St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-06-18


tested, declaring that it might be plot
to shoot him in the dark. However, he
went, six-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
Il don't know any Buck Holey," he said.
81 knew scoundrel by the name of Bill Holley
some years ago up in the Panhandle and If that
is who it is I don't want to see him. I Judge
you fellows have got gang down the road
there to shoot me from ambush. Who are YOU
anyway"
The man said his name was Monasco; that
he was staying at Holleys and that he had a
brother named Bill Monasco, in Amarillo
Il know Bill Monaseo" Mcdonald said, land
he has brother that was sent to the peniten-
tiary. 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 1 would expect to find Bill Hol-
ley running with, and you can tell this Buck
Holley, as you call him, that suspect him of
being connected with this mob and that l 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.
DoHaiO never saw MIN again. Somewhat later
when he met Bill Holey, he said:
Look here, Bill. I'm afraid your partner
Monasco, didn't tell you the message I sent the
night came. I said didn't know Buck Holley
out That l knew a sorry, bulldozing scoundrel
by the name of Bill Holley, and that supposed
ne 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 if you could. Now, Bill, you've
4fyo0
try any OF your nonsense here, you'll win out"
The Ranger captain out early the morn
ing after his arrival in Alley, 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 Wilkerson's lot he found part of 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 Wikersons and one of the
GreenhaWs were taken into custody forthwith
and other arrests followed as the criminals were
tracked home.
The testimony brought out the facts that
the Humphreys had known of 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
Jonn GreenhaW had once drawn gun on the
elder Humphrey, who had promptly taken it
away from him. instead of killing him with il
and rendering the community service These
THINGS added to the other provocations already
named, mad made the Humphreys sufficiently
unpopular In neighborhood like the Trans
cedar bottoms to warrant their being hung to
limb trussed up to swing clear of the ground
Guilty knowledge OF the crime actually killed
man named Eli Sparks, whose conscience tor.
tured MIN day and night to the point of giving
testimony, yet whose fears upon the witness
stand c9nSnd ia
was large, red-faced man, evidently greatly ex-
cited when questioned and concealing more than
ne 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 cou,d
do better now. The Ranger captain scrutinized
MN keenly and made the prophecy that ELI
SPARKS would not live 30 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 IN be m,
cerned as principals in the crime, to establish
tneii Innocence were sometimes wary some. |
tines crudeiy absurd and always fruitless Tho |
mesh OF TACT that was weaving and linking itself
aoou' tnem became daily more tightly woven.
nioie llnpossiole 10 tear away. Knowing them. |
s s9, closely watched, they dared not ATTEMPT
Hight To do so would be to confess eui,t .na
capture would be well-nigh certain. Like Abah
having comprised the death of neighbor theu |
lay IN sackcloth and went softly" Finally T.
came TO pass that three of these children ~
benal' turned states evidence-that is tbev
confessed fully, sacrificing their comrades I'm.
DER the law, to save themselves Eleven mon
including these three, were brought to trial
In the final trial John and Arthur croonh.n,
and Polk Weeks. who were not only murderers
out coWardly traitors, were given their freedom
IN exchange for their evidence that sent thoi.
eight associates to the penitentiary for life
FOLK weeks in giving his evidence, appeared
m 1 disturbed but confessed how he had
climbed the tree and tied the ropes and tiaa
them too long making it necessary for tho
legs OF the Humphreys to be bent upward ~
clear the ground John Greenhaw corrohoro+ea
this, but grnned he told it. rememheriner 49,.
amusing it had been. He did not live to eniov
MS freedom, for he was shot dead soon after
his liberation, by Willie Humphrey, son q, ona
OF the younger Humphreys and no punishment
followed the righteous act.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |.
ear the weight against the entfc;no 60 uo,..,