The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-22
THIS WAS A Merry CAPTURE
NOW BILLY BhRsFORD ARRESTED
THREE FINGERED JACK.
The Deputy sheriff Wen, Alone Into a.,
Teton basin and brought On; the rior,.
Thief md Two OF His Pals. Buryinr m
Th,sa nef or, IIe Started Hack.

n
Third Before He Started Back.
"Isay," said Col George Barry at the Lotto,
Club one night last week. Il see they've got
Three fingered Jack at last Killed him down
on the Strip one day last week. He went into
n little town down there with n lot Of other
bad men. and got filled full Of fine. little holes
We'll sir. by gadl there was horse thief
for YOU. He lived simply to steal horses IL
wasn't business with him. 1t was passion,
and he was q most exalted, supreme high
ruler, grand past master OF the ar. There
isn't n town In the Northwest wherc mis- record
is not known. and not a ranchman in Wyo-
ming and Montana and hall dozen other States
who won't he glad to know that Three fin.
gered Jack has passed In his checGs It's
curious. too I've heard men who knew him
say that Jack was soft as woman about some
things, and as hard as q woman about others.
Barring horse stealing he was honest ms the
day. and there wasn't n man wearing a
ak shooter who'd go further or risk moro
to help n 'pnrd' out Of difficulty. I've heard
1t said that some men don't know what 1t is 10
be afraid. Harry Ducello used TO say Three
fingered Jack couldn't comprehend fear when
he saw 1t in others. l rather guess though.
that fear isa question Of stomach. much as
sea sickness is. Jack never would have been
sea sick. I'll bet that sinking sensation 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 stoin.
achs are we'll behaved.
But what 1 started out to tell was about tho
only time ever heard OF Three-f lngere Jacks
being arrested He had God knows how many
fights with officers. lost his two fingers and got
his distinctive title in one Of 'em. think. But
somehow he always managed to come out first
best Barring perhaps Scott Hyde. there
wasn't a quicker man with n gun In all Wyo-
ming or Montana. and when he shot he usually
shot straight
We'll. sir. knew a man at Cheyenne when
was stationed at Fort d. A. Russell. whose
business was catching thieves. 1t was n passion
with him. Just a. stealing horses was with
Three- flngered Jack, only. If such TIL ng WAS
possible. 1t was n damned sight bigger pas
sion. His name was Barsford Billy Barsford.
and he was deputy sheriff Of Laramie county.
He was a fine. big fellow. unusually quiet. and
the quickest man to move ever saw. II there
was anything Billy Barsford was afraid VI he
never met up with it. as they say out here.
One day Billy Barsiord made up his mind
he'd get Three fingered Jack. There'd been o
big bunch Of ponies run Off from some ranches
in the Sweetwater country. and tho lob was laid
to Three fingered Jack. Jack had regularly
organized band. with headauartcrs over in
what was then called the Teton BASIN. but
see they call 1t Ja"kson's hole now. 1t is lust
below whore robert Kay Hamiltons dead body
made up Of some Of The toughest pa men w" IN
wyoming. good shots, fine riders. and hard
s s,zs rss god S ths sh stan a sna
wasn't SO well known in those days as it 10
now. 1t wasn't SO amig hty sufe for strangers
In fact. it was so little known that it wns com.
monty described as being Just over beyond
""Wsll. when Billy Bnrsford made I'M his
mind to get Three Jack. he didn't
to 60 way round the Tetons and the basin to
get there. but he wanted to make sure OF the
There were heavy rewards out for Jack. and
Billy didn't regard Thorn with disIavor.
thing that started him was the desire to have
tho glory OF catching Three fingered Jack all
e Iae ocF ali
call it Idaho Falls now. ! believe and after
iooling around there a while and finding out
to the Shoshone reservation and got an old
chief there to make him map Of tho Teton
1t was n almighty rough map. rs you can
mighty well Imagine, but Il showed the lay OF
gooi na whsrs he was tryns
. BY CAD sir. there wasn't any gristIe in the
spo of g %hst HTS s he % hut hans
longer. and then make out to the old chief
which the map was made and got the old buck
to make him another That night BLY, c9m-
ESSENTIAL dstaiIs and Dy conci "lsa ed r IT, oh
Indian was playing fair with him. % hs
dtarted out s vent pn oyer ine Tct"~ All
with little creek running through tho n,i.!dis
AS Bi ly went into the valley II" pado "nte
little cabin down next to the creek, s"N"ini
he had lots OF time lie got down 10 the ",ora.
got on his horse. and made as II he wr'" pros
to snf the ine o +"
Jack and three other fellows sitln. II al. nch
beside the wall. Their winrn"stcr- were
The corner from them. They wore all watching
Billy. but didn't seem to RECON lie MIN or II
kept on smok ing and Ginning .withon; evcrn
motion to get out their guns. They ir"hnhiy
tney'd speak to him. and white som" ., 'n"m
talked one would hold him up. i""sibIy th"y
meant TO do him. But h. fooled them,
lie kept prospecting along Me little creek
I'll he got fair even with them. krep:nc his
horse between him and Tho men n"sl'I'' tue
his arm Just az lie came even with them
he whipped out his two six shooters Hre
irew on the four horse thieves MT thirty yards
Put up your hands he said
by CAD. sir. they were piraiyzc !. Bu' th"Y
SG the end nS" a"SS ~" y"
he other with his lett. His horse lunurG a
Df. he said when he told me about Il. and
bothered his ain. Tho other two law they
werc trapped and put up their hands. tnc 1t
hem was Three fingered Juck.
"'How arc you. Jask = snys Billy. Glad to
Ind YOU ut hone. I've como dhmnrt long
ways to sec you. Now won't you k'nd!y 'Hrn
round and stand with your lace t" that VAL
here. while assist your frent n bit 70 r,"lIrNo
himself OF any extra ShOUtiu' or cl:lIU' irons
he may have in his pocketsH
Jack turned round without n word! rs
what Il DOwerful iutlupurs there iG
.hs drop Of II six-shooier; and toe beauty II
ioing II with n gun aud not Il MiGchrs'"g Is
hat you chn cover two men at one" wjih tho
gun. But with n Winchester YOU rnu cover
only one. Now there was thar gAug tFuln
robbers down ut ltawins But that II another
story. Jack stood M nga nst the wall fine.
Thanks says Billy dropping tho urals
rein from his loft arm and taking some iu".
stout cord out Of one Of his holsters with his
eft hand. a tn" time keeping both mon Gov
cred with his right.
$50 Just Keep your hands well up above yo,r
head. please no said 10 the other fellow.
and YOU, Jack. lust peaso ut your hands
cut behind your back. Don't try any grNp
fNr Al. 4