CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1904-09-15

one. Colonel Willis offered liberal re-
ward to the man who would save it.
Oberting. then lad Of eighteen. vol
unteered to make the attempt.
With keen bladed knife clutched
between his teeth he dived to the bot
tom of the river. where he speedily To-
Gated the bull and liberated it with n
few strokes of the sharp blade.
Freed of its fetters. the animal at
once rose to the surface.
oberting. however, was not SO fortu-
nate.
His efforts to free the bull had
caused him to sink almost knee deep in
a treacherous quagmire at the bottom
of the river, and it was only after al
most superhuman exertion that he sue
ceeded in extricating himself.
When he reached the surface of the
river. his strength was almost spent.
Espying the bull, which was a short
distance away, swimming Justify for
the shore, he, with a last desperate
effort. reached out and grasped 1t by
the tail, where he clung. utterly ex-
hausted. while the animal towed him
ashore.
Colonel Willis offered him $50. which
he refused to accept
"You owe me nothing" he said.
How is that?" inquired the Ken
tuckian In surprise you rescued the
bull"
Yes" admitted Oberting. naively
adding, "but the bull reciprocated."
In the early days of Oberting's mar
shalship Dearborn county was infested
with band of bold marauders known
as the Fairwell gang, of which Bob
Fairwell was acknowledged leader.
The members OF this lawless band
were accustomed to drive to market
and sell cattle, hogs and other live
stock from the farms throughout the
county, loot country stores under the
very eyes of the proprietors, waylay
and rob travellers in broad daylight and
commit unhindered numerous brazen
depredations, SO thoroughly had they
established their reign of terror Mar
shal Oberting resolved to stay their
high handed course without delay.
Intrusting his official duties to dep
uty, he applied himself assiduously to
his purpose.
Bob Fairwell lived In log house sit
uated in dense wood near the Ohio
Indiana line. and. shrewdly conjectur-
ing that the place was the headquar-
tiers Of the gang, Oberting favored 1t
with much of his attention.
In the guise of hunter he haunted
the vicinity for about ten days and
succeeded in obtaining an excellent
knowledge of the workings OF the gang
and Of the topography of the section in
which they operated most extensively.
II was his custom to steal up to the
cabin in the wood under the cover of
darkness and, removing a stone from a
chink in the wall, see and hear every
thing that tranapired In the most i'm
portant councils OF the band In this
manner he obtained sufficient evidence
to Justify the arrest Of the seven mem
bers.
Returning to Lawrenceburg he or
ganized n posse Of brave and resolute
men. at the head of whom he marched
upon the robbers stronghold
The descent upon Fairwell's cabin
was made after nightfall, the marshal
hoping thereby to take the inmates by
surprise and effect their capture with
out bloodshed.
But this precautionary measure
proved unnecessary.
Fairwell had been warned OF his per
II, and the rendezvous was found de
serted.
Undiscouraged by the miscarriage Of
his well laid plans, Oberting pushed
resolutely forward in the wake Of the
fugitives, overtaking them near the
Great Miami river. where q furious
struggle took place. resulting in the
defeat of the Fairwell contingent.
which fed precipitately before the on
slaught Of the officers.
Bob FairweIl, hotly pursued by
Oberting, dashed for the river and, TAX
ing to the water, started to swim
across into Ohio, where he could defy
capture
Without a moments hesitation the
intrepid marshal followed.
Fairwell was overtaken In mid
stream, where he furiously resisted the
officer, whose peril was rendered des-
perate by the fact that several of the
ruffian's friends had congregated on
the shore and were hurling stones and
cudgels at his head In reckless disre-
gard for the safety of their leader.
Several of the missiles struck Ober-
ting about the head and face, and be
would undoubtedly have Jared Ill but
for the timely arrival Of his posse. who
took the cowardly rascals into custody.
Fairwell was drawn ashore more
dead than alive.
The entire gang ultimately paid the
full penalty for their transgressions.
Historic old Lost bridge" near
Elizabethtown. o.. was the scene of
one of Oberting's exploits.