The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-05-27
Ills Is n bit of the unwritten
history of the Southwest, ,in-
worthy of preservation save

.oresr incNtrcaDy interviewer with and
lighting up It's sombre passages. 1t Is
given as near as'may be in the Ian.
guagc of one OF the chief actors In
the drama, my friend, the train robbcr.
the only man on record who served
life sentence at Columbus Ohio, for
one oifcnse and tive-year term at
Fort Leavcnworth for another stimuli
taneOusly and was purged of both in
about three years.
But the details o. his crimes, con-
viction, punishment and successful
legal battle for liberty are another
story ard it has already been written
That the present story is rot couched
in the Vernacular of the alklii and
sagebru.h melodrama is due TO the
fact that the man who told it Is Il
graduate Of the University of West
virginia and as a condition precedent
10 becoming a knight OF the road was
prosecuting attorney of m Oklahoma
county In the early days when the
picking was better than It Is now.
lie was not an imposing nor par
tlcularly heroic figure as he sat in the
Glngy old city room aud told his story
to- the accompaniment of dozen click
Ing typewriters grinding out late copy.
lie was rcd-headcd, flve-foOt scrap of
humanity with the prison pallor on
his countenance and the prison taint
enveloplng him as garment, but he
had cold. steel-blue eye, fighting
10 nd a1a
strong and express ss.onless a line rs the
two halves of steel trap. AS lie
talked one could understand how in
the free and lawless atmosphere of the
short grass country even a normally
conscientious man. hot on the trail OF
his brothers murderer as he had
been, might through n combination of
fortuitous circumstances and atavistic
impulse, become in turn a hunted out
law. He was but five hours out of the
United States prison at Fort Leaycn-
worth, and the reason for his being
there and the manner of his release
made his story news. Not as thrilling.
possibly. as the telegraph stories that
used to come in over the wire when his
gang" was alleged 10 he terrorizlng
the twin territories. but interesting as
marking the close of an episode in the
winning OF the West
"And guess thltll be about ALL" he
said. as he finished the recital.
Put surely there must be some in
cldcnFs during all that time TO which
you can revert without regret" was
suggested.
We'll, yes" was the response, and
n reminiscent look came into his eyes.
There was one case that doesn't give
me unmiXed grief when / think of It,
One day during the recent UNPLEASANT
ness ! was in Western Texas on my
way TO California by On unfreQuented
route, rs main Travelled roads were
bit dangerous to me at the tine. | had
been in the saddle thrty-sly hours on
end and without food for day, so you
can imagine how glad | was to come
upon n solitary dugout with n rusty
stovepipe sticking up through the roof,
the flrst | had seen for three days.
called for several minutes before any
one came. but finally the door slowly
opened and woman stuck her head
cautiously out.
SAY, she was n picture OF poverty
Thin faced, gaunt to the point OF atten-
uatOn, dressed as far rs | could Judge
In n single scant calico garment, and
barefoot. Several tow-headed kids
with scared faces We're peaping out
from behind her and holding on to her
dress.
Hello she responded family 10 the
usual SALVATION OF the plains.
1--WE rode day without eating and
fm nearly famished,' | said Can't
YOU fix me some dinner? I'll pay you
well for it,
Stranger she replied, I'd be
mighty glad to, but there amt thing
70 Pat on the place and were pretty
hungry ourselves
I'm reasonably hardened, but the
look in that woman's eyes and those of
the Kids 1T the mere mention OF food
touched me, and having learned that
the nearest rancho was twelve miles
away | rode over there and back as
fast as my tired cayuse could carry me,
with bacon, spuds, -four and coffee
enough TO last week. Man, 1t was
pltlful to see those hungry kids chew
Ing n raw bacon rlpd to stay their
plnched little stomachs while the moth.
or was cooking something for us to eat
Well, we all gorged ourselves. and af-
ter supper, stimulated by the food and
coffee. the woman tod me their story.
"-'i{ had wondered where her husband
was, and she told me he had gone a
week before over ab.ut 100 miles east
where n man owed him some money.
and she had expected him back for sew
eral days. Her supplies Were exhaust
cd. and she and the children were in
desperate straits when | providentialy
drove up. She was sure something
must have happened TO her husband,
and the worry about him was added
to he- other troubles. 1t seems they
had formerly owned little farm over
In Eastern Texas. but some Shylock
or II cashier in country bank had
made them small loan and closed
them out when they were unable to
pay the interest Then they drifted
around for year or two, and finally
stranded high aud dry In that dugout
In the short grass. | left her some
money and went on the next morning,
feeling mighty chesty over the thought
that had helped some one out of the
hole, but | remembered the name OF the