The National tribune., 1910-11-24

| to be hung, and the following morning
their bodies-frozen stiff, for it had
been q very cold night-were to be
seen swinging from limb of an old
elm tree that stood on little island
| in the brook just opposite and south of
Baxter place.. Ed. Zelliken's brewery
was subsequently built a little way
south and east of the old tree.
| After the old tree was so used by
| the Vigilance Committee some super
stitious croakers prophesied that the
old elm, whose bare limbs the wintry
winds were then whistling thru-would
never bear another green bud or leaf;
but / took notice that in the Spring it
was one of the earliest to leaf out,
and for years afterwards was as thrifty
/ as any tree in the neighboring timber.
The Capture of George Mizer.
George Mizer, an older brother of
the two just mentioned, and said to be
the worst one of bad lot, was absent
| from home, over on Neosho River,
about % miles west, at the time that
| Bill and Jim were arrested and hung.
He was wanted very badly by the COM
mittee, so a detail of half dozen men
were mounted and sent over to the
Neosho next morning after the hanging
! of his brothers to look him up and
/ take him in before he had heard the
news
Willard himself went in charge Of
! this party. When the vigilants reached
the house of a Mr.. Tenant, on the Ne
osho, where George MiZer was sup
posed to be, on inquiry they were told
| that he had gone to a eighboring
country church with young lady of
the family, and as it was then about
noon, the folks said he would soon be
back.
Knowing his reputation as a bad
man, and that he would naturally get
suspicious on approaching the house
to see a lot of men and horses there.
and to forestall any attempt of the
family to convey warning to him, two
of the yigilants (Willard and Wash.
Davis, i think) decided to leave their
horses with the other men at the
house, walk up the road to meet Mizer
and his girl, and, taking him by sur
prise, arrest him before he had a hint
of their intentions. And this they sue
cessfully carried out.
On meeting Mizer and the girl the
! two men, who were strangers to him,
bowed to the pair in common saluta-
ton and separated, one going on each
| side of them, as tho to pass on, but as
! soon as they had cleared the couple,
making an 'about-face" ana whipping
out their pistols, the vigilants sung out
that well-understood command:
Throw up your hands, Mizer!"
| Like all men of his class, Mizer
clearly comprehended the meaning of
the summons as quickly as 1t was ut
tered, and well knew that any motion
towards his pistols would be the signal
for his antagonists, who had the drop
! on him, to turn loose, so he promptly
complied with the demand. The young
lady gave a little scream, and very
sensibly stepped off to one side.
Warning Mizer to. stand perfectly
still and not lower a hand or turn
around, one of our men kept him COW
cred with his pistol, while the other
stepped up behind the outlaw and re-
lieved him of his belt and a pair of
Colts nayies. Then, ordering him TO
lower his hands and reach them be-
hind him, they tied him securely. Our
men then apologized to the young lady
for their necessary rudeness, and the
party continued their walk to the
house.
Mizer seemed much surprised at first,
and asked: What's this for? What's
up?" But was only answered: You
are wanted at Baxter Springs, and we
were sent out to bring you in"
This seemed to make him feel more
at ease, for he knew he had plenty OF
friends about Baxter, and probably
supposing that he was to be tried on
some charge before a common Justice
of the Peace, and feeling confident tha,
no matter what the accusation he could
prove an alibi, as usual, he went along
with apparent willingness; still, how
ever, trying to pump our men as tc
the charges against him, who his ac.
Icusers were, etc, but they would tell
him nothing more.
After getting dinner and horses fed
lat Tenants house-releasing the pris-