The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-03-08

the mos dreaded ana succeSSIuI Ioiu
agent" Texas ever knew, IA man who
invariably worked alone" and who.
single-handed, robbed many stage
coach. Hall trailed White from the
scene OF enc of his exploits. caught
him in livery stable in town so
miles away, and arrested him. White
was armed with two six-shooters and
showed fight, but Hall sprang at him.
knocked him down. and overpowere1
Inn after desperate struggle.
Hall was in at the killing Of the no.
torous Sam Bass and his gng Of bank
robbers and cutthroats. and in dozens
of other noted encounters with the
outlaws who gave TO Texas such Il ter
rible reputation in the years gone by.
But il, was before he became
ranger that Hall won his spurs as
fighting man in Texas. He was born
in Lexington, \. c., In October. lS+J.
and came of old revolutionary stock
by both his parents. Among his an
rcstors were the famous Gen. Giles
Meane and Gov. Stanford, of North
Carolina. Lee went to Texas in search
of adventure when he was 20 years old.
and found it when he became deputy
sheriff in Grayson county, just south
of the line of the Indian territory.
In a little less than two years the
young deputy sheriff made LOGO ar
rests. killed seven men, and was
wounded five times. His fame as an
officer of the law spread far and wide;
it was foregone conclusion that any
man Hall undertook to arrest would
be made u prisoner or would he a sub
icct for the coroner
There was one dcsperado. however. a
man named Wilkinson, who had man
aged to elude Hall for months and who
had sworn he would never be taken
alive. lie was wanted Tor cattle steal
ing and murder. Many long, weary
day and night had the young deputy
sheriff hunted for this man. and Wilkin-
sor at last grew tired of being sought
so persistently. lie sent message 10
Hall, who was in Dennison, in which he
said that if the deputy sheriff wanted
him so badly he could come and get him
on Il certain day. Wilkinson said that
he would be on little prairie about
IS mics from Dennison at four o'clock
on the afternoon of that day and would
meet Hall there. provided the latter
came after him alone. The outlaw
pledged his word that he. also, would
be alone. If Hall could arrest him
under those circumstances he said he
was welcome TO do it.
And Lee Hall accepted the invitation
and the terms.
Early on The morning of the appoint
ed day he mounted his horse, and with
a breech-loading shotgun and a six
shooter for arms rode out from Denni-
son to keep the appointment. The
sheriff tried in vain to dissuade his dep
uty from the undertaking, and begged
him at least to take posse with him
to surround Wilkinson and surprise
him into giving up, but Hall would not
listen to him.
NO." he said; "Wilkinson has made
fair, square offer, and believe he'll
keep his word and be there alone. lfa
desperate can keep promise, ! think
I ought to be man enough to do the
same, and I'll meet him on his own
terms. And" he added. "if l come back
he'll be with me-"
The place of meeting was a clear
space about half mile square, sur
rounded on all sides by mesquit.
chaparral and live oak woods. AT pre-
cisely four o'clock Hall rode out from
the southern edge of the chaparral on
to the prairie, and minute later Will
kinson rode into view from the north
end. He, too, was armed with shotgun
| and revolver. The men were within
plain sight of each other, but too far
away to exchange shots. At the same
instant they urged their ponies into a
gallop and made straight for each 9TH
er, both holding their shotguns ready
for action.
No more evenly matched men. per-
haps. had ever met in a duel to the
death, for such they knew their meeting
must be. Each was n perfect horse
man and fine marksman. Neither
knew the meaning of fear.
They approached each other rapidly
and were soon within hailing distance,
but not sound escaped their lips; they
were there for action. not words. Just
before they got close enough to each
other to use their shotguns effectively
both men dropped their bodies Indian
! fashion to the sides of their horses. SC
as to present as small target as pos
sible. their guns being pointed over
their horses necks.
! They fired at the same instant. Hal
wore an overcoat with n cape attached
20 it, and the buckshot from the single
discharge of Wilkinson's gun almost
cut this cape from its fastenings. bu
not a shot hit the deputy. Hall also
fired one barrel of his shotgun, and th'
charge entered the neck of Wilkinson.
horse. knocking him down. Wilkinson
sprang off and landed on his knees a
his horse went crashing to the ground