The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-13
MERCER THE HERO OF 1T.
A THRILLING TALE TOLD BY AN
IOWA POSTOFFICE INSPEC-
TOR.
SMALL coy AN ABLE ASSISTANT.
"CoIorsado Kid" and His AccOmplfcc
Trapped without the Shedding
Of Any Blood.
Special to TIE Globe.

WASHINGTON, Sept. IL Ooto4llCO
Inspector w. G. D. Mercer, OF Iowa,
is one of the most interesting chafac-
tiers 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, anu IN
the midst of lot of Iowa frienos he
fold some of his personal reninls-
cences. He said:
Some years ago L was detailed 10
effect the capture of two men VINO
were supposed to be engaged in ham
ding spurious money, and VINO were
onerating in Missouri and Southern IL
linois. The clue on which L had TO
work was 50 meager that / had aoso-
lutely no description of the men, So
that I could identify them, and no IN
formation whatever as to the past lis
tory of one of them. l learned ina me
other man had killed two men, eut had
escaned punishment each time; once 10y
q tachnicality. and the second time by
a nIea of insanity. l struck tn tran
after much difficulty IN the vicinity OIL
Akron. Col. and traced them to Eas!
ST Louis. but found on my arrlYa.
there that they had left for parts IN
known. 1 learned, however. that enc
of the men had a sweetheart IN 81
Louis and 1 spent several DAYS cui'i-
waiting her good graces.
81 remained in st. Louis a While anu
was getting much dishearened al my
Ill success, when one day L dlscoVefeu
an envelope on the womans WflunS
desk which was addressed in man
bandwriting and bore the postmaIk Oh
q little country postoffice away down IN
+ba swamps of the Ohio river, near
Paducah, Ky. I learned from TINS "o-
man that she had a gentleman Irlehu
living at this place, and surnlseu thdI
he and one of the men was aIter were
me and the same person. AccoIulhS-
w visited the little village 1ncognto'
and remained in the vicinity CT the
nostoffica for several days. l was hnal-
iy rewarded by the appearance OF a
man who went into the Office and ask
ed for mail, using the same name lhaC
T had learned was his assumed name
Ia that vicinity. He received a letter,
which / had previously posted as oe-
Gov and started for the swamp, known
In that region as the Big Bay swamp.
Iadogged his footsteps for several miles
To point where ne entered the dark
recesses of the bog, and then retraced
nv steps to Paducah, and there learn
ed that the owner Of the timber land
In and around the swamp lived there.
81 visited that gentleman, whom l
found to be a typical Kentuckian, and
he informed me that he had some forty
OF fifty men engaged in logging, cnop-
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 large posse, as he hlmseli
would not dare to go there except III
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 ac-
company me, and suggested that !
might better secure the aid OF soma
United States officials. 1t would nave
taken me quite while to have done
as they suggested and fearing tnat
the men wanted, might suspect my
mission and escape, | decided to effect
ro1;ld muster at Paducah or vicinity.
Accordingly on the following morn
inc. which was Sunday, l hired team
and started. There was drlzzllnG
rain all day and about two or three
inches of wet snow was on the ground.
The roads being very rough and hllly,
if was late in the afternoon when ar
rived in the vicinity of my destina-
tion. I was getting thoroughly chilled
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 I knew that L was
AT least in the neighborhood OF human
habitatiCn.
"0n reaching the top of the hill, l
discovered q comfortable log house, in
frort OF which was a boy about seven
teen wears of age, chopping fire wood.
7 stopped the now thoroughly tired
horse, and asked the boy if he would
like to earn a dollar. He replied: Y as
sar. and be glad of it [ told him to
get his cap and accompany me. In a
few minutes we started off down the
road. and when we had gone short
distance / asked him if he knew the
location of the swamp, and who and
what kind of people We're located
there.
"He replied that he had often been
down among the shanties. L gave nm
as good a description OF the Een
was after as 1 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 ne
had seen the Kid put carpet tack
in the trunk of a tree and walk OH
ten PAGES and hit the target seven
times out Of ten.
Il stated to the boy that 1 wanted
him to pilot me to the Shanty occupied
Inv 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
ing that we might as we'll stop and tie
the team, as we could not go any fur
Their. but would have to walk the re-
mainder of the way.
ssAfter some further questioning, I
found that we were about three miles
from the shanty. 1 then explained to
him that | was United States officer,
and that I 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
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