The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-03-08
from his horse. Jerking his six-shoo'er

from his horse. Jerking his six-shooter
from his holster at his belt.
The revolvers cracked with one re-
port. and bullet went through Halls
left shoulder. while another bored
hole through Wilkinson's breast.
Neither man fell. and again the re-
volvers cracked. This time Hall was
wounded IN the left side and Wilkin
son was sho, through the heart. The
desperate pitched forward and fell on
his face and Hall sank TO the ground.
A few minutes later two cowboys.
who had been attracted by the shoot
ing. rode on to the sceLe. They found
Hall unconscious and his horse stand
ing with dropping head over him. The
cowboys managed to get the officer
to ranch not far distant. where his
wounds received attention. In a month
he was on duty again and arresting men
as vigorously as before
The only time Lee Hall ran from a
man was when he went after John Wes-
ley Hardin, the most noted "mankiller"
ever known in Texas. Hardin had MUIR
dered over score of men, and there
was reward on his head of $4,000.
Hall wanted the reward and determined
to get il. He learned of llardin's
whereabouts and started for the place.
Before arriving there he was told that
Hardin had five or six men with him
and that they were all encamped at
the edge of lake. Their camp could
be approached from only one direction,
and that was over an open space sev
eral hundred feet wide.
Hall summoned posse of six men
and started for the camp. When he
arrived at the edge of the open space
he and his men dismounted and tied
their horses in the brush.
Now" said Hall, well run right
in on them. We don't want any long
distance shooting. The only way to
get these men is TO rush them. Follow
right after me and We'll have them
before they know it,"
The posse agreed to this. and Han
started on run across the open space
straight for the desperadoes' camp.
carbine in hand Suddenly the des-
peradoes opened fire on his advancing
figure. Hall stopped and blazed away
with his carbine. Then he glanced be
hind him and discovered that he was
alone. The firing in front grew hotter,
and he turned and ran for his life. The
desperadoes yelied and laughed and
shot at him. They cried to him to
come back and called him a coward
and many other unpleasant things, but
he was too wise TO attempt to fight
half dozen of the worst men in Texas
single-handed, and he made straight
for his horse. II was where he had tied
il, but the other horses were gone. He
in his clothing. Hall spent the rest
of the day hunting down his posse and
"cursing them out" process they
submitted to with becoming meekness,
for the deputy sheriff was in danger
Gus mood.
Long afterward John d. Armstrong,
at that time second in command Of
Lee Halls company of rangers, cap
tured John Wesley Hardin in Florida
and brought him to Texas, where he
served a long term in Jail. Hall visited
Hardin in the prison and congratu-
lated him upon being the only man
who had ever made him run. Hardin
was killed few months after he was
pardoned out of Jail. He was shot in n
barroom in FL Paso by a man whom
he had sworn to kill on sight.
1t was my privilege TO serve in the
Texas rangers under Hall in the late
seventies. and ! know he can win the
love and admiration Of those under him
as we'll rs he can fight. II he has the
luck to get on the tiring-line in the
Philippines, Jesse Lee Hall viii make
another Funston. or all Texas will be
nightly surprised.-Saturday Evening
Post, Philadelphia.