The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1895-07-26
PULLED JOHNNY.
A Few Lines Of Unknown History From the
New York World

A little part OF the wild and untamed
west came to town in United States
Marshals John NJ Hale and II. b.
Nit ;hell, OF Oklahoma They brought
two prisoners who have begun to serve
terms in the Kings county peniten
tiary The penitentiary has contract
to take 0klahoma's prisoners At
Smith g. McNelrs hotel, where the
western men made their headquarters,
they aroused lively interest.
The sombrero, the easy fitting cloth
ing, the swinging strides, the ruddy
complexion, told of the free, open life
OF the west. while the quiet modest
way OF talking OF exciting things sug-
gested that courage and fearlessness
that make these western men attrac-
tive TO those Of the east.
Hale is the chief deputy United
States marshal of Oklahoma lie is o
tall, finely made handsome man Of
thirty Eve, who has seen the widest
kind Of life. lie is a man OF education
and one OF the finest pistol shots in
the west, lie has beautiful brace Of
big s'x-shoo ers silver mounted, with
pearl handles, and he has been asked
to display them hundred times.
Hale has handled those revolvers in
many a scrimmage where every shot
was meant to kill But Hale "reck-
ons' that he never killed man.
Mitchell is lawyer in Guthrie, the
c,pital OF the territory, who was spe-
/ cially commissioned To bring the pris-
oners' east. He rs Kentuckian, but
he has passed the greater part OF his
! life In the west lie has never been
east of Cincinnati before. Mitchell
wore big wolfskin overcoat. He will
miss the expected pleasures o a New
YORK visit because he had to go to the
New York hospital to have an opera.
tion performed, having been injured
by fall.
The prisoners whom he marshals
brought on are George Howell, who is
sentenced TO ten years for manslaugh-
ter, and John Meyers, who as sen
fenced TO five years for perjury Tie
prisoners were as quiet and well be
haved as school boys.
Don't you ever put handouts on
your desperate criminals?" asked a
man who noticed with amazcmen,
that the prisoners apparently had per-
feet freedom.
"Why, no; of course not, said Hale,
opening his eyes. I'VE never hand
cuff prisoners in our country. 'Taint
necessary. We watch them pretty
c,ose and IL they make a break TO get
away they know they wouldn't get
away very far. They know that they
would be neatly dropped at the first
shot
The knowledge that man who is a
dead shot at fifty PAGES would shoot to
ALL, naturally acts as u strong deter
rent When the quartet reached Chi
cago on their way east, they started
for a walk. Vigilant Chicago detec
tives were instantly on their trail. The
marshals and their charges were
shadowed for a dozen blocks. The de-
tectives found their conduct so suspi
cious that they arrested hem.
1--WE wan you." said a detective,
placing his hand on IIales shoulder.
"What fr?" asked Hale.
That's all righ We don't allow
confidence men t. get Ia tn ir work
in Chicago. We know you"
Il reckon you've made mistake, g
said Hale, with quiet smile.
The detective insisted and marched
them to the police station, when the
marshals showed their C. mmissions
and explained who their victims were
The able Chicago detectives were filled
with pain.
''our prisoners were quiet as lambs. u
said Mitchell at the hotel just before
he went to the hospital. IL don't
think Howell ought to have received
such heavy sentence. lie is big
fellow and a quarter Cherokee, but he
has always had a good reputation lie
was posseman when he killed hs
man. His superior had ordered him tc
shoot an Indian prisoner il he should
attempt to escape. In the moonlight
a man jumped on his horse and
started. Howell yelled to him to halt
The horse was urged faster Howell
raised hls Winchester aud fred. The
bullet passed through the man, who
was Il hundred feet away on gallop-
ing horse. Howell sent second bul,
let through him aud he fell dead. II
happened that Howell had shot the
wrong man. but he didn't know that
until afterwards.
"ln our country we don't waste
much powder. The marshals carry
their lives in their hands. They are
all remarkable shots, but the mortal
ity among them is dreadful One OF
my most intimate friends, marshal
named Thornton, was killed in the
fall OF '9l. lie was riding through the
Cherokee nation when he was am
bushed by three Indians IL was a
clear night although there was nc
moon. The first shot missed Thornton,
He could have saved himself by drop
ping behind his horse, but he was fond
OF the animal, and he wouldn't saeri
a.. A.