The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-02-21
WISPS FROM THE wAYSIDE.


Learning that there was visiting who once
achieved world wide fame detective, The Posi- man
thinking that perhaps there good waiting to be
uearted sought him and presenting his card preferred
his request aud waited wde-eyed for tale that would make
his blood cold and every individual hair to stand ON end
like quilts upon the fretfu porcupine.p
My thrilling experience while in pursuit of crimi-
nal z; repeated he musingy. ooh. don't know Suppose
we pass that up and will tell you OF my most unique
experiences Possibly do not recolect the days whe
that organization Of outlaws called the Molly McGuires
ruled the anthracite region OF Pennsylvania The tale of the
atrocities they committed is still told throughout the region
where they operated and their is used today to
brighten ncorrighlc children and insure their being safey
the shades night have fallen We had rounded
up the but you have idea how hard it is to get
people testify region thoroughly errorized as that
One day the authorities learned in roundabout man
that might be good scheme could old Dnny
Mullen of Turkey Run the witness stand for the State
took the Turkey possessed only OF the
knowledge of the mans the Of the town he lived
in the fact that he bowegged 1t happened be Sunday
when dsembarkcd Turkey Run the Golfers enjoy
ing their holiday best suited their individual tastes the
gathered about the doors of the hebcen
houses the older their fashioned high collars ana
Sunday clothes vending their uncomfortable the little
church the coeens red checked and smiling sauntering
about the village in animated plashes OF color deco
rating the side of the mountain that behind the town
You would believe that in community such as that where
everybody knew everybody it would be but the work OF
few moments locate an individual but you have no
how they looked askance at and stunned stranger.
81 rooted about the town all day and went many a
wild chase from side of the hamlet to the other
but all of the information able of mis-
leading character and night approached wendell way
in unenviabc frame of mind down the railway track to-
ward the station The back lots of of miners shantes
the track side and person in position
could look right down the porches OF the houses
Suddenly stopped short my walk and in another moment
cambering the fence of the yards had
noticed heavy pair of cowhde boots of the porohes
the feet OF the boots close together but the legs
leaned away from another almost convincinsy In short
had found my by the aid of pair Of bowlegged boots
His testimony what needed and the wholesale hang
ngs which followed broke up the Molly McGuires for
But believe that guided TO his quest
by unique olew,
well, sir said who had dropped into the drnka-
orium during the conversation and had been interested
listener the latter part of the old detectives narrative the
people OF that region most clannish set aren't they
remember many years firing of those inn
engines called camel backs that had been construct
ed especially for pulling heavy loads the mountain grade
around Mahanoy Plane These old camebacks of which
there only half dozen constructed have long since
into the scrap pile and been sold for junk and every
last of them after various escapades which invariably
the lives of their wound up their dsreputabe
careers by exploding. They success their inn
weight which originally thought would be their
greatest help in pulling loads up the sleeps grades really
initiated against them and coming down grade they would
from sheer force OF gravity frequently beyond the control
of the engineer then he would yell his jump
hang a weight the whsecord, step down near the
ground possible and swing into the darkness frequent
y to headong into gully lie there with broken bones
until found by searching party.
"Od Pat Gleason my chief of the oldest char
acers OF all that odd region He very old man. his
hair and beard white but the brand of profanity
which he addicted sparked eervesced as if the
bottle had been just opened Old Mike had said that
he had woman, child aud every species Of
animal that the region produced with the exception OF goat
and 1t finally became the passion of his life add goat to
the list before he retired Many he has seen one
OF the animals the track and has sent the old engine
plungng forward terrific speed only to see his
goatshp esurey walk off the just at the moment VIC
tory seemed assured then old Mike throw his greasy
cap on the floor jump up and down on it and curse until
would have to wet down coal keep from catching
fire.
One night had a cousin visiting me from down in the
oil regions and turned my a sub and STAYED
home to play the host At midnight as we sat outside the
cabin smoking Our pipes trained caught the sound Of
three short pasmodc Whistles then came the steady shrek
that told of an engine running wild down the mountain side
and soon the headlight OF old Mikes engine hove in sight
aeenng down the grade but its great weight helped il to
keep the rails and gained the level finally and came 70
stop Ere this had happened however half the village
securing the mountain side with lanterns We found old
Mike at last but he pretty petered out and the n
thing he said gathered round him was arl ve,ed ~
ms eNutation--By God, boys, got that d goat after
ALL Then he fell back and it was all over Sure e,oh
however, found the manged body of goat ON the Mon,
tain side next day AND it's dead moral certainty that Il Old
Mike had not plunged when saw the animal On the t,
he would not have lost control of the old camel-back