The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-13

ness to make the gang think there was a
large party of them by circhng around and
attacking them on all sides.
Dicks men had been drinking and
quarrellng, and one or two of their num-
Der had been killed in a fight among
themselves just before Barkleys arrival,
so that they probably did not fight as wen
as they would have done oH2inarily. For
tune favored the brave that time sure,
for the gang that had vanquished more
than twice its number of well-armed men
only little while before was dislodged and
put to fight by two men. Dicks best man
and lieutenant, a fellow named George
Skinner, was killed, and two others were
wounded and left on the field of battle.
Dick and three or four of his gang es-
capped. Barley recovered the buried mon
ey, but he would much rather have cap
tured Rattlesnal1e Dick.
"Dick got together a new gang and kept
at his old tricks. Most of his operations
were in or near Placer county, for he
seemed to take particular delight in dew
ling the officers of the county where he
had been arrested and convicted. There
was a big price set on his heads and every
sheriff in Northern California tried to
catch him. Jim Boggs lost his place as
sheriff of Placer because he failed to eth
er kill or capture Rattlesnake Dick
number of good men were killed them
selves in the attempt, and every Wells
Fargo detective on the coast was hot In
the chase. But Dick laughed at the
whole lot of them He and his gang held
up stages and gold trains and lone trav-
elers, stole what they wanted, killed when
it was necessary, and carried things gem
orally with a high hand. Dick himself
was as bold as could be, and, apparently,
went wherever he wanted to and when
ever he pleased. He would go to Auburn,
or any other place he wished to-, in broad
daylight make purchases, drink in the sa-
looms, do whatever he chose and gallop
away again with a whole skin. OF course,
he was cautious enough to make his VS.
its of this sort when he knew the sheriff
wasn't there, and he felt sure that no.
body but an officer would be likely to
make a move against him.
Gle kept up this sort of thing for three
years. and then one day in the summer
of 50 he went to Auburn once TO often.
With one companion he had come into
town and bought some shirts and whis-
ky for his gang and some clothes for him
self BMl Crutcher was sheriff then, and
he had gone out of town that morning
on some business. A messenger was sent
after him to tell him that Ratbesnake
Dick was in town, and Dick and his COM
panion were hardly out of sight when
Crutcher came tearing back like a wild
man. He and George Martin and George
C. johnson at once started in pursuit
and overlook the two men about mile
from town. Then fol owed a running fight
of two against three that was as deter
mined as any that an outlaw ever made.
Dick and his man galloped as hard as they
could 20, turning in their saddles to shoot,
and Crutcher and his men put spurs after
them and peppered away at them as fast
as they could empty and load their guns
Dicks companion killed Martin early in
the fight. and later Dick shot Johnson
through the left hand and again in the
right wrist, so that he was useless for
fighting purposes. Crutcher pressed on
alone after them, and ne and Dick mu-
tually perforated each others bodies.
"Crutcher was so badly wounded that
he gave up the chase and went back,
supposing that Dick had once more e3-
capped But the outlaw was wounded
worse that the sheriff knew, for the Iowa
Hin stage found his dead body near
Junction House. on its way into Auburn
later in the day He had two balls through
the body and one through the head. APP
parentIy he had been badly wounded IN
the body and his man had left him and
gone on to save his own skin. And Dick,
fearing capture in his disabled condition,
had put the bah through his head APP
parent.y. too he had mistaken Martin,
who had been killed for Jim Boggs,
against whom his entire career as an out
law had been directed, for on his person
was found this note:
'Rattlesnake Dick dies, but never sur
renders If Jim Boggs is dead am salts
fed
1.-THE murder for which he was first ar
rested? Oh il turned out that he was not
guilty Of that after all. 1t was found out
afterward that the murdered mans part
ner the man who insisted that Dick was
! the guilty one. was the actual murderer,
| and he had managed to saddle all the evil
dence uron Dick In order to escape sus.
/ picion himself. He was finally hanged by
| the ygilantes down In San Francisco"