The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-03

MN. Shortly after this William was
shot in the base of the brain while sit
Eihg at supper with his mother and
hired man in the kitchen. He lowered
between life and death for months, and
was but wreck of his former self. No
BILE made good his escape. He could not
be found for a long time. A reward of
$3.50 was offered for his arrest. He was
traced to st. Louis, st. Joseph, Mo-,
and Topeka, Kan, at which place he
was apprehended, but escaped while
SheriH Davenport of Illinois was en-
route to bring him back. Shortly after
ward he appeared at the old homestead
and offered to make peace with las
brother, going so far as to offer him his
revolver. The brother mistrusted him,
however, and almost frightened to
death. retreated into the house and
warned his mother. In the meantime
Noble escaped, not without killing
large mastim chained in the yard. He
was pursued by an armed sheriff's
posse, and in order to escape them he
boarded baggage car OF the Chicago
q Alton and was captured at Spring
field by the authorities. who had been
warned, and were waiting for him.
The authorities at Springfield refused
to give him up without receiving the re-
ward, and William tried in every pos
sibie way to secure it, but his mother
would not let him have the money. Fin
ally, however, he prevailed upon her to
mortgage the family home for $1,5O0,
and in this manner obtained the neces-
sary money. In the meantime Noble
was held by the Springfield authorities
on petty charges until the money was
forthcoming. Sheriff Davenport Of Ma
coupin county went to Springfield to
bring the prisoner back. and on the
evening of Dec. 13 boarded the train at
Springfield with his captive. and at the
same time, unknown to the two men,
the brother. VIII, swung on board as
the train pulled out.
The train reached Girard an nour
later, and as 1t pulled into the station
William left his seat in the rear of the
train and walked slowly into the smok-
err, taking the officer and his brother
completely by surprise, The sudden APP
pearance of this totally unexpected
visitor startled the prisoner, and ne
grew slightly pale. Under cover of
his coat pockets each hand grasped an
ugly revolver Almost before the 7her-
iff knew who was standing alongside of
him he found himself looking into the
dark and menacing barrel of revolver,
while with the other hand the brother
had covered the prisoner. Now, the ell
der brothers cheek turned an ashen
color, and in a trembling voice he gasp
ed:
For Gods sake, don't shoot! For
Gods sake, Will, don't shoot"
The sheriff almost as frightened as
the prisoner. also stammered: Don't!
Don't for Gods sakeH'
You keep still" sternly ordered the
young man, addressing the sheriff.
Then, directing his attention to his
brother. And as you =" Six reports
from his revolver told what he had to
say. Noble reeled in his seat at the
fir.<-shot, and before the last one rang
out had fallen an inert, limp mass of
quivering clay to the floor. with three
gaping wounds in his head. from which
rivulets of blood rushed down his fore
head on to the floor, forming pool in
which the wounded man fell and died
almost instantly. The terrified sheriff
was so close to Noble that the powder
from the flashes Of The discharges burnt
his clothing, and Before he could re-
cover the power of Sspeech and give the
alarm or offer the Slightest protection
to Noble, Will had quickly stepped
down off the train and fled in the gath
ering darkness. 'F1t3pH
The officer quickly, organized a posse,
who thoroughly secured the country
without finding a trace of the missing
man.
The neighbors believe that Willis fear
that Noble would take his life COM
bined with the reluctance on the part of
his mother to prosecute her son and the
shattered condition Of his nerves from
the wound given him by Noble in
March caused him to decide to take the
law into his own hands and settle once
for all the possibility of Noble making
another attempt on his life should the
law prove unavailing to hold the GRIM
inal in it's clutches.-Philadelp
Times.