The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-10-16

his attempts at REFORM and, finally,
the change in the tide-the turn Of
the card-that ended his meteorlc
career. 1t is a story that is none the
less frank than thrilling, yet one that
almost curdles the blood and leaves
the impression that, after all, Robert
Louis Stevenson was, perhaps, mllder
in his treatment of DR.. Jekyll and MI.
Hyde than human nature itself.
Were Jesse James and the score OF
other outlaws of his ilk, who robbed,
pillaged and murdered in the early
days, alive, they might marvel at the
story Of Carl D. Sutherland, a modern
Dick Turpin, written before he en-
countered Capt. Auble, laid the fear,
less officer low with six shots fired in
rapid succession, then ran away to die
a few hours later by his own hand
1t was addressed to Jack Henderson
a private detective and guardian OF
| Westchester place, fashionable resi-
dental section Of Los Angeles, and
began:
Dear Sir.You will, no doubt, be
very much surprised to receive this
letter. In fact, you won't receive it al
all unless l, Carl D. Sutherland, alias
Joseph Palmer, alias Jack Ames, alias
Carl Sherwood, ETC., am dead.
THE reason that I write this letter
to you is because l was impressed
with your personality, and decided
that you were brave and an homes
man. In fact you looked a great dea
like my father, and if there ever was
a man that was the soul of honor, h
was.
Since | have been Is years of ag'
l have never yet seen the man | wa
in the least afraid Of, and yet | haV
met few whom | recognized as NOR
than my match. When | saw you
knew in a second a man that woul
rather take a man alive if possible
but that would take him If you wer
after him unless he was quicker tha
you with his gun and killed you.
Asks Aid for His Wife.
Liberty is far more dear to m
than life, and if l am ever taken
will be taken dead, and l leave 20
this and l beg you to do the best 20
can with it and if you can make an
money out Of it beg you to see tia
my poor little sick wife gets thir
or fourth of it. | know | can trus
YOU to do this, for | believe you to b
honorable and it is not more tina
right, for my wife is good, true, hol
est and Woodworking little woman;
lady by birth and nature and from
good old southern and Kentucky far
ily. She deserved a far better ma
than |.
when it is known that l am
outlaw, and have been most Of my lii
most every one will say: He's a BIZ
one, and that's all. I wish the wor
to know the truth, for there are a &C
tain few whom l want to know that
was not as bad as they are sure
paint me. If am killed I am sure
become notorious, as much OF my pa
is sure to crop out and my name
disgraced, and as that is the case
may as well have the truth told
just part, and maybe whole jugful
lies added to it"
After giving the place of his Dir
as Lamar, Barton county. Mo-, and t
date September 20, 1882, this remal
g able autobiography of Sutherland del
e with his family. 1t speaks Of his
D Their being fire marshal of Pittsbu
!" Kan, then deputy sheriff, and Of
1, relatives having fought in every "
@ this country has been engaged
d from ITS to the present time, exec
Y. the Spanish-American war"
t. Black Sheep of Family.
n "All have been honest--too hone
In in fact, but l." wrote the young bant
n 81 am the last of my race and the
~ black sheep. From delicate, tin
n and refined boy l grew into desp
6, ate young rascal, ready to shoot a
le man."
n Next is the account Of his meet
with Joe Palmer, alias Jack Wells,
notorious train robber. 1t was
D. turning point in Sutherland's yor
lie life; he chose the blacker side.
* cause Palmer had taken his
e, ! against "a big bully on farm in X
~ sas" Sutherland believed he OF