The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-06-16

tested, declaring that it might be a plot
to shoot him in the dark However. he
went sixshooter 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 one Buck Holley, who lived two
miles down the road, and said he knew Captain
Mcdonald and wanted to see him. The Ranger
captain reflected a minute.
Il don't know any Buck Holley." he said.
81 knew a scoundrel by the name of Bill Holley
some years ago up in the Panhandle and if that
is who it is l don't want to see him. l Judge
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 Monasco; that
he was staying at Holleys and that he had
brother named Bill Monasco, in Amarillo.
q know Bill Monasco' Mcdonald said. and
he has brother that 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 I would expect to find Bill Hol-
ley running with, and you can tell this Buck
Holley. as you call him. that l suspect him of
being connected with this mob and that 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
Donald never saw him again Somewhat later,
when he met Bill Holley. he said:
Look here, Bill I'm afraid your partner,
Monasco. didn't tell you the message l sent the
night came. said didn't know Buck Holley,
but that | knew sorry. buldozing scoundrel
by the name of Bill Holley and that supposed
be was down the road there to take a shot at me
from ambush You weren't in this lynching
mob, reckon, but they're your friends, and
you'd help 'em if you could. Now Bill you've
been counting a funeral a good while and if you
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 to
the houses of Joe Wkerson and his son Brooks
and to the homes of John and Arthur Greenhaw
In Joe Wilkerson'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 hang
the HUmphrcys-the freshly cut ends being the
same on both. The Wilkersons 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
Z the Humphreys had known of an Illicit still run
by two men-one Polk Weeks and a man named
Johns. Also that they had known of John
Greenhaw stealing cattle and hogs and that
John Greenhaw had once drawn a gun on the
elder Humphrey, who had promptly taken it
away from him. instead of killing him with it
and rendering the community a service. These
things added to the other provocations already
named. had made the Humphreys sufficiently
unpopular in a neighborhood like the Trans
cedar bottoms to warrant their being hung to a
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 point of giving
testimony yet whose fears upon the witness
stand caused him to withhold the truth. He
was large red-faced man. evidently greatly ex.
cited when questioned and concealing more than
he 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 could
do better now. The Ranger captain scrutnizpd
MN keenly and made the prophecy that Eli
Sparks woTtd not live 80 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
Inc efforts Of the men believed to be con-
Cernea as principals in the crime, to establish
thelr innocence were sometimes wary soma.
times crudely absurd and always fruit1oss m
mesh or TACT that was weaving and linking itsa1f
ABOUT them became daily more tightly worop
more impossible TO tear away. Knowing tharn
serves closely watched, they dared not attannt
night To do so would be to confess orirt ord
capture would be well-nigh certain. Like Abah
OoHip"Sscu lhe death OF a neighbor they
lay III sackcloth and went SOFTLY" Finally -
came to pass that three of these children Of
BehaL' turned states evidence-that is thew
confessed fully, sacrificing their comrades mn.
der the law, to save themselves Eleven mon
including these three, were brought to trial
IN the final trial John and Arthur Greenbaw
ana FOLK weeks, who were not only murderers
but cowardly traitors were given their freedor,
IN exchange for their evidence that sent their
eight associates to the penitentiary for life
POLK Weeks, in giving his evidence. aDnoarod
much disturbed, but confessed how he had
embed the tree and tied the ropes and tod
them too long making it necessary for tbo
legs OF the Humphreys to be bent upward 70
clear the ground John Greenhaw corroborated
thls' but grinned as he told it, remembering how
amusing 1t had been. He did not live to enioy
his freedom. for he was shot dead soon after
his liberation, by Willie Humphrey. son of one
OF the younger Humphreys, and no punishment:
followed the righteous act