Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-06-17
A CLOSE CALL.
WITH PIERRE RAMEAU,
THE CREOLE Ht9HwAYMAN.
Thomas HATFIELD Biufcd a Notorious Bully
and, by His Quick wit and Stead
fast Courage. Turned the Tables
at n critical Moment
BY Maurice Thompson.

| legends, traditions and some more or less
manners and adventures of the hardy anu
snterpristng people who settled IN ,hs ,hs
Gulf coast ihroughout what is commonly
known as the creole country Of the south.
args ibss pafh peoectaa found not suited to
the purpose OF my book, and IL was laid
aside for future. sitting and rearranging.
found a half dozen or more stories which
faithful pictures Of some remote and sim
| gularly romentic phases of American CIV
For example the story OF Thomas Hat
field strikes me as curious. He was q
b9y but not more % man AARON 10 Bnrr
the Ohio river to a rendezyous an. near .ro,' i;s
| ed by the leader. he deserted with four
others OF his company; 49,.
expedition was visionary as well as .trea-
sonabe and that y came ,dis to se splet anf raj
a a miserable little 'iotIlla it was. falling
| into the hands Of loyal men. who quickly
turned the arGh-eonspirator, over to the
| This was in January, 1901 and mean
time the deserter, Thomas Hatfield, having
psrsey Tay aeS0ssa ss'ed down S%pE wSH s
| Louis, he fell in with man by the name
OF Pierre Ramau. WHO turned out to bo
long-haired, sun-tanned, uncouth bus
| Raneau who was well dressed and polite,
| professed TO like him at once.
They met on what was known as. the
Pearl river trail an II defined road ibd leSd rSd
ard fertile MAI lands Of % Misslssiprl,, where 4
were already laying. the foundation of that
| since prevailed in the great cotton belt
of the Gulf states.
| Pierre Rameau was Frenchman, or as
one tradition has it. Scotchman wearing
an assumed French name. a, robber and
lions lions set t the pattern by which the famous
John A. Murrell. a few years later. gauged
mention how, that Hatfield, when he met
Tons orse Whe poa Re yshfy sraa
deal Of. as well he might, good steed in
Set 6s ,rna nd IN n hs ha 9 sgSn Ssns nsed
ing las Sis hat b %d e %sSf Yss,s
They exchanged some further words.
"Excuse me, SIR" Rameau continued,
smiling with magnetic friendliness. But
may ! ask II you have met any horses
from, from my plantation, and am looking for
'"aS, "No didn't see none" Hatfield an
backwoods dialect.
par ps Of heay hoer psRo ahowed
themselves at Rameaus saddle bow Nor
Men always Vent nh heaSs armed in tose
days. Hatfield himself had one good ps-
,ol, and long rifle lay across his saddle
Rapeau looked the strapping; sunburnt
,ssr e tSis Ha SSsssSstsan ri Il turn 5saKs How
I'm trying to get to New Orleans"
each other"
Are you going there, too?"
Rameau had overshot himself by this
answer; Quick as flash young Hatfield
"Then why were You looking for
Foolish enough it was in the youth thus
to betray suspicion. Instantly Rameau an
swered BY single swift motion he drew
one of his pistols and leveled it full at the
face of young Hatfield.
"Dismount on this side he commanded.
Let your gun fall"
His voice had deadly sound.
Without doubt our young friend was, for
the moment. almost paralyzed by this sud-
and he slid from his saddle to the ground
Step backward four steps the robber
"u Hatfield a Compiled liz '9 ond aae Rameau advanced
TO take the horses rein; but just then the
fiery Young animal shied and broke away
and was followed by a quick and curious
change in the situation.
Rameau naturally enough turned his eyes
from the youth to the flying horse. 1t was
but second or two, yet Hatfield Grasped
the in flash His pistol was
seen It: Forth It came on the instant,
1t was Hatfeld's voice. In turn the rob
her was, looking into a grimy muzzle out
of which an ounce of lead would be ex-
pected TO leap II he heshated to do what
n
so down tumbled Rameau's weapon.
Jest git down on this yer side growled
tricks, mother"
Rameau obeyed.
Now jest lay down on your bacll,"
Rameau lay down as directed. but first
Hatfield made him step backward five
PAGES.
When this was done, Hatfield forced the
robber 70 turn oyer on his face and cross
penders he tied them hard and fast at the
wrists and also bound his legs AT the knees
and ankles with a bride rein,
here. Hatfield would have shot the rob
ber off his horse without word, but for
er was his gun! In fact he had no ammu,
milton. 1t was what our Westerners call
had played. and he had won It so far.
His next move was 10 whistle for his
horse Whith had stobpef bac "a iie b way or
mounted ii, first breaking Rameaus gun
against a tree and securing his fallen pis-
tol. The robber now begged inslstently
and eloquenty, seeing that Hatfield was
preparing 10 ride away on one horse and
lead the other, leaving him lying there tied
fast and at the mercy of any wild beast
that might come along
For heavens sake, my fried, don't
abandon me IN this plight" he pleaded.
YOU'D "a left me in Jest as bad a fx,"
was all the answer he got.
1t was indeed a lonely place for the un-
lucky hlghwayman to lie face downward.
his hands and legs useless. with no hope
OF release, The, nearest plantation was
twenty miles off. All around the thick
forest OF oak was hung with Spanish moss;
a dismal twilight prevailed; silence strange
and solemn brooded over all.
Hatfield was quite deaf to entreaties
Leaving his prisoner he turned back and
he reached the home of a Mr.. TouImin,
where he reported what had happened
Toulmin with his son and four negro men,
went with Hatfield to the spot; but Ra-
meau had worked off the suspenders from
his wrists, united his legs and was gone
One Of the suspenders, broken into pieces,
the shattered gun and the bride rein were
still there, with other indisputable signs to
verify the youths story.
II Is curious fact that Pierre Rameau
and Thomas Hatfield met once more some
years later. 1t was on the field of Chal-
metto in the glorious battle below New
Orleans where they fought side by. side