The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1893-12-30
a Merry CAPTURE.
How Billy Barsford Arrested
ee-Fingered Jack.
The Deputy Sheriff Went Alone Into the
Teton Basin and Brought Out the
Horsethief, and Two OF
His Pals

Il say" said Col. George Barry al
the Lotos club one night, says the New
York Sun, Il see they've got Three
Fingered Jack at last Killed him
down on the strip. He went into a
little town down there with a lot of
her bad men. and got filed full OF
lne little holes.
We'll, sir, there was u horsethief
FOR You. He lived simply to steal horses.
1t wasn't a business with Kim, it was %
passion, ANA he was p most exalted,
supreale high ruler, grand past master
OF the art There isn't a town in the
northwest where his record is not
known, and not Il ranchman in Yyom-
iag and Montana who wont be glad to
know that 1'hree-Fingered Jack has
PASSED in his checks. It's curious, too,
I've heard men who knew him say that
Jack was as soft as q woman about
some things. and as hard as a woman
about others Barring horse stealing
he was honest as the day, and there
wasn't man wearing a six-shootcr
who'd go further or risk more to help q
pard out of difficulty. I've heard it
said that some men don't know what it
is to be afraid. Harry Daeello used to
say Three Fingered Jack couldn't com
prche1d feIr when he saw it in others
| rather guess, though, that fear is a
question Of stomach, much as sea sick
ness IS Jack never would have been
sea sick. Eli bet that sinking sense
ton of cold never struck the pit of his
stomach. I've often thought that one
IS simply that their stomachs are we'll
behaved.
But what started out to tell was
nbont The only time | ever heard of
Jacks being arrested.
He had God knows how many fights |
With the officers, lost two fingers and |
got his distinctive title in one Of EN-. Z
MAX. Bat somehow he always man
sgcd to coInc odt first best. Barring
perhaps Scott. Hyde, there wasn't q
lnclzcr man with q gun in all Wyoming
II Montana, and when he shot he
Usually shot straight
well sir, knew a man at Cheyenne.
vhen / was stationed at Fort D. A.
russell, whose business was catching
hieyes. II was q passion with him,
ust rs stealing horses was with Three
fingered jack, only, if such q thing
vas possible, it was - sight bigger
session. his name was Barstord, Billy
;arsford, and he was deputy sheriff of
,ara-sio county lie was Gne big
GLOW, unusually quiet, and the quick
st nan to IIove ever saw. If there
as anything Billy Barsford was afraid
{ he never met up with it, as they
~ out there.
''Onc day Billy Barsford made up his
ind he'd get Fingered Jack.
hered been big bunch OF ponies run,
f from some ranches in the Sweet
alter country, and The JOB was laid to
rec-Eingered Jack. Jack had 4 r,grl-
rly organized band, with hcadquGr !
rs over in what was then called the I
eton basin, but l see they call it Jack {
ms hole now. IT is just below where
ebert Ray Uamilton's dead body was +
upd in TIE greek. Jacks band was {
ade up Of some Of the toughest men s
Wyoming, good shots, fine riders and =
.rd citizens as good at n fight as at a i
'ini:, ind always ready for citlloi. The y
ctca basin wasn't so well-known in :
osc Gays Us it is now. 1t wasn't SO al .
.ghty SAFE for strangcrs to be dropping Ii
yund there promiscuously. In fact, l.
was SO littie known that it was com a
oniy described as being just over be- 81
"a the big Teton a
well, when Billy Barsford made up b
; mind to get Fingered Jack 81
didn't say q word about it to any b,
dy, but just took his horse and lit Sc
t for EaGicr rock. lie had to go way Il
und the Tetoas and the basin to get II
ere. hut he wanted to make sure of hi
2 lay Of the country before he tackled fe
, gang. There were heavy rewards N
Tor Jacl; and Billy didn't regard 70
IN with disfavor, although housed to or
| me that the main thing that started ii,
a was tie desire to have the glory of ba
gu