Amador ledger., 1906-08-17
ACriminal Chase
[Oris;inal.l

sound of wheels behind me- Then in
twinkling l heard report. The man,
who was within dozen yards of>me,
dropped. Naturally my first impulse
was to look about me, and, casting
quick glancess' saw a thin smoke
floating from behind tree to my right
After hesitating a moment in which
direction to turn ran forward to the
fallen man. Bright red blood was ooz-
ing from a wound in his left breast
and triclkling over his coat. !. Directly
behind me l heard a thud as of some
thing falling on -the1read and, turning
saw a 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 a sound
of cracking underbrush. The murder
er was about to escape, and 1 was
standing over his victim with a pistol
lying near l ran like a deer in the,
direction the cracking indicated, feel
ing that my escape from halter de-
pended upon my catching the murder
er. AS ran could occasionally hear
him. breaking his way through bushes
or over twigs. Then l heard a shout
behind me:
Halt or I'll firep'
1t all passed through my mind like q
flash. 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. 1t 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 course
would avail nothing. The murderer
would go on and 1 he left-with those
who would scorn my story while he
secured safety.%.@
Thus far 1 had not caught sight OF
the man on whose capture my life de
pended, but now the wood grew thin.
ner, and occasionally got a glimpse of
a figure already darling around the.
trunks 81. the trees, occasionally jump:
ing a fallen log. Tie mind is quick
and keen in danger, and 1t occurred TO
me that when the pursuel, ca me ,Jtp
with me in this open space he could
shoot me. / ehgsed he4rnement that
l had neglectedfe pickup the.weapoll
myself, not so much that feared the
disadvantage whichsWould come to me
svaen my pursuer should enter the more
open wood, buttliat the weapon: would
have enabled me to bring down the
man wanted. ~ So: h
"A bullet fred from behind cut,a twig.
over mythead, and at the same time i;
Eheantthe 'craeksef apist6l. A moment
later 1 entered newly plowed field
and saw my man ahead disappear be:
hind a barn. Beyond there was more;
wood, fanleed by fields, but I. did not
see him enter either was, in the cea-
ter of the plowed field, stumbling over
the burrows for T.was getting exhaust
ed-when my man behind reached the
edge of the wood.
l felt something strike my arm, like
a stone, but 1 felt no blood and con-
cluded it was a spent pistol ball. 1t
urged me on, and, reaching the barn,
| cast glance over the strip of wood.
beyond and it's f1anking 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 straw, turned into the Barn. In
the loft above heard sounds as of a
struggle. Climbing ladder, l. saw q
sight that astonished me- A man had
another pinned; to the floor by, lying
upon him and holding a wrist with
each of his own hands. | -" r..
Help to arrest this man." cried the
one on top. "He has committed MUIR
der" -
The man below relaxed his efforts
and in a moment was passive between
u.s.
Explain" 1 said to the man 1 as.
sisted.
Il was standing on the edge of the
wood when this mani suppose it was
/ he-fred at the man in the road. I
saw the victim fall and saw you 60 up
to him. Then l heard a sound in the
bushes, and, thinking it might be made.
by the man who had fired the shot, I
ran toward it. heard you coming be-
hind, and it occurred to me that if !
| didn't catch my man you would catch
me and l would be convicted of muir
der. He ran in here, and got him."
and l knew that if didn't catch
you would be convicted of murder"
| There was sound of some one be.
low and presently a hand holding a
revolver was thrust. up the trap, fol
lowed by mans head.
Don't shoot" I cried. We've got
him." -
''Thank heaven! He ran. away Just
as was driving up to the corpse, leav-
ing me to suffer for his crime, the vii
lainr
"After startling, I concluded 1 was in
for that" said the man I had followed.
Il was following you for my life" l
remarked.
you tarnal FOOLS" said our prisoner.
81 own this farm and was up here
THROWN down hay. Reckon yer mans
got away I saw him just now run
into the wood there"
ARTHUR TWEEDE.