The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1900-06-13
In The course Of tho many weeks :.

In the course Of the many weeks =
nine, / think-that this chase went on,
the police often got near enough to
be shot at. One poor constable was
badly wounded in the throat so that
he could never speak above whisper
again, and another was shot dead.
But Bill was never to be seen. Some.
times they came on a pannikin Of tea,
standing by the fire. and another time
he must Just have flung away his pipe
lest its smell should betray him. One
il lost in amazsment at his powers of
endurance, for he could have had no
actual sleep all that weary while. The
general plan Of campaign was to keep
him always moving, so as to tire him
out. What strength must he have
possessed to do without sleep all that
time, and TO cover such fabulous dis.
tances day after day. The police
themselves, or rather their horses,
and even the trackers, got quite
knocked up, in spite of regularly
organized system Of relief; so what
must It have been for the hunted boy,
who could never have had any rest al
all?
At last the end came; at earliest
dawn one morning Bill, resting on q
log in the bush without even fire to
betray him, opened his eyes to the
sound Of q command to put up his
hands," and saw half-a.dozen carbines
levelled straight at him few yards
of. He showed fight to the last, and
managed before holding up his hands
to fire shot at the approaching con.
stables, wounding one Of them in the
leg. The men rushed in, however,
and he was soon overcome and hand
cuffed, and brought into Perth. But
the most curious part of the story lies
in the universal sympathy, and, in
deed, admiration, Immediately shown
by the whole of our very peaceable
and orderly little community for this
youth. OF course, the officials did
not share this strange sentimentality,
for they regarded Master Bill and his
exploits from very different point OF
view, and / used really TO feel quite
angry, especially with my female
friends, who often asked me IL I was
not Every sorry" for the culprit. My
sympathies, 1 confessed, were more
with the families of HE victims, espe.
cially the poor policeman with his
mangled throat, whom / had often
seen In my weekly visits to the hospi-
tai. When / expressed surprise al
the interest all the girls in the place
took in the young ruffian, the answer
| al. l,pt Ia ,a
1t appeared to me the bravery lay with
his captors!
He was duly tried, but the jury did
not convict him OF premeditated mur-
der, and in face of the verdict he could
only be sentenced to imprisonment for
some years. Master Bills captivity
did not last very long ON that occa,
sion, for he watched his opportunity,
sprang upon the warder one day,
knocking him senseless. scrambled
over the wall of the exercise ground,
near which chanced to be a pile OF
stones for breaking, and so got away.
Then the pendulum of public opinion
that strange and unreliable factor
in human affairs--swung to the other
end, and q violent outcry arose, and
Bills immediate death was the least
of its demands. He was caught with
out much difficulty that time, how.
ever, and it was strange to find nc
one taking the least interest in his
second trial, which resulted in q
lengthy and vigorous imprisonment
Poor wretchl believe even 1 ended
| Inv bein0 Usorrvu far him and hi,
wasted life, with all its splendid pos
sibilities. Magazine.