three
Fingered Jack, only, if such thing
VAS possible, it was - sight bigger
passion. His name was Barsford, Billy
3arsford, and he was deputy sheriff OF
laramie county. He was a fine, big
elbow, unusually quiet, and the quick.
.st man to move ever saw. If there
vas anything Billy Barsfcrd was afraid
VI he never met up with 1t, as they
Jay out there.
"One day Billy Bnrsford made up his
mind he'd get Three Fingered Jack.
rhere'd been a big bunch of ponies run
III from some ranches in the Sweet
water country, and the job was laid to
rhree-Fingered Jack. Jack had ru9u-
arly organized bald, with headquar-
;ers over in what was then called the
Teton basin, but see they call it jack
sons hole now. 1t is just below where
Robert Ray Hamilton's dead body was
ound in the creek. Jacks band was
made up of some of this toughest men
Il Wyoming, good shots, fine riders and
lard citizens, rs good at fight as at a
lrink, and always ready for either. The
Teton basin wasn't SO Well-known IN
hose days as IL is now. 1t wasn't SO al
mighty safe for strangers to be dropping
tround there promiscu ously. In fact,
4 was SO little known that it was com
monty described as being just over be-
7ond the big Teton
well, when Billy Barsford made up
lis mind to get Three Fingered Jack
ie didn't say a word about it to any
body, but just took his horse and lit
out for Eagle rock. He had to 70 way
round the TetOns and the basin to get
there, but he wanted to make sure of
the lay of the country before he tackled
The gang There were heavy rewards
'ut for Jack and Billy didn't regard
them with disfavor, although he used to
tell me that the main thing that started
him was the desire to have the glory of
catching Three-Fingered Jack al alone.
Queer ideas of glory some men have.
billy got over to Eagle rock all
right--thcy call it Idaho sulls now,
believe, and after fooling around there
swhile and finding out what he could
about the Tetons, he went out to the
Shoshone reservation and got an old
chief there to make him map of the
Teton country. The old fellow drew it
On single. II was an almighty
rough map, as you can mighty well
imagine, bnt it showed the lay of the
;oantry fairly we'll, and Billy got a
pretty good notion of where he was
trying TO go.
'By gad, sir, there wasn't any gristle
in the end OF Billy Barsford's breast
bone. Has no spring chicken. What
AID he do but hang around that s,ho-
shone cnmp four or Ave days longer,
and then make out to the old chief thut
he'd burned up by mistake the shingle
,n which the map was made and got
the Did buck to make him another.
That night Billy compared the two
shingles. The maps agreed in essen
hal details, and Billy concluded the
IulA Sut.