The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-01-07
TEXAS RANGER WHO PROBED RACE RIOTS He ReSents Alleged SIurs of
 Senator Foraker A PICTURESQUE FIGURE Captain Bill Mcdonald Is Without Fear and Has Spent Practically All
 His Life on Frontler-Des-
 perate Encounters.


 other day as that Captain Mcdonald" in Major Blocksoms report on the Brownsville riot as the man who would "charge hell with a bucket of water" Captain Mcdonald does not say that he would make any trouble for Senator For aker when he meets him, but the cold glitter in his steel-blue eyes when he refers to the Ohio senator does not indi- cate that 1t would be an altogether pleas ant meeting.
 Captain Mcdonald is said to know more about the Brownsville affair than any of those who investigated 1t. He was sent there by Governor Lanham as soon as it occurred and spent some time mak ing personal inquiry into the trouble. As a direct result of his research twelve negro soldiers were arrested on the charge of being implicated in the shooting up of the town, in which one man was killed and another wounded. Captain Mcdonald made a written report of his findings to Governor Lanham and to President Roosevelt.
 Big Texas Ranger.
 Captain Mcdonald is the most noted peace ODlCeT III the SOuIlWtSl. I1t Has been commander of a company of Texas rangers for nearly twenty years, and dur ing that period he has experienced many thrilling encounters with desperate men. Only a few weeks ago he and three mem bers of his company were riding along a. road near Rio Grande City when they were fired upon by Mexicans In ambush Captain Mcdonald and his men returned the fire in the darkness, being guided in their aim by the flashes of the guns of the attacking party. They killed four Mexicans and wounded others. Captain Mcdonald has killed a number of men while in the performance of his duty as an officer of the law. He Is literally "shot to pieces,' but he is still as 1.-the and ac- tive as boy. He is never unarmed. Day and night he wears a big 45, and one of the latest improved automatic pistols. He sleeps with both these pistols by his side, whether in a hotel in town or in camp in some remote and dangerous locality of the border region. He says that he never knows when he may need them.
 Life on the Frontier.
 Practically all of Captain McDonald's s life has been spent upon the frontier. He trailed Indians and hunted buffalo upon the plains of Texas forty years ago. He has a record for coolness and bravery that Is almost unequaled.
 IeH ytdIS dBO 0dpldln HClOHdiu a pistol duel with Sheriff Joe Matthews of Childress county, and two deputies at Quanah. He killed Sheriff Matthews and was himself wounded almost to death The two men had trouble over who should have custody of prisoner whom Captain Mcdonald had arrested in an adjoining county. Sheriff Matthews and two depu- ties came to Quanah with the avowed in- tention of killing Mcdonald. The latter heard of this threat and was prepared for trouble. Matthews and Mcdonald met upon the public square and both pulled their pistols. Matthews got in the first shot, the bullet going through McDonalds s right lung. They were within ten feet of each other. but the force of the bullet and the terrible wound did not floor Me Donald. He fired at Matthews and the bullet struck a piece of plug tobacco and a thick notebook that shielded Matthews's heart The two men fired the second shots simultaneously Matthews was struck near the heart and he fell to the ground unconscious. Mcdonald was hit on the right side and the bullet ranged upward and came out at the neck. While Matthews and Mcdonald were having this duel the two deputies of Matthews were shooting at Mcdonald at close range, but all of their bullets went wild.
 Tended to the Deputies.
 When Mcdonald saw that he had killed Matthews he turned his attention to the two deputies. He fired at them as they fled down the street and he then sank down unconscious. He was a long time recovering from the wounds he received.
 Seven years ago John and George Hum phries, two white farmers who lived in the "trans-cedar' country in the north eastern part of the state, were lynched one night by party of unknown men. Governor Savers sent Captain Mcdonald to the scene of the crime with instruc- tions to discover if possible, the guilty parties and to arrest them. Alone and unaided Captain Mcdonald arrested twelve of the most desperate men. of that community and was successful in estab- fishing the guilt of all of them. They were sentenced to long terms of impris- onment. In hunting up evidence against these men he travelled about the country and visited them at their homes alone. He received number of threats against his life. but he paid no attention to them.
 It was through the individual efforts of Captain Mcdonald that the notorious Reese-Townsend fued, which caused many killings in Colorado and Bastrop counties, was broken up. On one occa- sion when the members of these oppos- ing factions. numbering more than 100 men, were drawn up in fighting array at Columbus Captain McDonald walked up to them and ordered them to deliver over their arms to him. The crowd demurred at first and he had to knock one of the more obstreperous objectors to his order down with a gun. He searched every member of both factions and took all of their guns and knives away from them At another threatened outbreak of these same feudists few months later at Bas- trop he performed similar service
 Foe to smueglers.
 Captain Mcdonald has hunted down many desperate robbers and smugglers along the Rio Grande He was also sta toned in the pan handle for several years and it was through his active work that that part of the state was rid of the bands of cattle and horse thieves who formerly made 1t their rendezvous He had many fights with these outlaws. He left the town of Qnanah one day on the trail of a notorious criminal who was badly wanted in different parts of the state for murder and robbery He fol- stopping only an hour or two at a time to get little sleep and give his horse its needed rest. He finally overlook his man in what was then known as No Mans Land," which is now part of Oklahoma. He found him in camp with four other men, who were also probably outlaws but Captain Mcdonald did not recognize them He was after this particular man. and he unhesitatingly dismounted at the camp and walked to where the men were sitting and told the fellow that he was his prisoner. Captain Mcdonald says that he expected every minute to-be shot be-