The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-06-02


went sx.shootor in hand and sticking 1t
in the face OF the caller. demanded his business
The man protested that he meant no HARM but
had come from one Buck Holley, who lived two
miles down the road. ard said he knew Captain
Mcdonald and wanted to see him. The Ranger
captain reflected a minute
Il don't know any Buck Hoey." he said.
Il knew scoundrel by the name OF Bill Iioley
some years ago up in the Panhandle and II that
IS who it is don't want TO see him fudge
you fellows have got a gang down the road
there to shoot me from ambush Who are you.
anyway"
The man said his name was Munasco that
he was staying at IIolleys and that he had
brother named Bill Monasco, in Amarillo.
Il know Bill Monasco" Mcdonald said. "and
he has brother that was sent TO the peniten.
tiary. Is that your"
Tho visitor acknowledged that he was the
man-that he had been recently released
Well" said Mcdonald. that's about the
kind OF a crowd would expect to find Bill Iol
icy running with. and you can tell this Buck
iioIIey as you call him, that I suspect him Of
oein6 connected with this mob and that used
10 make him stand hitched in the Panhandle
ana that I'm going to do the same here"
Monasco said Good night" and Captain Nc
bohalu never saw him 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 sent the
night came said didn't know Buck IIolley
but that | knew n sorry buldozing scoundrel
by the name Of Bill Holley and that supposed
he was down the road there to take n shot at me
from ambush. You weren't in this lynching
MOD reckon, but they're your friends and
youd help EN- IL you could Now Bill you've
been counting funeral good while and IL you
Try any OF your nonsense here, you'll win out"
Inc Ranger captain was out early the morn.
Ing after his arrival in Alley, and on the trail.
The tracks Of the five horses were followed IN
the houses OF Joe Wilkerson and his son Brooks
ana to the homes Of John and Arthur Greenbaw
In Joe Wilkerson's lot he found part of n we'll
rope the remainder OF which had been cut away
IL matched precisely with the rome used to hang
the Humphreys-the freshly cut ends being the
same on both, The Wikersons and one Of tho
Greenhaws were taken into custody forthwith
and other arrests followed as the criminals vera
tracked home.
The testimony brought out the facts tba.
the Humphreys had known of an Illicit still run
by two men-one Polk Weeks and n man named
Johns. Also that they had known OF Iobn
Greenhaw stealing cattle and hogs, and that
Johh Greenhaw had once drawn a gun nm the
eiuer humphrey who had promptly taken IL
away from him, instead OF killing him with n
ana rendering the community service. These
hihgs 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 IN n
limb trussed up to swing clear of the ground
Guilty knowledge OF the crime actually killed
a man named Eli Sparks, whose conscience tor,
tured him day and night to the poIpt of eivipc
testimony yet whose fears upon the witness
s'ahd caused him to withhold the truth Ha
was large. red.faced man. evidently greatly ex
cited when questioned and concealing mora tbor
ne told Soon after his first examination no mot
captain Mcdonald and offered to testify again,
saying mat he had been too frightened to tell
.ne uu'" the Hrst time. but thought he could
40 better now. The Ranger CAPTAIN scrutinI,ed
MN keenly and made the nropbecv tbo, NJ, |
SPARKS would not live 80 days unIass bo on,
rlo OF the load on his conscience He dioa On |
Just half that time: not. however. until be had
fully confessed ''' "e ""u
me EFFORTS OF the men believed IN bo oo,.
cerhed as principals in the crime IN o.t.hIiat |
IT,. nnocehce were sometimes wary some. |
tunes crudely absurd and always frujtless Tbo |
ahn, VI iact tiat was weaving and linking itself
n,ora , n became daily more tightly woven.
more impossible to tear away Knou,,r ,tan
serves closely watched, they dared not ottamnt !
night To do so would be to confesa o,,,,. Up |
capture would be well-nigh certain. Like Abah |
." cohpassed the death of a neIgbbor tho, |
iay III sackcloth and went softly" FINAL, !, |
came 10 pass that three Of these "cbiIdren ~
e ne, turned states evidence-that is, tber
sohiessea iuily, sacrificing their comrades M
der the law, to save themselves E,a',u eS, un'
including these three were brought to trial
In the final trial John and Artbu. cro..,
ana FOLK Weeks, who were not only pourdarar.
ou' cowardly traitors. were given heir freoao,,'
IN exchange for their evidence that sent ,to,a
's% po, associates to the penitentiary for life
roik weeks. In giving his evidence. anna,.os
much disturbed. but confessed bow appeared
cninoed the tree and tied the ropes md t naa
,hen 700 long, making 1t necessary for tsu
less OF the Humphreys to be bent ,,nwora ~. 10
e .n the ground. John Greenhaw corrobora,a 20
ams Gus s :, as he told It, remembering how
1t had been. He did not live ~ , ~"
MS freedom. for he was shot deaa soo ~ enJoy
ms ~, liberation, by Willie Humphrey. son q, ona
OF tne younger Humphreys, and no nnr,. =, one
followed the righteous act. 'DA''Hnent