The new era., 1910-06-09

to shoot him in the dark However, he
went, sx-shooter in hand. and sticking it
In the face of the caller, demanded his business.
The man protested that he meant no harm, but
had come from Buck Holley, who lived two
miles down the road. and said he knew Captain
Mcdonald and wanted to see him. The Ranger
captain reflected minute.
81 don't know any Buck Holley." he said.
'I knew scoundrel by the name Of Bill Holley
some years ago up in the Panhandle and If that
is who it is don't want to see him. Judge
you fellows have got a gang down the road
there to shoot me from ambush. Who are you.
anyway"
The said his name Monasco; that
he staying at Holley's and that he had a
brother named Bill Monasco. in Amarillo.
81 know Bill Monasco" Mcdonald said, "and
he has brother that sent to the peniten-
tary. Is that you?"
The visitor acknowledged that he was the
man-that he had been recently released
WELL" said Mcdonald that's about the
kind of crowd would expect to find Bill Hol-
ley running with and you tell this Buck
Holley you call him. that suspect him of
being connected with this mob and that used
to make him stand hitched in the Panhandle,
and that I'm going to do the same here"
Monasco said Good night" and Captain Nc
Donald never him again. Somewhat later.
when he met Bill Holley he said:
Look here. Bill, I'm afraid your partner,
night came. l said didn't know Buck Holley,
but that knew sorry, buldozing scoundrel
by the name Of Bill Holley and that supposed
he was down the road there to take shot at me
from ambush. You weren't in this lynching
mob. l reckon but they're your friends, and
you'd help 'em II you could. Now, Bill, you've
been counting funeral good WHILE and If you
try any Of your nonsense here. you'll win out"
The Ranger captain was out early the morn
ing after his arrival in Aley and on the trail.
The tracks of the five horses were followed to
the houses Of Joe Wilkerson and his son Brooks
and to the homes of John and Arthur Greenhaw.
In Joe Wilkersons lot he found a part of a we'll
rope. the remainder of which had been cut away
1t matched precisely with the rope used to hang
the Humphreys-the freshly cut ends being the
same on both. The Wilkersons and one of the
Greenhaws were taken into custody forthwith
and other arrests followed the criminals were
tracked home
The testimony brought out the facts that
the Humphreys had known of an Illicit still run
by two men-one Polk Weeks and man named
Johns Also that they had known of John
Greenhaw stealing cattle and hogs, and that
John Greenhaw had once drawn a gun on the
elder Humphrey. who had promptly taken it
away from him. instead of killing him with It
and rendering the community service. These
things. added to the other provocations already
named had made the Humphreys sufficiently
unpopular In a neighborhood like the Trans
cedar bottoms to warrant their being hung to a
limb. trussed up to swing clear of the ground.
Guilty knowledge of the crime actually killed
a man named Eli Sparks whose conscience tor.
tured him day and night to the point of giving
testimony, yet whose fears upon the witness
stand caused him to withhold the truth He
was large redfaced man. evidently greatly ex.
cited when questioned and concealing more than
he told. Soon after his first examination he met
Captain Mcdonald and offered to testify again
saying that he had been too frightened to tell
the truth the first time, but thought he could
do better now. The Ranger captain scrutinized
him keenly and made the prophecy that Ell
Sparks would not live 80 days, unless he got
rid of the load on his conscience He died in
just half that time; not however until he had
fully confessed.
The efforts of the men believed to be con-
cerned as principals in the crime, to establish
their innocence were sometimes wary soma
times crudely absurd and always fruitless Tho
mesh OF 1act that was weaving and linking itself
about them became daily more tightly woven
more impossible to tear away. Knowing them
selves closely watched. they dared not attempt
flight. To do SO would be to confess p,,iIt ana
capture would be wel-nigh certain Ijke Aboh
having compassed the death of a negbbor tbov
lay In sackcloth and went softly" Finally Il
came to pass that three of these children ~
Belial. turned states evidence-that is. thew
confessed 1uiy. sacrificing their comrades, un.
der the law, to save themselves. Eleven men
including these three. were brought to tria,
In the final trial John and Arthur Greenbaw
and Polk Weeks who were not only murderers
but cowardly traitors. were given their freedom
In exchange for their evidence that sent their
eight associates to the penitentiary for life.
POLK weeks. in giving his evidence. appeared
much disturbed but confessed how bo hoa
climbed the tree and tied the ropes. and tied
them too long. making 1t necessary for the
legs of the Humphreys to be bent upward to
clear the ground. John Greenhaw corroborated
this, but grinned as he told 1t. remembering how
amusing 1t mad been He did not live to enjoy
his freedom for he was shot dead soon aftor
his liberation, by Willie Humphrey son of one
Of the younger Humphreys. and no nunishmant