Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-27

Wild goose nights than ever did in any
other case.
The tenth bit of information concerning
I.aur reached me In March. 1857. / hastily
started to Nashville did not find Laur.
At last deciding TO try a long chance. L
boarded the train at Nashville for Chatta-
nooga, thinking Laur might possibly board
the same train at some point along the
route for knew he was operating pat
ent right scheme along that line of road.
At Columbia the tall. familiar figure OF the
fugitive doomed before me. He entered the
train and I followed into the same car.
cautious distance behind. and took sea'
from which | could observe his every move
mont He left the train at Chattanooga
With me a few steps away AS he was about
to leave the station platform placed my
hand on his shoulder. Indignantly he lurheo
on me. ,,,
at means that you are under arrest Tor
counterfeiting."
.sRut I haven't passed ans counterfeit
money around here" he protested iailins
Possibly not. but you did IN southern
Illinois"
With this crowded him into carriage.
handcuffed him. and from that time TIL ne
was again in Jail in Springfield l did not
tgke NV eyes from him a moment Laur
told me the story of his wanderings.
i've been in sixteen jails since l saw
Won before" he said. YEARLY, and eNpect
il will be Just as well for me 10 go pack
without making any protest
The members Of the band who had not
escaped, on worthless bonds had been tried
and sentenced to the penitentiary. Laur
was tried on the original charge and sem
fenced to serve seven and one-halt years
After being locked up the second tlme no
again tried to get out on bail. but did not
succeed. ,x
Like Laur and Schaffer. Fairchilds did
not appear at the term Of court IN Septem-
Der, 1876. This failure made him iugt.tSe
from Justice. Soon afterward Sherin year
wood wrote me to the effect that the fugi-
tive had been seen near his farm mas
tened to Mount Vernon and with the sher-
III and two deputies. repaired TO the farn
adjoining FaIrchilds where we spent INC
night making our beds in a haystack. AT
daybreak we went to Fairchilds house.
where one of his boys met us.
AS the youngster saw Us approach ne
thrust two dirty fingers into his mouth ana
gave A shrill whistle that could have been
heard half A mile Immediately jumping
at the conclusion that the whistle was
prcarranged signal of danger for the rather.
and that the latter was In the barn. we ran
to the building and surrounded H. rms
was the largest barn ! ever saw on a farm
Ordering the sheriff and his men 10 shoot
if Fairchilds made an effort 10 break past
them into the timber in the rear entered
the barn. and, after satisfying mys"lt thde
the fugitive was not below, started up
ladder to the haymgw. At the entrance 10
the loft called on Fairchilds 10 surrender.
There was no answer nor sound iuIiy
believed this man to be desperate, ana. az
though armed myself, realized me ASK ..
climbing into the dark haymow placed me
al a disadvantage.
Climbing on the top of the hay, again
called on the man | believed to be buried
i'm ii to surrender for his own safety. Again
there was no reply, A little farther back
found a quilt. still warm from contact with
a human body But Sill there was no
Sound. Cropping my way into corner OF
the building. l found place where the
hay had been dug away so that man
could easily drop to the floor OF the loft. As
1 dropped into this hole heard SHOTS out
side the barn. and scrambled into the open
as CAST as / could. Sheriff Yearwood and
his men were in the rear Of the barn,
stocking guns in hand. peering into the
woods beyond Fairchilds had dashed from
tie barn and escaped without scratch.
Half a day was spent fuulely In securing
tie timber and surrounding country.
From that time at intervals word reached
uj of Fairchilds' appearance in different
points in Missouri and Arkansas Each
time he was reported to be travelling heay-
IN armed and Boosting that he would never
be taken alive. and that he would Kill the
first officer who attempted his arrest. In
June OF 1878 there came the message to
United States Deputy Marshal Nix that
John Fairchllds was at the home or his
son-in-Iaw near Roachvtlle. III. NIX I'M
medtately Sw0re In q posse Oh three men
and repaired to the reported rendezvous OF
the fugitive during the night. The men OF
the posse were armed with shotguns and
reyoiyers, as since Fairchilds had returned
to HIS home community the last time he
had appeared more desperate than ever
and carried two revolvers and a shotgun.
His threats to kill on sight the first officer
attempting to lay hands on him had been
repeated at short range.
Early In the morning Fairchilds emerged
from the house of his son-in-law with a
pitchfork He was going toethe barn to get
hay, and was not armed except with the
fork Nix called on him to halt-that he
was under arrest With an oath Fairchilds
opened fight on two deputies who APP
preached him, stabbing with the pitchfork
at the armed deputies. Again he was told
to surrender. and again he cursed the depu-
ties. Then shot rang out and the fugitive
dropped to the ground. As he did so he
made a last effort TO reach the Officers with
the pitchfork. but failed. He fell back.
blood gushing from his mouth His wife
from the house lust in time t0 sea