Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-01-18
A NERVY CAPTURE.
How Billy Barsford Arrested
Three Fingered Jack.
The Deputy Sheriff Went Alone Into tn.
Teton Basin aud Drought Out tho
Horsethief and Two Of
Ills Pals.

| Horsethlef and Two OF
His Pals.
~ say" said Col. George barry al
the Lotos club ono night, says the New
York Sun, II see they've got Three
| Fingered Jack ut last Killed him
down on the Strip. He went into a
little town down there with a lot OF
other bad men, and got filed full OF
fine, little holes
well, sir, there was a horsethiei
for you. He lived simply to steal horses.
1t wasn't business with him, II was a
| passion, and he was a 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 a ranchman In Wyom-
ing and Montana who won't be glad To
know that Three-Fingcred Jack has
passed in his checks. It's curious, too,
I've heard men who knew him say that
| Jack was as soft us woman about
some things, and as hard as u woman
about Others. Barring horse stealing
he was honest as the day, and there
wasn't n man wearing n six.shooter
who'd go 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 Fingered Jack couldn't com
prehend fear when he saw it in others
! rather guess, though, that fear IL n
question of stomach, much as sea sick
ness is. Jack never would have been
sea sick I'll bet that sinking sensa-
lion 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 | ever heard Of
Irree-lingered Jacks being arrested.
lie had God knows how many fights
with the officers, lost two fingers and
lot his distinctive title in one Of 'eln.
tninlS. But somehow he always man
aged TO come out first best. Barring
perhaps Scott Hyde, there wasn't a
quicker man with u gun In all Wyoming
or Montana, and when he shot he
u.ually shot straight.
"Wcll, sir, knew n man at Cheyenne.
whcn | was stationed at Fort d. A.
Russell, whose business was catching
thieves lC was passion with him,
ust as stealing horses was with Three
fingered Jack, only, If such thing
was possible, II was n --- sight bigger
passion. His name was Barsford, Billy
.iarsford, and he was deputy sheriff OF
Laramie county lie was fine, big
fellow, unusually quiet, and the quick
est man to move ever saw. II there
was anything BILLY Barsford was afraid
of he never met up with II, as they
say out there.
zone day Billy Barsford made up his
mind he'd get Three Fingered Jack.
rhere'd been big bunch OF ponies run
off from some ranches in the Sweet
water country, and the job was laid TO
rhree-Fingered Jack. Jack had rcgu-
'arly organized band, with headquar-
ters over in what was then called the
Teton basin, but see they call it Jack
son's hole now. II is just below where
Robert Ray Hamilton's dead body was
found in the creek. Jacks band was
made up of some of the toughest men
Ia Wyoming, good shots, fine riders and
hard citizens, as good at fight as at .
drink, and always ready for either. The
Teton basin wasn't so well-known In
those days as IL is now. II wasn't so al
mighty safe for strangers to be dropping
around there promiscu )usly. In fact,
it was so little known that II was com
monty described us being just over be-
yond the big Teton
"Wcll, when Billy Barsford made up
his mind TO get Three Fingered Jack
he didn't say u word about IL To any
body, but just took his horse and lit
out for Eagle rock. lie had to go way
round the Tetons and the basin to get
there, but he wanted 10 make sure of
the lay Of the country before he tackled
the gang, There were heavy rewards
cut for Jack and Billy didn't regard
,hem 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 all alone
Queer ideas of glory some men have.
Billy got over TO Eagle rock all
right they call II Idaho falls now,
believe, and after fooling around there
awhile and finding out what he could
about the Tetons, he went out TO the
Shoshone reservation and got an old
.h"f there to make him u map OF the
country The old fellow drew II
aL shiagle 1t was an almighty
rough map, rs you can mighty well
imagine but II showed the lay OF thr
country fairly well, and Billy got q
pretty good notion OF where he was
trying to go,
by gad, sir, there wasn't any gristle
in the end of Billy Barsfords breast
bone. He's no spring chicken. What
did he do but hang around that Sho.
shone camp four or five days longer
and then make ont To the old chief that
he'd burned up by mistake the shinglo
on which the map was made and got
the utd buck TO make him another.
That night Billy compared the two
shingles The maps agreed In essen.
tial details and niuv concluded tho