Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-22
Alistellaaeuus 8eadiag.
OFFICERS WHO MEANT BUSINESS
When They Went After Outlaws They
Got Them.

When They Went After Outlaws They
Got Them.
There was no task calling for more
courage and grit, says writer in the
New York Herald, than to go after
and get a bad man" in the early
Kansas days. The sheriffs Of those
days were chosen for their ability to
make the law respected In fact, the
whole tenor of frontier civilization was
the dignifying of the law. That is the
philosophy of progress.
Most Of these sheriffs were quiet
men, who went about their duties in
an earnest and silent way; who de-
termined upon line Of action and pro-
ceeded without hesitation to carry 1t out.
There was no fuss or feathers, no press
agent work. 1t was simply business,
done quickly, faithfully and bravely.
And the best of these stories are
usually hidden away. The principal
actors in them won't tell the stories.
|
things after the occurrence as before.
A Marion county old timer told a
fine story of how Samuel T. Howe,
now chairman of the state tax commits
sion. while sheriff of Marion county,
went after and got bad man" and
brought him home. He had to go into
the Ozark Businesses Of Missouri, but
he got him.
Mr.. Howe is very quiet, studious
man who works hard all week on the
problems of the tax commission, one OF
the states most important offices. and
finds his recreation and pleasure In
books of philosophy and history. Many
men skim" those subjects, but Samuel
Howe has broken through the several
stratas of that study and has become
a student instead Of a mere reader.
And you who have tried it know there
Is difference.
Told To "Get Him."
This incident occurred back in 1874.
Just at the close of Howes first term
as sheriff of Marion county. There
was q charge of horse stealing against
a man named Wilson Dodson, and
Dodson was at large.
Get him." said the court.
Mr.. Howe quietly got busy and
found that Dodson had gone back to
his home in the Missouri Ozarks. Gov
ernor Osborne obtained a requisition
from Governor Woodson of Missouri,
for Dodson. Howe had been elected
for a second term, but had not yet filed
his bond. The county commissioners
told him to look after the bond when
he got back.
Howe went to jefferson City to get
a warrant from the governors office
for his man, who was in Wright coun-
ty. He got off the train at Marshfield
and the deputy sheriff Of Webster
county drove him to Wright county. 1t
was a long drive Of twenty-five miles
over into the Ozark mountains. At
Hartville, in Wright county, Howe
hunted up the sheriff and told him his
mission.
You will probably find Dodson at
his grandfather's, a mile and half out
in the country" said the sheriff Of
Wright county. IF not there. you will
locate MIN at his fathers, about four
miles out. Dodson is bad man and
you had better take posse with you"
Eight Men In Posse.
So eight men were gathered up into
a posse and they started for the
grandfather's house. But their man
was not there, and they went on out
to the fathers farm. When about a
quarter of mile from the house they
hitcned their horses and crept up to
the place and surrounded it, four men
at the back and four at the front
Howe knocked on the door, who's
there?" asked Dodson's father.
He was told and also that the posse
wanted Wilson Dodson to be taken
back to Marion county, Kan, on the
charge of horse stealing.
Get out of the way, dad" shouted
Wilson Dodson. Duck for cover.
They won't take me alive"
A big blacksmith was in the posse,
and as soon as he heard the reply he
smashed his shoulder against the door.
BY repeating that kind Of louge he
knocked the door off it's lock and one
hinge and it broke about half way
open.
Instantly a bunch of shots came out
of the house. Wilson Dodson had in
trenched himself behind trundle bed,
close to the back door. He was armed
with two revoivers and two rifles, all
fully loaded.
One member of the posse staggered
and retreated, the blood streaming
from his face The other three at the
front of the house started for the door,
pouring in their bullets.
Taken From the Rear.
From the rear of the house came
crash, as the other four members
smashed down the back door with a
small log, transformed into a batter
ing ram. The door toppled over on
Wilson Dodson and smashed him
against the trundle bed.
BY that time Howe and the two men
with him were inside the house and had
thrown themselves upon the outlaw.
He had emptied both revolverS and
was just getting his rifles into action.
Dodson's father and sisters were
screaming and yelling from their hid
ing places. The old man was on his
knees praying The outlaw was tied
and taken out of the house.
The posse went out to look for the
wounded man. He had bullet under
his eye and was seriously wounded
The posse hurried tine prisoner and
wounded man back to Hartville. Howe
sat up all night with the man who was