The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-12


back, / started out again. We were
rewarded by striking hot trail. At
the Wheelers', a few miles from my
home, we found they had been robbed
by the prowling scouts. One of the
Wheeler boys Joined us in the pursuit.
About sun-uD we reached old Tom
Treadway's and found he himself had
been driven out of the house by out
laws. Mrs. Treadway was a good old
soul and was weeping as she told of
the outrages they had committed.
May the good Lord help you to catch
them she said, and then she fell on
her knees and prayed for the deliver
ance of the bandits into our hands. |
am a sort of an inf1del, but / believe
that old woman's prayer helped me to
catch up with the guilty scoundrels.
1--WE rode on rapidly across the Ala
bama line to Ladiga. for which point
we thought they would make, but we
could learn nothing of them. Buftled.
but never despairing, I rode three
miles to Cross Plains point lower
down. Here could find no clue. On
nv return to Ladiga 1t occurred to me
that there was certain road leading
out of the town on which there was
schoolhouse, and riding there asked
the teachers permission to question
the boys. 1t was given. and to my de-
light I was given a good description
and found the men had passed there.
We were Joined by young man at
Ladiga with fresh horse, and as mine
was very spirited, we rode ahead of the
others by a mile or two. I soon could
tell we were not very far behind the
gang, as the tracks of their horses
were fresh. I rode even faster, hoping
to catch sight Of the rascals. 1t was
between eleven and twelve o'clock
when, just beyond Coloma, Ala, rode
up in front of the Widow Lanes house
and saw two men sitting under some
trees and three horses tied near by.
remember the pink trees and white
blossoms of the peach trees and the
house, situated as it was at the foot of
the Wiseman Mountains, made most
inviting place. The men, l think, saw
me about the same time I saw them
and both sides were somewhat sur
prised. One of them made a move
ment to reach for his gun. / jumped
off my horse in a single bound, cock
ing my double-barrelled shotgun and
fired before he raised his.
zone of the men fell over riddled
with buckshot, while the other ran
around the house. / drew my pistol
and ran after him, but just around the
corner came upon his dead body where
he fell A girl about sixteen years old
came running to the door and said l
am so glad you killed them. They
threatened to shoot me if 1 did not
cook their dinner When I was about
to lump off my horse one of my men
had yelled to me that there was a fell
low down the road shooting at me. l
had looked in the direction and seen
the smoke. When / got back to my
horse they told me the fellow had
taken to the woods. / quickly caught
up with him and killed him. His
name was Poe, and the names of the
other two Slack and Tucker. They
were not the murderers Of my father,
but doubtless belonged to the same
gang. They were all well armed.
Tucker had four pistols and about two
hundred dollars in money, which l d.
vided among the men who accompa-
MED me. I gave my negro one of the
horses and pistol. / insisted on the
girl in the house taking half of the
money. She would not do 1t, so |
gave her five dollars. We then rode
back home, which / reached in time to
attend my fathers funeral.
For several weeks following the
murder of my father / stayed around
home, occasionally going off on short
trips, when / heard of Phillips, Mont
gomery or Bishop being in our section
| of country They knew that it was
| dangerous for them to get into my
neighborhood, as I would kill them on
sight. 1t was Phillips that wanted
| more than the other two, as he was the
murderer, although I swore never to
rest until all had bit the dust. The
| country was considerable excited with
the news of the assassination Of Presi
dent Lincoln, but nothing made me
lose sight of my purpose to revenge
the cold-blooded murder Of my father.
l learned that Phillips, when not on a
free booting excursion, lived on a farm
down in HARRISON county. / made a
trip there in June, but missed him.
IT was more successful on my Sec
ond trip. It was early in July that,
with one. of my brothers and two
friends, I started out about nightfall
for Phillips home. with the determi-
nation of killing him. We surrounded
his home somewhere about three
| o'clock in the morning. ] was on lit
tie path that led through the woods to
the clearing beyond. The others were
we'll stationed, and as he was at home,
as we had heard and had every reason
| to believe. we did not see how he could
escape. Just before day somebody
came out of the house and down the
path past where I lay. 1t was too dark
| for me to see. I would have hailed
him and ordered him to throw up his
hands but was afraid if 1t was not
Phillips he would go off and give the
alarm, and If it was he might get the
| drop on me. Therefore he passed
along without any notice of my pres
| enee. I laid out there in the woods
until about eight o'clock, and as l had
seen and could see no sign of man
about the premises. gave the BOZ
| White whistle for my comrades. The
| one nearest me came dp, and l told
| him the circumstances. We deter
| mined to follow the man who had gone
out so early. Taking the path. we fol-
lowed It for about half a mile, when we