The National tribune., 1901-07-18

Caskey at once gave him the money.
and May conducted him a short distance
into the wood to an old hollow stump, on
the top of which was q bundle of straw,
held down by a chunk Of wood. He told
Caskey to remove the wood and straw,
and on doing so he discovered a hollow in
the stump which was nearly filed with
bright, shining half-dollars.
You put it there for me, didn't your
asked Caskey.
May nodded and turned to walk away.
Stop a moment" said Caskey, draw
ing a capias for his arrest. Il have some
thing more for you" But when he began
reading the capias, May, realizing that he
was trapped, ran toward the house. Gas,
key ordered him to halt, and as he did
not, opened fire with his revolver. But
May was swift of foot, the bushes were
thick, and he reached his house un-
harmed.
Caskey called to Dockcry and Roberts
for aid. but from the house came fusil-
lade of pistol bullets and buckshot, so all
three were forced to beat retreat. The
other members of the posse, hearing the
firing, hastened to the scene; but May
had disappeared, and only woman and
some children were found in the house.
The ringleader having escaped, and
there being some doubt of convicing the
others without him, Williams took the
coin from the hollow stump, and the posse
returned to town, where the Marshal be-
gan an investigation by wire to lind the
fugitive In q day or two lie learned that
he was near the Iowa line about hun
dred miles from his late rendezvous. His
wife had joined him, and it was mainly
by keeping an espionage on her move
ments that both May and HicoX were To-
Gated. 1t was arranged that Williams
was to notify me by wire the moment of
their capture, and | was to send Caskey
back into the Charlton District with
strong posse.
Williams, on reaching Kahoka, n town
in the extreme northeastern part of the
State secured the services of the Sheriff
and two Deputies, and at midnight sur
rounded the country house in which May
and HicoX were, and captured both In
bed.
Having notified me of the capture, or
dered Caskey with a strong posse to start
after the others as soon as it was dark.
Shortly after daylight next morning they
returned with 13 prisoners in irons.
Among them was Mr.. Frank Smith,
well-to-do farmer and stock-raiser,
whose arrest on so serious charge was
great surprise to everybody. Some of the
merchants and bankers called on me and
declared:
You have made a mistake. We know
Frank Smith and know he is not coun-
terfeiter" Smith bore up well until
Hicox and May were brought back, and
then he grew quite nervous. His guilt
was so clearly established at the eXamina-
ton that his former friends had to admit
that he was the greatest scoundrel of all.
Among others who came from the Chari-
ton District was little nervous man
named John Cook, about 40 years of age,
whose face would have been a model for
a caricature in a comic paper. His high
cheek bones, little gray, watery eyes and
immense mouth were set off by sharp
chin covered with pointed drab-coiored
whiskers. | was not at all surprised when
the jailor informed me that Cook wanted
to sec me. OF all the members Of the
gang l knew that Cook would be the first
to weaken"
shall never forget his appearance as
he entered my office. He was short and
attenuated. He wore a broad -brimmed
slouch white hat with a peaked crown, a
faded overcoat too large for him, and
trousers stuffed into a pair of boots that
came quite to his knees. He was bow
legged and awkward, and trembled as he
came toward my desk. Nervously jerk
ing his head TO the right and left, he
dropped into a chair and gasped:
For Gods sake, Judge, git me out o
this" and he gave a jerky glance toward
the door to assure himself that we were
dlODe. ne IiItlc IellOW was DOIH SiHipIe
and a coward. | saw at once that he was
one of those plastic characters who could
be nodded into any shape. ''This things
goin' to devil me to death, and I'm a poor
man and can't afford to die. Now 4 l tell
you all about it, will ye let me offY'
l explained that clemency was not In
my power; he must look to the United
States Attorney or Judge for that; but if
he chose to make a clean breast of it, L
would use my influence with the Attorney
TO make witness of him, and nolle pros
the ease against him.
That's jist what | want to do" Cook
declared. Il had to 60 into this thing
If them fellers ever git out they will kill
me-"
L assured him they would not "get OUT
soon, and informed him / was ready to
write down any confession he would make
freely, without compulsion or hope of re-
ward, but could promise him nothing.
'Twon't do me no harm, 10 how" he
declared. Then, pushing his broad
brimmed hat back from his forehead,
crossing one short leg over another, and