The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19
BOB EVANS, MAN HUNTER.
THE TERROR OF THE OZARK OUT
LAWS TELLS HIS STORY.

,..,tv marRhnlS in tho Ozark MOuntAinA di.
- ottcntion to tho remarkable feats of pob
-. or Old Bob, as he was called. This
-.n has brought moro criminals out of tho
n"arts than any other man hun,er. His body
:. ooyered with scars received in this criminal
,-,.a,od district. and he IA the only ono Of his
..rire who has managed to grow gray in the
tee. all the others have been killed Off or
sovo resigned after a brief experience. His 40
-.,,,.of .omo of the thrilling events in his life ia
- ,o,iovs.
en-, hunting Ia common enough in southern
,,ssoud and northern Arkansas. When n
-on In that country commits a crime he makes
. hoo line for the rough lands around the ozarks.
~, neoplo live there except moonshiners.
.ors. thieves, and general all.round dc, pera.
snos We who make a profession of going in
sr these criminals are called man hunters.
Sano,ines we work for the State reward. some.
-. for railroad companies, and sometimes
s- ,ho United States Government. 1 com.
n,onred as a deputy Sheriff when 1 was % years
IA and I have been at il for thirty years. do
=, ro,,embcr how many men l have hunted
.Nd captured and brought out OF the woods.
sr, they would make a small army IL they were
III In n bunch.
al first | had a great deal of trouble with the
,o,nshin,rs. They mistook me for a revenue
.e,c,r and used 10 blaze away at me on general
nr,pr inlpS III nltRE N Wn1le. Wnen InDN MI L
r.s nor after them. they let me alone. Their,
T. = strange code of etiquette in that region.
~ ,ncs I have run against men whom I
49," 80 ,ver, mad Int for whom 7 had on war.
.an, 7 was not after them: they knew II. and
80 M, no trouble. neither would they give
~, any information or assistance. It was
.imr,r a game of life and death between the
.,an wanted and myself. II 1 got the dron
- him first. he was my man and went out n
or;soner. But il he ever turned the tables on
ma nohodv ever interfered: we inst fought II
AM then and there. 1 work alone now. al.
,horrh 7 ala have n mariner. piu Cumminrs
d. wa as brave a mana ever lived. hut in.
.,inod n he recklcss- We worked topether for
.irh, v.ars md broke mn many n hard gang
.,one the Missouri and Arkansas line. Rnt
g. ,o, Riu Mt last
~, Argust 1sss Wa won't ofter t,vo mo,
-aI,.a Lil,ed n tra;n m.ssen-.r on tho Mia
80 p.,,e, w. traced than into tho ovorks
Ia after two weeks. hunting rot the dron on
g. mado them nrisoners ana w.rs ls.5in1
tnem OUT "nen We suuueniy ran inI u Feseot
the gang-nve OF them. Ihere was q hight
right away, and they got tho prisoners away
i'om US anu We a ~ ioos Z. o,ei .ne = .
our lives, Ihey nnany surrounded US and We
s,htUs nit Th.v rad ssver r,e.s IN ,rr,wo
nshnns pit iney hAa seven rihes 10 our TWO,
AIN hSy W. ~ oNAo "AS1S sASy
crack at us without exposing themselves much.
.rror., O'clock until 4 wa kent III zine .vav
at each other. Then Bill got a little reckless.
We had winged three OF the gang, two of
them for keeps. and Bill was for making A
charge and having 1t out l tried to keep him
quiet until dark. but he said 1t was getting
nonotonous. he rose Just In time 70 get a ball
that cut his tusular vein. and he died without
my being able to help 1T. I got both of these
race SCARF a,. aao mn soaap Cease .has uor rs san. next Ga.
nror{denc, that got ma ont
pForioence taHs sos mo Jul
came up suddenly, and with it o regular cloud.
hurst. Our uttle rife nit was I'm A creek. and
in less than twenty minutes a Rocky Mountain
torrent eame pouring down upon us. carrying
trees. logs. and everything before it 1t grew
DARK all OF o sudden. iree trunks: LIMBS rock'
and gravel were whirled along like feathers.
l was soon up 70 my wals. IN water. l oEew
Blls body up on q couple OF sycamore logs
that section. The train robbers thought ! was
feartbroken. Tho hurricane was soon over,
and nine miles below, our battle-ground I dragged
Pg poor BIZ ! dup up 70 H1t DRY nv land Isds spd Put him In a grave
al suppose my most thrilling experience was
in capturing not 2 criminal. but 2 man,hunter.
name. He was one OF my oldest friends. He
had done most Of his work in Oklahoma and
most powerful men in the Southwest; HI had
Aranch in southern Kansas, and was doing very
impaired his mind. He lived all alone on his
day he commenced 10 shoot at every man who
happened along the road. He had a crazy
notion that the whole State of Kansas had been
employed to hunt him down, and opened fire
upon everybody passing the place. Several at
tempts were made To barley with him, but he
enswere only with bullets from his rife.
Somebody had to get him and the unpleasant
task fell to me. He and I had been very
friendly, and the Sheriff thought might be
able to pacify him until he could be made a
prisoner. OF course we could not kill him. 1t
was my first experience with a mailman, and I
never want another. The experience turned
my hair the color it is now.
II rode up to the gate one afternoon. Just
before the breaking of q heavy storm, that had
been gathering all day. l saw. Sam enter the
before he saw me. A colt in the field whinnied,
and in a flash Boyle sprang from the door. cover
ing NE with his rifle.
Put up that gun, you fool, and let us get