Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-11-22

Evidences that the party, which con-
sisted of eight men and n woman. was
not what it should be began TO aeon
mulate, and the commandant of the
military post was informed that It was
believed that 1t was the band of Sam
uel Mason.
He thereupon ordered that DR.. Pierre
Antoine Laforge and DR.. Robert Nc
Cay, officers of militia, so ut once to the
scene, investigate who these people
We're and IL necessary arrest them and
bring them for further examination to
New Madrid. These men, accompanied
by the interpreter OF the post and n
militia squad, went at once to the set
tlement They kept their movements as
secret as possible and managed to ar
rive at the house of DIR. Francois lie
Sieur without letting the news get out
that they were there in force.
His capture was effected by meaus of
a ruse. Never dreaming that there was
any military in the neighborhood, he
went without hesitation to the house of
lie Sieur, evidently with the idea that
his crimes were not so well known this
high up the country, and he would
therefore be able to satisfy, the COM
mandants envoy as TO his good inten-
ton. This strange confidence cost him
dear. Mason and five men of his band
went to the house, met the official. and
Mason began an explanation OF his in
tentionS, which were, he said, entirely
honest and commendable. DR.. Robert
McCay listened a minute or so until the
soldiers could surround the house and
then cut him short, CURLY telling him
that he could make his explanations
later on to the military commandment at
New Madrid. They We're told that the
house was surrounded and resistance
would be useless Caught in the trap,
there was nothing to do but submit,
and this they did with considerable ill
grace.
At the conclusion of the subsequent
examination, which had lasted thirteen
days. it was decided to send the record
and the prisoners to New Orleans to be
dealt with as the governor general
there should think proper.
At this point the record ends as far
as the manuscript in the possession of
the historical department at Jackson is
concerned. There is nothing eXtant to
indicate what disposition of them was
finally made by the authorities on the
other side. From various circum-
stances, however, there is strong
ground for the belief that they We're
either released by those authorities or,
what is much more probable, that in
some manner the prisoners made their
escape from custody.
However this may have been, the ac-
count that Claiborne gives of Mason's
end would indicate that he got away
in some manner and returned with
part of his gang to his old haunts in
Mississippi. The usually accepted ac-
count of his death is tragic in the ex-
treme.
One day he and his gang robbed
traveller. In searching him they found
a copy of the proclamation of the gov
ernor of the territory offering the re-
ward for his capture. This was the
first intimat ton seemingly that his
confederates had of the value of his
capture. Shortly afterward he had a
falling out with two of his men-Sut-
ton and Harp-and they only waited
for the opportunity to betray him to
his death.
One day it came, and they killed
him. In order to prove his identity
they cut off his head and with it went
to Greenville, Jefferson county, where
court was then in session. They sue
ceeded in getting number of people
who knew Mason well to identify the
head as that of Mason and We're in
fair way to establish their claim and
get the reward without exciting sus-
picion. While the matter was still in
debate, q traveller rode into the town
and recognized the two men as the rob-
bers who had waylaid him on the
Natchez trace short time before. He