The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-08-31
fleeing wretch Ewhen overtaken came to

ueelng WreGcn EWhen OVertaken cau6 W
me-
1t meant not alone capture. burt death
in some terrible form at the hands OF
those citizens, just as certain as though
the fugitive was poised for a moment on
the brink of Niagara. Such thoughts as
these and many others crowded into
my perturbed mind as we rode on to The
west nearly half dozen miles. The
hounds then changed their course, veer
ing to the northwest, causing us in turn
to take to the right up cross road. We
Zigzagged two or three times, now run
ming along a road heading west, and then
along an intersecting one heading north,
as the pursuit took line diagonal to the
general direction of the highways Not
once had the fugitive so far used any
road in his flight.
Finally we turned into well travelled
way running north at the base of a line
of hills that rose almost abruptly over the
surrounding country. Somebody had Just
remarked that we ought to be getting in
sight of something when the hounds
broke into the road a few hundred yards
ahead and continued running in adavnce
of us I'D the center of the highway.
We had described in our course an i'm
mense semicircle and were now some five
miles west of Mexia whereas our start
was east of that to win.
A mile or so we followed the dogs up
the road at the base of the hills until the
whole pack made sudden swerve to the
right and through an open gate. Inside
was all inclosed field of some dozen acres.
In the center stood little lonesome
shanty built of upright boards, the typical
dwelling of the ordinary cotton raising
tenant. Around this the hounds circled,
making the air ring with their furious
baying. l began to regret my coming.
not from any sympathy with the muir
derer, but from a loathing relutance to
witness such a sight as I knew to be
forthcoming. We rode up. The deputy
quoted the dogs and hailed the house.
There was the sound of the clicking of
hammers of six-shooters in the crowd.
A face appeared at the window. 1t was
that of negro woman, and bore the
marks of recent tears. To the deputy's
command she responded by coming out
and stating there was no one but herself
in the house; that the sheriff with two
men had been there and "tooken her man
wild him." We searched the house. Her
story was true as to its being empty.
There were horse tracks sother than our
own around. 1t looked certainly as
though we were anticipated. The chase
was over. I was relieved and could de-
tect 20 fellow feeling in the face of the
deputy. The rest were indignant, and
in their disappointment said hard things
about the sheriff. Some suggested rum
ming him down and taking the prisoner
away. But such suggestions came to
nothing. The hounds lay around licking
the places where they had come in con-
tact with the barbs of the wire fences
They hadssdone their part and there was
no call to disparage them.
After we had trotted back to town we
heard the whole story. AS soon as our
party had gone to the scene of the murder
the sheriff began to investigate He knew
that in case of capture by any party of
citizens there would be lynching. He
wished to avoid this, and the only possible
way was to get in and capture the crimi-
nal himself before the crowd could get
possession
He found that in the morning the muir
dered man hired a negro bystander to
help load some heavy articles in his
wagon. In paying him the old man had
displayed quite sum of money in a
negro's eyes-some fifteen or twenty dol
lars This negro wore a blue checked
jumper The sheriff found out the name
of his negro and where he lived He
found also that negro. answering to the
same description had been seen following
the old man as the latter was leaving
town. The negro was also noticed pick
ing up large stone from the roadside,
and being asked his reason for it replied
to his questioner: "Its none of your
id business. (" The inquirer had no
desire to get into a difficulty and asked
no further.
For the sheriff this was enough. He
took deputy and rode out to the negro 8
home 1t was the same house to which
the hounds led Us afterward. The negro
was caught just coming in. The sheriff
delayed not for an instant, but took the
prisoner to the nearest point on the rail
road, tagged train and that night the
IN urderer reposed in the Jail of the city
of Dallas, a hundred miles away and out
of Judge Lynch's jurisdiction.