Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-05-14

ing Sunday came and the attempt was
made. The two Christians and James
Casey, another murderer confined In the
Jail, overpowered the jaier and made their
way into the street.
Sabbath stiffness was over the city, it
being about clock in the evening, and
very few citizens abroad The desperate
men, each with cooked revolver in his
nand, ran down the street. passing Chief
OF Police Milton W. Jones on the way.
He noticed they were In their shirt sleeves,
and, suspecting something wrong, called
upon them 20 halt They answered with
a shot, which killed the chief instantly.
Their volley was answered by shots from
Officers jackson and Stovall, which killed
Casey and badly wounded Bill Christian.
The two Christians made their escape with
the aid OF confederates, who met them on
the edge of the town with fresh horses,
and were soon beyond pursuit.
Jessie was instantly suspected OF having
introduced the weapons into the jail, and
while strenuous efforts were made to re-
capture the Christians posse of men were
sent out to Bob Christians cabin to effect
the capture of Jessie, believing she would
give the whole snap away IL she could be
once got from under the influence OF her
lONtT. Ilb vi lnt utSptTdUOts re-
ceived n tip of the intentions of the au-
thorities in some manner, and at once spir
tied the girl away, passing her from mem
Der to member Of the gang in different
parts of the territory, for they had many
sympathizers either from fear or favor,
and their bidding was done without ques-
ton.
To facilitate her escape Jessie was
dressed in cowboy costume-slouch hat
high heeled boots, storm coat and all the
paraphernalia of the typical rustler. Put
ting her on horseback, they compelled her
TO ride from point TO point, some of them
accompanying her all the time and permit
! ting her TO have no converse with stran-
gers They gave her but little rest for five
DAYS, and il may be said she was in the
saddle continually, night and day, for that
length of time doubling and redoubling
upon her pursuers. She estimates that she
rode $50 miles in those five days, and when
she was finally taken To negro settlement
in the Choctaw country she was almost
dead with fatigue.
She had made up her mind by this time
/ that hor life was in great danger By what
the different members of the gang who
had ridden with her had let drop from
/ time to time she knew almost to a certain
ty that they were fixing To sacrifice her for
/ the good OF the gang, fearing that she
would give them away If she was captured.
| She made up her mind that they had
brought her to this negro settlement 60
kill her, for all of the negroes were sym
pathizers of the Christians or members OF
the band
Besides this she had found that Bob was
playing her false-had other women in
different sections of the country-and
with all the bitter feelings of a woman
scorned, she resolved TO give herself up &c
the officers If an opportunity presented t.
self and tell the whole story.
She was taken to lone cabin in the
depths of the forest and there remained foI
two days and nights alone. She had beer
given some food and water and did not
suffer bodily, but found whenever she put
her head out of the door that negroes were
OH the watch
She slept TO the music of the bowling ot
wolves and the cries of panthers and Other
wild beasts, but did not fear them she
says as much as the human wolves she
knew were on the outside. She had her re
volver and rife with her. and the negroe;
knew her proves with the weapons.
Finally, on the second night of her i'm
prisonment, Sheriff De Ford and posse
guided by a faithful negro, found her Ii,
placed her on horseback and, by a forced