The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-04-29

T st have been robbed" At
the same moment the two
toughs started to leap from the car steps.
Capt Bill seized one of the men and
called to the other to halt The man de-
tanned made attempt to strike his cap
tor, who promptly 'bent" his gun over his
head-mildly at first, then with force, bring
ing the offender to his knees The Ranger
captain now pulled the bell cord, brought the
train to a standstill turned his prisoner
over to a policeman who had appeared on
the scene, and set out in pursuit of the other
thief, who by this time had obtained healthy
start.
Capt. Bill is built like greyhound,
with long hind legs, and a PROV de-
signed for splitting the wind The thief
was active, and making good time,
but he was no match for a Ranger
of that architecture The distance be-
tween them closed up rapidly, and presently
the fugitive having reached what is known as
'Niggertown," dived into one of the houses,
causing a regular stampede among the inhabi-
tants. Men, women, and rabble of little pick
aninnies fell out in every direction. Capt. Bill,
now close behind, added to the excitement as
he plunged In only to find the room vacant. A
quilt, however, hung across a second doorway,
and stepping over to it, his sixshooter ready
for emergency he drew the hanging quickly
aside. AS he did So he was confronted by
man standing on chair, holding in his hand
a bottle filled with some transparent liquid
which he in the act Of throwing The
crack of McDonald's revolver was followed by
such sudden collapse of the would-be vitrio
thrower, that the Ranger captain thought he
had wounded him seriously, though his inten-
ton had been merely to disable the arm in
action. Investigation showed, however, that
the thief was only frightened; that thesball had
grazed his arm, also his ear, cutting hole
through the rim of his hat.
Securing the vitriol as evidence, Capt. Bill
marched his man back to where he had left
thief Number One, only to find that the mex
perienced policeman had allowed him to es
cape He did not trust him with his second
capture, but personally him safely locked
up, and then set out for home by the next
train.
Not long after, package arrived one day in
Amarillo and upon being opened, it was found
to contain handsome gold medal, contributed
by a prominent jeweler and others of Fort
Worth
This decoration was engraved with Capt.
McDonald's name and official title; and an &C
conpanying letter stated that it was awarded
as token of appreciation of his efforts in
bringing criminals to justice, and as pre-
MUM for his superior swiftness of foot.
1t was during the Panhandle period that
Charles A. Culberson-son of the Dave Gull
person VINO nearly 81 years DeIOTe udu Cicdiou
the boy, Bill Jess Mcdonald, from a charge OF
treason-was attorney general for the state of
Texas Capt Bill was at Quanah, one day, when
he received notice from Culberson that the lat
ter was anxious to locate the Tooth meridian,
preliminary to beginning suit against the
United States to test the claim made by
Texas for Greer county-now- a portion of
Oklahoma. The attorney general invited Capt.
Bill to accompany him as guide and body
kpou i'm tO he
district and capable of taking care Of such an
expedition.
They left the railroad at Vernon, Willbarger
county, proceeded in a blackboard to Doan's
Store on the Red river, and crossed over into
Greer county 1t was a pleasant drive across
the prairies and Capt Bill, who felt in good
practice, beguiled the time by bringing down
prairie-dogs, running rabbits, sailing hawks and
the like, using his six-shooter with one hand
and his winchester with the other, riding along
as they were, without stopping. To Culberson,
this performance was amazing enough.
CAPTAIN" he said, that beats anything I
ever saw. Why, l believe you could throw-a
nickel up in the air and hit it before it touched
the ground"
Mcdonald smiled in his quiet way.
do you think SOP" he said. 'Well, reckon
I might but 1 wouldn't want to waste nickel
that way"
Capt. Bill then gave few exhibitions of
what he really could do in the way of shoot
ing and Culberson declared without hesita-
ton that there was not such another marks
man in the state of Texas. The attorney gen.
eral was enjoying himself immensely.
They camped that night, and next morning
were continuing their journey toward Mangum,
the county seat of Greer, when they began to
meet men and women on horseback, evidently
getting out of that section of the country with
out much waste Of time. Capt. Bill inquired
the reason of this exodus and was told cow
boy had killed an Indian over the North
Fork of the Red, and that the Indians were
getting on their war-paint, preparatory to ma
king a raid-Comanches and Kiowas.
General" said Capt. Bill, "Pll have to look
into this thing. You can go to Mangum
with the team and I'll get me horse and go
over and take a hand in this trouble"
mot at ALL" said Culberson. you've under
taken to see me through this trip and I'm not
going to let you desert, now, Indians or no In
dians." =
"But I'VE got to, general. This here's
a pleasure trip, and that's business. Them
devils are goin' to start something over there
md it's my duty as Ranger to investigate It,"
Culberson laughed.
Nov, captain" he said, ''you know very well
that all you want is to get over there where
there's chance to give shooting exhibition.
You've got tired of hawks and prairiedogs and
want to try your hand on Indians"
new arrival just then furnished the infor-
nation that the offending cowboy had been
jailed at Mangum. and that the Indians were
likely to storm the JAIL This settled the mat
ter, for Ranger duty and inclination now lay
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