The San Francisco call., 1910-11-06
APTAN Bill MCDONALD
,RANGER CHIEF.

without hitting this man. As he ala
so the sheriff fred. the ball entering
the rangers shoulder and plowing It's
way to the small OF his back. Despite
this terrible wound he reached Ma
thews and knocked up his gun before
another shot could be fred Then he
sent home a bullet by a different route
than that toward the heart and the
sheriff collapsed. In the meantime the
associates OF the sheriff had been mer-
rily fusiIIading, and the ranger had re-
caived two additional wounds. But
when the sheriff fell his associates fed
and Captain Bill found bis way TO -
drua store In two months he was a.
rood as new. That was in 1895, and
he has fought q score OF battles since
that were no less vigorous.
There Is the business OF handling
mobs and strikes that has recently
come to be a part Of the work OF the
ranger It would seem that masses OF
men would be hard to influence by so
small a force. But mo man in the
wrong can stand up against the fellow
that's IN the right and keeps a-cOmin'.~
And the people OF Texas know a ranger
will keep coming. So. some years sgC,
when a mob had surrounded a jail az
wichita Falls. and was about 70 take
out and lynch a prisoner, a single
ranger rode up and ordered the "scOun-
the first man who batted an eye Re
had the drop on the crowd and no man
cared to take a chance, for a mob is
not greatly interested in doing the
thing II sets out FOR, and the right sort
OF determination easily dominates il.
Captain Bill went TO Thurber. where
there are coal mines and foreign work
men. A strike was on. Professional
labor agitators were among the men
stirring them to strife. There was a
rendezvous on a hill back Of town and
many kegs Of beer were sent out one
evening. The men imbibed freely and
listened to infiammatory speeches.
Finally the drebrand OF the organiza-
tion considered the time right for in
citing the strikers to desperate deeds.
He had worked them up TO frenzy and
finally came out with the plan he had
been nursing-that OF blowing up the
works.
Captain Bill had been mingling with
the throng unobserved- He edged his
way to the front and at the dramatic
moment climbed upon the platform Oc-
cupied by the agftator.
"I am Captain Mcdonald OF the
rangers" he said. and I am here to
handle just such men as this scoundreI
who has been talking to you Men, he
Is your worst enemy. He has been In
citing you to murder, and that means
that you will be sent to the peniten-
ing to do such foolish things. I am
going to run this rascal out OF town,
and you are going to discuss your Diff
ferences sensibly."
The agitator did leave town and the
miners and the company patched up
their troubles.
There was thu Buzzard water hole
murder mob over in San Saba county
near the great swamp. 1t held meet
ing once a month and decided whom It
would murder. The mob was in control
OF the community. and murder proved
interesting to it. Thirty-four victims
were already charged up to II. Captain
Mcdonald and five rangers went into
San Saba The mob had a store there
that it used as a rendezvous. A man by
the name OF Ogle was the leader.
Mcdonald walked into this store.
where a score OF the desperadoes had
congregated and were talking over the
arrival OF his men. He went alone. He
talked up to Ogle and said:
Come out into the street. I want to
talk to you"
He took him by the shoulder and
marched him out He stopped IN the
middle OF the street. where he could
guard against attack. and told the
leader that he was a contemplate mur-
derous coward and that he was going
to be brought to the gallows. The mur-
derer was familiar with the determine
tion OF the rangers. and thought his
time had come. He lost his courage and
became so frightened that he could no
longer stand and sat in the sand OF the
street
Mcdonald told him to get his asso-
ciares aud their guns and get ready to
fight, for they were going to be cleaned
out But the heart OF the gang was
broken, and its members pur up no
semblance Of nervy fight and were
soon all rounded In.
A thousand men have asked defni-
ton of the quality that dominates and
enables these few rangers to subdus the
multitude of lawlessness that a great
state like Texas harbors- That the
rangers are right and keep a-cOmin'
seems the best answer so far advanced
This is probably supplemented by that
reverence that every human holds for
unquestioned courage. That bravery
that never quavers in the face OF death
is everywhere paid It's tribute. So long
have the rangers shown that courage
that 1t has come TO be regarded an q
part Of them and carries with a force
that Is greater than many rideA