The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1906-06-07
ACriminal Chase
[original.]

y
was walking along country road.
The leaves were budding on the trees,
the birds were singing, the sun was
shining down with grateful warmth.
was thinking what happy world
this Is, after ALL and how pleasant it
is to live. A man was walking brislzly
toward me, and there was a distant
twinkling heard report. The man,
who was within dozen yards of me,
dropped. Naturally my first impulse
was to look about me, and, casting
quick glances, I saw thin smoke
floating from behind tree to my right.
After hesitating moment in which
direction to turn I ran forward to the
fallen man. Bright red blood was ooz-
ing from wound in his left breast
and trickling over his coat. Directly
behind me I heard a thud as of some
thing falling on the road and, turning.
saw revolver lying within ten feet Of
me. OF course it had been thrown
there by the murderer to divert sus-
picion from himself to me.
Meanwhile the sound of wheels drew
nearer, and buggy in which a man
was seated turned bend in the road.
In the wood to the right was sound
Of cracking underbrush. The murder
er was about to escape, and was
standing over his victim with pistol
lying near. ran like a deer in the
direction the cracking indicated, feel
ing that my escape from a halter de-
pended upon my catching the murder.
er. AS ran could occasionally hear
him breaking his way through bushes
or over twigs. Then I heard a shout
behind me:
"Halt or I'll fire!''
It all passed through my mind like a
fash. The man in the buggy must
have heard the shot At any rate, he
had seen me run away, had driven on,
found both the body and the revolver
lying in the road, had picked up the
latter and was now threatening me
with it.
My mind was bent on one object
catching the murderer Fear Of. the
bullet, fear of the scaffold, drove me
on, but, singularly enough, there was
another passion that spurred me far
more than fear. It was rage-rage at
the man who had sought to make me
suffer for his crime No thought of
turning to explain matters to my pur
suer entered my head. Such a course
would avail nothing. The murderer
would go on and I be left with those
who would scorn Lily story while he
secured safety
Thus far I had not caught sight of
the man on whose capture my life de-
pended, but now the wood grew thin
ner, and occasionally got glimpse of
figure already darling around the
trunks of the trees, occasionally jump
ing fallen log. The mind is quick
and keen in danger, and it occurred to
me that when the pursuer came up
with me in this open space he could
shoot me. I cursed the moment that
had neglected to pick up the weapon
myself, not SO much that feared the
disadvantage which would come to me
when my pursuer should enter the more
open wood. but that the weapon would
have enabled me to bring down the
man I wanted.
A bullet fred from behind cut twig
over my head, and at the same time I
heard the crack of pistol. A moment
later I entered a newly plowed field
and saw my man ahead disappear be-
hind a barn. Beyond there was more
wood, fanksd by fields, but did not
see him enter either. was in the CEN
ter of the plowed field, stumbling over
the furrows-for I was getting exhaust
ed-When my man behind reached the
edge of the wood.
I felt something strike my arm, like
cluded it was a spent pistol ball. It
urged me on, and, reaching the barn,
I cast glance over the strip Of wood
beyond and it's lanking fields. 1 saw
no one. My blood was still hot for the
chase, but my heart was pounding and
my strength was exhausted. Catching
at a straw, 1 turned into the barn. In
the loft above 1 heard sounds as Of a
struggle. Climbing ladder, saw
sight that astonished me. A man had
another pinned to the floor by lying
upon him and holding wrist with
each of his own hands. "
"Help to arrest this man." cried the
one on top. "He has committed MUIR
der"
The man below relaxed his efforts
and in moment was passive between
us.
Explain" I said to the man I as