Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-04-01
THE WHOLE TOWN TURNED
OUT TO RESCUE HIT.f

lance and the detective heaved a sigh
of relief and turned to his prisoner.
81 am afraid those friends of yours
will be disappointed by your leaving
them so suddenly" he said cheerfully.
HERES scowled vindictively.
"Ill make you pay for dragging an
innocent man about like this" was
his response. Murray only smiled, al,
though in his heart he realized that
he had greatly exceeded his official
powers He had not much doubt as to
the identity of his captive, but chance
r~esemblances play strange tricks
sometimes and if HERES turned out to
have a double, a very pretty legal tan,
gle was tolerably certain to ensue.
But having bluffed through matters at
the start, there was nothing better to
do than go straight ahead. Taking
more or less desperate chances had
come to be accepted by the philosophi,
cal Murray as all in the days work.
1t was late in the afternoon when
they drove into Royalton, a German
settlement Of about fifteen hundred
population, and crossing the town,
went directly to the railway station.
1t CHANGED that the telegraph operator
was a German and HERES no soone
became aware of this fact than he
made the most of it. He appealed to
the mar at the wire, speaking in the
language of the Fatherland, to send
a message stating that he had been
kidnapped by robbers. The operator
looked as though he believed him, and
his sympathetic attitude encouraged
HERES to yell aloud for aid, in Ger
man, hoping to attract an audience
who might be disposed to side with
him.
Save me, save mel" he shrieked
piercingly, Il am being kidnapped. l
will be murdered by these ruffians.
Help, good people, help!"
His frantic bowls had due effect and
reused the entire settlement. Sturdy
Germans gathered from all sides and
the crowd grew rapidly. Heres con.
tinued to yell with all the power of
his voice and lungs, and an angry, re-
sponsive murmur arose from the
crowd. Matters were beginning to look
serious, and Murray moved back
against the side of the station, keep,
ing the sch~ool-teacher beside him.
Get busy, Richardson, and keep
that crowd back" ordered the detec-
tive, but the deputy" was plainly
scared and would have nothing fur.
ther to do with the proceedings.
I'm through with this business
and resign as deputy marshal" he
said positively, and Murray saw that
he could expect no more aid from his
unwilling follower.
The crowd drew in closer. Also there
were fresh arrivals, mounted men with
red, angry faces who came galloping
into town, and 1t was evident that
these latter were farmers who had
followed the wagon trail In response
to their children's tale of the struggle
in the school-house. They dismounted
and addressed the assembled crowd
relating the story told by the children
The effect was alarming, for the crowd
surged forward with threatening
cries.
Murray had the shotgun and a re
volver, with another revolver In his
pocket. He discarded the shotgun and
drew a second revolver. All the while
the school-teacher kept h~aranguing the
crowd, begging them to rescue him
and lynch his captor- The angry
mob pressed yet closer and surrounded
the station, but hesitated before the
deadly pointing muzzles Of the revol
vers, backed by the glittering menace
of Murray's resolute eyes.
GIVE up that man; you Internal kid
naper," demanded one Of the leaders.
"The first man of you who puts ,
hand on him or me dies in his tracks,
was Murray's response.
Help, help, do not allow an limo
cent man to be taken away and muir
dered!' shrieked the schoolteachers
The crowd surged forward In re
Spouse to his appeal, and 1t was evi
, dent that this time they mean bust
] ness. Murray drew a deep breath an,
!, set his teeth. There was no though
Of yielding In his mind, although dealt
B was staring him In the face. On on,
. thing he decided; IL he went down I'm