The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-06-12
BILL sPRAppLIN,s RusE.
How He Tricked n United States
Marshal.

deputy United States marshal, that
Bill Spraddlin. of North Carolina,
was dead, and II reminded me of the
chase I gave the gentleman once, or
he gave me-"
The reporter pulled his chair up
notch or two closer and nodded for
the marshal TO go ahead.
"Bill," he continued, "was the boss
moonshiner of the district In which l
worked and for years he had been
loose in the mountains and nobody
could catch him. One day l heard
from him from 'trusty' of the mount
aims, and with four men, started TO
pick him up II possible. lie had
brother, John, quite reputable cit
lien, except that he would harbor
Bill Mt his house and help him TO get
away, though he never In any other
way transgressed. had never seen
either of them, but I had tintype of
Bill and trusted to that to Identify
my man If ] ever happened on him.
We had about fifteen miles TO ride
from headquarters, and without In
forming anyone of our proposed raid,
we started after our man In different
directions. with the understanding
that we would meet at certain point
point not far from Johns house.
Meeting there we separated again,
TO go TO Johns house and the others
to take other points where there was
n chance of finding the game. As we
were dressed. as nearly rs possible,
| 10 ,tnl, IA
less danger of being shot from the
roadside. and also of exciting less
suspicion In case any one of us found
| himself In crowd of the moonshiner's
friends. Well, I rode up to Johns
house and after talking n while to a
woman, | met there, about buying n
sewing machine, asked her If Mr.
Spraddln was at home. She went in
to find out 1--WE had been talking at
the gate), and In minute Mr.. Sprad
din came out. Something about the
man excited my suspicion nt once and
| watched him closely.
Are you Mr.. SpraddlinT I asked
That's my name he replied.
You live here, / supposer
4 reckon l do when I'm home
"'Are you at home much, Mr.. Sprad
dlinT ! asked, easily.
Enough, l reckon
81 thought Il was about time was
showing my hand. so got at 1t.
Il think said, as l whipped out
my revolver, that you are the Mr.
Spraddlin l am looking for-Mr
VIM. SpraddlIn. believe, brother to
the Mr.. Spraddlin you thought ]
thought you wereT
81 expected him TO make break
of some kind, but he didn't. He stood
as If dazed. and he was certainly
speechless, for he simply nodded an
affirmation Of my charge. The wo
men tore around. but I Quleted them
at the point of my revolver and cor
railing the whole lot of them out In
the front yard, stood guard till one OF
my men came, then ! sent him for the
others, and I'm the course of a couple
of hours, I had my posse together.
and putting our prisoner on one Of his
own horses, we started at breaknecb
speed for headquarters. hoping by
haste to get our man there safely he
fore the neighborhood was aroused
and rescue attempted. You know
that these mountaineers are great on
standing by each other and an enemy
hasn't much of n show against a com.
bination of them. 1t was by reason
Of such combinations that Bill Sprad
din had so long escaped, and now thai
we had him. we didn't want to lose
him. Well. to make long story short
we made the trip very nicely, only
once or twice having to dodge into the
bushes to let suspicious crowd OF
natives 90 by, and when we did get
our prisoner home we fastened to
double iron him and lock him in the
strongest cell in the Jail. Next morn
ing ! went around to see my prisoner.
and the jailer met me at the door
Say, Captain was his greeting,
bill Spraddlin must "a got away il
the night
Got awayT I almost screamed
for was looking for promotion
on this capture and the loss was bit
ter disappointment Got awayT an6
began to swear with unction.
4 reckon so. Leastways, he ain't
in thar
" well. where in blank is he" ]
thundered.
Il dunno
How do you know he got away?
"I just reckon so, cause his brother
Johns in thar.
"Then the whole thing flashed on
me and the meek submission of the
notorious moonshiner was explained
had him cornered, and his brother
John and the family knew when ]
searched the house--for they knew me
In spite of the sewing machine story
gave them-I would find Bill and
carry him off. The plan to save Bill
was fixed up when the woman left
me at the gate to go In and see If Mr.
Spraddlin was at home and had been
fooled right straight through, and
Bill had been given more than day
to get out of the country In, We had
no charges against John that amount,
ed to anything, and when he left Inc
TO return home, I'll be shot II he didn't
invite me to come and STAY two on