The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-13
AlRRAISING AFFAIR
III LONELY KENTUCKY
SWAMP.
MERCER THE HERO OF IT.
A THRILLING TALE TOLD BY AN
IOWA POSToFFICE LNSPEC-
TOR.
>FS"Ae Esssr
. SMALL coy AN ABLE ASSISTANT
"CoIoraGo Kid" and His AccOmplics
Trapped Without the Shedding
Of Amy Blood.
snecial 70 the Globe.

INSPECTOR w. G. D. Mercer, Of Iowa,
is one of the most interesting charac-
ters in the secret service of the govern
ment. and can tell more hair raising
experiences than any ether inspector
who has been fortunate enough TO
escape from so many tight places
alive. In 1894 the chief inspector wrote
to the head of the department at Chi
cago, asking for a report of three or
four of the most daring captures OF
criminals for that district; ard to Mr.
MERGERS credit, let it be said, that the
chief inspector was favored with FOUR
of his cases.
Mr.. Mercer was here recently, and in
the midst of lot of Iowa frienos he
told some of his personal relnihls-
cences. He said:
Some years ago l was detained 10
effect the capture of two men VINO
were supposed to be engaged in ham
ding spurious money, and who were
operating in Missouri and Southern IL
Hnois. The clue on which L had 10
work was so meager that / had apSo-
lutely no description of the men, SO
that | could identify them, and no IN
formation whatever as to the past lis
tory of one of them. 1 learned tha- the
other man had killed two men, Tut had
escaped punishment each time; once ny
q technicality, and the second time ny
a plea of insanity. [ struck th9 trd'l
after much difficulty IN the vicinity OIL
Akron, Col, and traced them 10 EasI
St. Louis, but found on my arrlVa-
there that they had left for parts I'M
known. 1 learned, however, that enc
of the men had a sweetheart IN 81
Louis and 1 spent several days culu-
waiting her good graces.
81 remained in St. Louis Whlle anu
was getting much disheartened at my
Ill success, when one day l discovered
an envelope on the womans writing
desk which was addressed in man
handwriting and bore the postmark OF
a little country postoffice away down IN
tba swamps of the Ohio river, near
Paducab. Ky. L learned from this Wo-
man that she had a gentleman trleno
living at This place. and surmised that
he and one of the men was after were
pne and the same person. ACCORDING
lv 7 visited the little village incognlto,
and remained in the vicinity Oh the
Dostoffice for several days. L was nnal-
iy rewarded by the appearance OF
man who went into the office ana ask
I'd for mail, using the same name that
had learned was his assumed name
in that vicinity. He received letter,
which / had previously posted as de-
GOV and started for the swamp, known
Ia that region as the Big Bay swamp.
[ logged his footsteps for several miles
10 a point where he entered the dark
<<sssses.as of the bog, and then retraced
nv, sta1s H. Paducah, and there learn
I'd that the owl,1eer of the timber land
In and around the sNSSmp hVeo there:
81 visited that gentleInas2, Whom |
found to be a typical KentdCSar: GU it.
he Informed me that he had some tQa 4
or fifty men engaged in logging, choP-
ping, etc, in the swamp and that ne
regarded them as dangerous people
and had no doubt that many OF them
were refugees from justice. When
had disclosed my Identity, and inform
ed him of my mission, he warned me
not to attempt to go into the swamp
after the men, unless l was accom-
PANIED by a large posse, as ne hlrnsell
would not dare to go there except IN
broad daylight, and then only When
armed to the teeth.
Il went to the local authorities CT
the county in which the swamp was To-
Gated. and they politely declined to &C
company me, and suggested that
might better secure the aid of some
United States officials. 1t would nave
taken me quite while to have done
as they suggested, and fearing that
the men wanted, might suspect my
mission and escape, I decided to effect
their capture with such assistance as
could muster at Paducah or vicinity.
"Accordingly on the following morn
Ing. which was Sunday, l hired a team
and started. There was a drlZZllnG
rain all day and about two or three
inches of wet snow was on the ground.
The roads being very rough and h1lly,
If was late in the afternoon when | ar
rived in the vicinity of my destlna-
ton. l was getting thoroughly chllieH
and somewhat disheartened until
came TO the foot of a long, steep
hill at the top of which [ could see
smoke circling above the trees. This
had the effect of reviving my benumb-
ed faculties, and 1 knew that | was
al least in the neighborhood OF human
habitation.
ION reaching the top of the hill, 1
discovered a comfortable log house, In
front of which was a boy about seven
teen years of age, chOpping lire wood.
stoDped the now thoroughly tired
horse, and asked the boy if he would
like to earn a dollar. He replied: I as
sar and be glad of it.. L told MIN TO
get his cap and accompany me. In
few minutes we started Oft down the
road and when we had gone short
distance I asked him if he knew the
location of the swamp, and who and
what kind of people were located
there.
He repIied that he had often been
down among the shanties. l gave him
as good a description OF the men |
was after as ! could, and he at once
said that he was quite we'll acquainted
with both of them, and at once began
a recital Of the fighting qualities of
the man known as Colorado Kid,
and among other things said that he
had seen the Kid put a carpet tack
in the trunk of a tree and walk off
ten PAGES and hit the target seven
times out of ten.
81 stated to the boy that l wanted
him to pilot me to the shanty occupied
nv the two men, and he at once signi-
fed his willingness to do so, but he
said that if that was where l was go
inc that we might we'll stop and tie
the team, as we could not go any fur
ther but would have to walk the re-
mainder of the way.
"After some further questioning.
found that we were. about three miles
from the shanty. [ then explained 70
him that | was a United States officer,
end that | was going into the swamp
To arrest the two men. and warned
him that in the event that I was I'M
successful or lost my life, that 1t might
TRY GRAIN-0! TRY GRAlN-0!