The Elbert County tribune., 1910-06-03


in the face of the caller demanded his business
The man protested that he meant s,io harm. bu
had come from one Buck Holley.s who lived two
miles down the road. and said he .knew Captain
Mcdonald and wanted to see him. The Ranger
captain reflected a minute .'
II don't know any Buck Holley =, he said
81 knew scoundrel by the name of Bill Holle,
some years ago up in the Panhandle and II tina
is who It Is don't want to see him / judg,
you fellows have got a gang down the roat
there to shoot me from ambush. Who you
anyway" -
The man said his name was Monasco; tina
he was staying at Holley's and that he had
brother named Bill Monasco, in Amarillo
u know Bill Monasco." Mcdonald said am
he has a brother that was sent to the penteh
tiary. Is that your" -
The visitor acknowledged that ehe was thu
man-that he had been recently, released. >"
We'll" said Mcdonald, that's about thu
Kind OF crowd would expect to find Bill uol
ley running with. and you. tell this Bucl
Holley. as you call him. that suspect him o
being connected with this mob and that use,
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
Donald never saw him again; Somewhat later
when he met Bill.Holleysnarsafd: ~.
Look here Bill. I'm afraid your partner
Monasco. didn't tell you the message sent th
night came l said didn't know Buck Holley
by the name of Bill Holey, and that suppose,
he was down the road there to take a shot at m,
from ambush. You weren't in this IynchinJ
mob. reckon, but they're~you friends. an,
you'd help 'em II you could. Now, BILL you,v,
been counting funeral good while, and II yo,
try any Of your nonsense here; you'll win out
The 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 L
the houses of Joe Wilkerspnand his son Brook
and to the homes of John and Arthur Greenhaw
In Joe Wkerson's lot he found part of a well
rope. the remainder of which had been cut away
1t matched precisely with the rope used to ham
the Humphreys-the freshly cut ends being tn
same on both The Wikersons and one of tn
Greenhaws were taken into custody forthwith
and other arrests followed the criminals wer
tracked home.
The testimony brought out the facts Tim
the Humphreys had known of an Illicit still RI,
by two men-one Polk Weeks and a: man name
Johns. Also that they had known of Joh
Greenhaw stealing cattle and hogs and tha
John Greenhaw had once drawn gun on tn
elder Humphrey, who had promptly taken
away from him. instead OF killing him with /
and rendering the community a service Thes
things. added to the other proyocations alread
named, had made the Humphreys sufficient
unpopular in neighborhood like the Trans
cedar bottoms to warrant their being hung to
hmb. trussed up to swing clear of the ground
man named Ell Sparks. whose conscience To,
tured him day and night to the point or giyin
testimony yet whose fears upon the witnes
stand caused him to withhold the truth. II
was large. red-faced man. evidently greatly e,
cited when questioned and concealng more tba
he told. Soon after his first examination he me
Captain Mcdonald and offered to testify agar
saying that he had been too frightened to tel
the truth the first time, but thought he rca,iI
40 better now The Ranger captain scrutnze
MN keeniy and made the prophecy that III
Sparks would not live 30 days unless be on
rid OF the load on his conscience He diad 4
Just half that time; not however until he ba
fully confessed. - -
The efforts of the men believed tn he cd,
cerned as principals in the crime to establia
.i en inhocehce were sometimes wary som,
tunes crudely absurd and always fruitIess Tb
mesh of fact that was weaving and Jink,na a., -,
about. them became daily more tightly wova,
more impossible to tear away Knowinp tban
serves closely watched, they dared not attefnr
hisht 10 DO SO would be to confess guilt an
s'. ap.uIe ~ouio oe weiinigh certain Like Ahat
having compassed the death of a neiebbor tba
lay In sackcloth and went SOFTLY" y, Fino,,,, !
came to pass that three of these "cbtIdra
Belial." turned states evidence-tbat 10 -, =
confessed fully. sacrificing their Comrades -,
uei .ne iaw' 10 save themselves Eleven mer
including these three. were brought to tria,
In the final trial John and Arthur Gresnha,
and Polk Weeks. who were not oniy sssn snna'
ou' cowardiy traitors. were given their freedo,
In exchange for their evidence that sent ~,
eisnt associates to the penitentiary for ife
FOLK Weeks. In giving his evidence. apnea,roe
much disturbed. but confessed bn,, Appeare y.
climbed the tree and tied the ropes. and t,a
,hem TOO long, making 1t necessary for N
legs OF the Humphreys to be bent ,,pwara = |,
clear the ground. John Greenhaw corrobors,s a
.nis, put gIinned as he told it, remembering bo,
amusing 1t had been. He did not live IN an,o
his freedom. for he was shot dead soon .yo a;s,
his liberation. by Willie Humphrey. son OF an
OF the younger Humphreys. and no punisbmeI