Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-02-08
A NERVY CAPTURE.
How Billy Barsford Arrested
hree-Fjnaered jack.
The Deputy sheriff Went Alone Into the
Teton BASIN and brought out tho
Horsethief and Two of
Ills Pals.


~ say" said Col. George barry at
the Lotos club one night, says the New
York Sun, 81 see they've got Three
Fingered Jack ut last Killed him
down on the Strip. lie went into u
little town down there with lot OF
other bad men, and got filled full Of
fine, little holes.
"Well, sir, there was n horsethief
for you. He lived simply to steal horses
II wasn't business with him, II was a
passion, and he was u 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 u ranchman in Wyom-
ing and Montana who won't be glad To
know that 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 n woman about
some things, and as hard as n woman
about others. Barring horse stealing
he was honest rs the day, and there
wasn't n man wearing n six-shooter
who'd go further or risk more to help n
'plrd' out OF difficulty. I've heard II
said that some men don't know what 1t
Is TO be afraid. Harry Dacello used to
say Three. Fingered Jack couldn't com
prchcnd fear when he saw IL in others
! rather guess, though, that fear is n
question of stomach, much as sea sicls-
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 ure as a rule SO brave
is simply that their stomachs are well
behaved.
But what started out to tell was
about the only time | ever heard Of
Thrce-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 'ein,
think. But somehow he always man.
aged to come odt first best Barring
perhaps Scott Hyde, there wasn't q
quicker man.with u gun in all Wyoming
~ Montana, and when he shot he
usually shot strnight
well, sir, knew a man at Cheyenne.
when | was stationed al Fort d, A.
Russell, whose business was catching
| thieves ~ was a passion with him,
'ust as stealing horses was with Three
fingered Jack, only, II such a thing
was possible, II was - sight bigger
| passion. His name was Barsford, Billy
| .}arsford 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
| Iln f,,,. ftuf a
of he never met up with II, as they
say out there.
"One day Billy Barsford made up his
mind he'd get Three Fingered Jack
rhere'd been big bunch of ponies ruC
off from some ranches in the Sweet
water country, and the job was laid I,
| Three fingered Jack. Jack had a rrgu
iarly org anized band, with headquar
ters over in what was then called tn,
Teton basin, but see they call 1t Jack
sons hole now. 1t is just below wher,
Robert Ray Ilamilton's dead body wa
found in the creek. Jacks band wa
made up Of some Of the toughest mel
IN Wyoming, good shots, fine riders anC
hard citizens, as good at fight as at
drink, and always ready for either. Th
Teton basin wasn't so well-known II
those days as 1t is now. II wasn't 30 al
mighty safe for strangers 10 be dropping
around there promiscu ously. In fact
IL was SO little known that II was com
monty described as being just over be
yond the big Teton
"Well, when Billy Barsford made III
his mind to get Three. Fingered Jacl
he didn't say word about IL To any
body, but Just took his horse and Ii
out for Eagle rock lie had TO go wa
round the Tetons and the basin to ge
there, but he wanted 10 make sure O
the lay of the country before he tackle
the gang. There were heavy reward
out for Jack and Billy didn't rcgar
chem with disfavor, although he used /
tell me that the main thing that startc
him was the desire TO have the glory q
catching gThrce-Eiugered Jack ali alont
Queer ideas of glory some men have.
BILLY got over TO Eagle rock al
right they call II Idaho falls now,
believe, and after fooling around ther
awhile and finding out what he cuul
about the Tetons he went out TO tn
Shoshone reservation and got an oil
chti there to make him a map of tn
o. country The old fellow drew
on , shingle II was an almight
rough map, as you. can mighty we
imagine but It showed the lay of tn
country fairly we'll, and Billy got
pretty good notion OF where he wa
trying to go.
by CAD, sir, there wasn't any gristl
in the end OF Billy Darstords breast
bone. He's no spring chicken. Wha
did he do but hang around that She
shone camp four or five days longer
and then make out 10 the old chief tina
he'd burned up by mistake the shlngl
OH which the map was made and go
tho old buck TO male him another
That night Billy compared the tw
shinRles, The maps agreed In essen