Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-04-10
NOVEL USE OF A BICYCLE.

NUV EL UNL VI IL DlU 1CLE
A TEXAS DEPUTY MAKES HIS
PRISONERS RIDE BEHIND HIM.
Easier Than IIorseback-He Says !,
is "a Much Safer Method-Une o.
Ills Peculiar Experiences.
TO5H MESSERGER, a Deputy
II Sheriff OF Grayaon Comfy,
~ Texas, has brand.new device
for bringing in prisoners whom
he hos arrested. He Is probably the
first peace officer in tho United States
to adopt it. The device is nothing
moro nor less than that OF bringing
them in on the rear step Of his bicycle.
81 should think you'd be afraid to
risk yourself in your prisoners power
to that extent" suggested one Of nm
interested circle OF auditors the other
night in the rear of Gibbs drug store
as Mr.. Messenger had been explaining
how it is done.
"WelI, that was what that fellow
thought the other night when I
brought him in from Southmayd,"
was tho reply, 'bnt I didn't have a
bit of difficulty in explaining to him
how matters stood. As matter OF
fact, it is every bit as safe to bring a
prisoner in standing on tho rear step
of your wheel as any nther way, and
possibly safer. If the fellow is on one
horse and you on another he may make
some motion and get tue advantage of
you before you can help yourself; but
if he's standing on the step OF your
bicycle he's got to hold on to your
shoulders. 1t don't make bit of diff.
ference how dark night it is, if he
goes to make the least unusual motion
you can feel him, and you can throw
him of the wheel before he can wink
an eye. Before he can get up again
you CON cover him with your gun, and
there he is
"How about that fellow you
brought in from Southmayd?" asked
Gibbs.
"Oh, l almost forgot to tell about
him." was the reply. "About 10
O'Clock ono night month or SO ago
we got telegram from Southmayd
stating that man had just been shot
out there. I reckon you all know
that Southmayd is the first little sta.
tion west OF here on the T. p. and is
about twelve miles away by the wagon
road. The telegram didn't say how
bad the fellow was hurt, and we didn't
know but maybe some fellow'd been
murdered outright. The Sheriff told
me to go out and see about it, go I
jumped on my wheel and off 1 went.
When I got out there I found that
some fellow had shot man there in
the dark, the shot going through the
hat and inaicting merely a scalp
wound. 1t was a close call, but no
serious damage had been actually
done. The fellow who was shot said
he had no idea whatever as to who had
shot him. Well, I spent couple of
hours fooling around, talking to various
folks, and trying to get some idea who
had done it. Finally. after midnight
awhile, / considered I had done all I
could, so 1 started home. When I
cams to where the wagon road crosses
the railroad just by the 'seven.mile
track. as they call it, I thought to my
self I'd look at the tank-or pond, as
the Eastern folks call it-and If there
was any ducks or geese on it, I'd take
q few cracks at 'em with my six.
shooter. While I was tixin' to do
this l noticed q dim light shinin'
through the cracks of little old
shanty that had been built for fishing
parties right by the side OF tho tank.
Now, if had been ridin' a horse, in.
stead OF bicycle, the racket OF his
hoof falls would have scared away the
fellow in the shanty before could
have got to him, but as it was I
slipped up, and peeked through the
cracks before he knew l was any.
where around. There was pretty
tough.looking citizen on the inside,
and no was just cooking his supper. !
thought it would be very strange
thing if any honest man were cooking
his supper there in that Lonesome
place at l o'clock at night, so got
the drop on him with my gun, and
made him surrender. When Isearched
him found that he had six.shooter
on, and that one load had been shot
out of it. He admitted having passed
through Southnayd few hours be.
fore, 80 l thought 1 had good ground
ror believing he was the very fellow
that had done tho shooting ont there.
Anyhow, 1 knew We could get case
against him for carrying pistol, so
concluded to take him in. After some
little argument persuaded him to get
up behind me on the steps of my bicy.
cIe."
Hero Mr.. Messenger paused mo.
mont and smiled rather sardonically.
"What arguments did you use?"
asked one OF the crowd.
ooh, 1 Just persuaded him." was
the reply. with a significant emphasis.
"Of course took his gun away from
him. and then he got up behind me
all right enough. After we had gone
some little distance he seemed to take
n notion to talk.
"'You seem to be a sort OF expert
with bicycle, he said. But how do
you know l may not be just as good
myself? I can feel my thigh pressing
your six shooter, but what is there to
prevent mo from taking it away from
you, shooting you and then riding off
on your wheel?'
II just sorter laughed, and said,
oh. l don't reckon you'll do anything
US bad MS all that.
"Just about that time / felt him
make some peculiar kind OF motion.
l never did know whether he was in
earnest in trying TO escape, or whether
ho was inst joking. I'm not even sure
whether he himself knew or not. The
first thing he really did know he was
crawling out from under barbed-
wire fence, ard was looking up the
barrel of big navy six.shooter. with
the moonlight cleaning down it, and
me at the other end. As soon as he