Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-03-07
OUTLAWS AT LITTLE ROCK.
A Number OF Citizens Held Up and
Robbed and One Gentleman Shot
"A Newsy Letter From
Arkansas.

Correspondence of the Ledger.
LITTLE Rock, Feb. 25.-lt seems
that with the capture of the notorious
Bill Cook, outlawry and highway rob-
berry has, for the time at least, suffered
a severe blow in the Indian Territory
Unfortunately for Arkansas, however,
it seems that many of the though
characters have come over here.
Little Rock was first startled some six
weeks ago by the street cars IN resi-
dence portions of the city being heldup
by armed and masked men. These at
tacks we're repeated at intervals,
but were not attended by any serious
results with the exception of in one
instance, the robbers ''going through
the passengers and carrying off some
$50 in small change and seVeral
watches, etc. The eliminating point,
however, was reached on last Satur-
day evening when two highly respect
ed citizens were returning to their
homes at about 1880 p. m, and when
in the most populous part of the city
were held up by two highwaymen.
One OF the gentlemen, Mr.. Wildberger,
resisted the command and drew his
revolver, w~hereupon he was lmme-
diately shot and seriously injured, his
companion also being wounded in the
arm; at this the would-be robbers
turned and fled. After some delay the
bl%oodhounds were put upon their trail
and tracked them to the railroad,
where they lost the scent and were un-
able to trace them further. The con-
dition of the wounded gentlemen is
very much better than was expected
and their recovery is certain. h
habitants are now very much wrought
up over these frequent outrages and
the police force have made several
important arrests. Pistols, ETC., are at
a great premium, and dealers are do
ing a lucrative business
Last week the city of Hot Springs
was visited by a disastrous confiagra-
| ton, one block and a half of business
property being burned down, occa-
storing a loss of over 500, 900.
Fire swept away the second Baptist
church (colored) in this city last Sat-
urday night and several adjacent
buildings were completely destroyed.
An attempt was made on the same
| evening to ditch the Pine Bluff train
| into the river from the embankment
by leaving an open switch. Fortunate
ly the engineer observed it in time and
| stopped the train within twenty-five
feet of the dangerous switch.
All these events point to the pres
ence in the city of IN undesirable class
of citizens, and the sooner the police
can rid us of their presence the safer
| we will feel.
Ex-State Treasurer Woodruff was
found guilty at P~erryville last week of
| obtaining signatures of officials under
| false pretenses, and sentenced to one
years Imprisonment in the peniten-
tiaiy. His recent defalcations in his
official capacity are no doubt yet
lfresh in the mind of the -pnbic--His
attorneys viii appeal to the Supreme
Court.
The force of the winter, as far al we
are concerned, is now completely
broken. Beautiful sunshine and balmy
breezes are now the order of the day.
The Legislature is still in session.
Up to date nothing very important has
been passed, except to give Pulaski
county an additional Circuit Judge.
We have great hope of a new State
House, but very little for a constitu-
tional convention. j. B.