The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-17

l little noise did his muffled paddle make that it might have been only a log of wood instead of a boat drifting with | the current. Powerful strokes of that | paddle carried the dugout swiftly to a small island in the middle of the river, an island as thick and jungle-like as l the swamps on either side of this Tensas River. Hiding the boat under a l mass of bushes he gave a low, peculiar | whistle before going out into the open. | An answering whistle floated out of the l jungle. With no longer any need for | caution he walked straight to the cen- | ter of the island. Sitting on log in
 the thickest part of the jungle was an ! other negro-Mark Stinson, the com- | panion and tool of this Morris Slater. | The place was admirable for the pur- pose. The thick fringe of tangled trees 1 and underbrush screened it as com l pletely as if an adamantine wall were
 surrounding it while once inside one | could distinctly watch every part of the island shore. A few blankets com pleted the furnishings of this wild lair l Cheese and crackers with canned goods | made the supper--they never built a fre-after which they slept as securely
 as if guarded by thousands of men. Captured an Engine.
 On March ,. 1895, Conductor Allan Cammack. in charge of a Southbound l freight train, left Montgomery.
 Remember Ed Markell. Allan" shout l ed the yardmaster as the tail lights of | the caboose swung out of the yard. All right answered the popular con- ductor "Pll look out and take care of my crew."
 The faint streaks of dawn were just breaking the next morning when this train stopped at Tensas tank for wa
 ter. As Engineer Dawsey climbed down from his cab he saw a negro man stretched out near the tankhouse sound
 asleep. The weather was not cold and
 the sight of sleeping tramps was not
 unusual. but obeying some impulse the
 engineer walked over to the sleeping
 negro.
 What he saw made his face blanch
 On the ground almost under the ne-
 gro's arm was Winchester rife, while
 stuffed in the side pocket of his trous-
 CTS was big Colts revolver. There
 was not time for much thinking and
 the engineer realized that he must act
 swiftly or not at all. The slightest
 tumble now would mean death. and
 with a prayer the engineer crouched
 over the sleeping form. grabbed the
 rife with one hand and the pistol with
 the other and sprang erect Covering the now thoroughly aroused negro with
 his own gun the engineer ordered him not 10 move. ealing Conductor cam mack q conference was held. The en-
 tire train crew had gathered then. and not dreaming that the negro had any other weapons about him the conductor told the negro to get up. The intention was to make him get in the caboose. take him to Mobile and turn him over to the authorities there.
 The mistake was almost a fatal one. |
 Doggedly cycling his captors the ne- gro slowly got to his feet. Engineer Dawsey with the captured rife and pis- | tol had gone over to his engine. With l the spring of a panther the negro broke l for the forest at his back One of the l brakemer fired as the negro started | running Jerking a big pistol from his | breast the negro wheeled and began l shooting into the little knot of train l men. One more shell was in the cham | Der of the brakeman's pistol. Pulling | the trigger it snapped. None of the | ing for them to do but get under cover. |
 On the other side of the railroad l track was the house of q section fore man. Rushing unceremoniOusly through | the door Conductor Cammack after a nasty explanation. secured a couple of 1 shotguns. Things were looking better. for coming down the track was a bridge 1 crew of five men. Three of them had.i pistols which, with the brakesman's l pistol and the two shotguns made six | armed men, two more men being arm cd with the rife and pistol taken from the negro.
 Another freight train pulled up to