The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-02-01
FOUR-EYED JACK, TENDER
FOOT, A REAL BAD MAN.
Story of an Exciting Chase and Capture of Train
Robbers in Montana.-Battle Between
u. S. Marshals and Robbers.

ned faces bent in perplexed contem-
plation one night in 1894, is the set
ting of story in the Spokane
Spokesman-Review The lampllght
cleaned on steel work Of revolver
butss curving from holsters and
flickered along rifle barrels set handl-
" against the wall. Spurs jingled
as the men occasionally shifted posi-
ton. Rain beat heavily on the roof
and glistened down the Illuminated
square of window pane.
With their big, dripping hats push
ed back several Of the men eagerly
sorted scraps of paper from the
remnants of a torn-up letter piled in
the centre of the table. Palnstak-
ingly and not altogether in tame ST.
lence another of the number tried to
match these scraps on short piece
of board, pinning the pieces in place
when he found what seemed to be q
fit.
They looked like roomful OF
rough, healthy men absorbed for the
moment in freaky pastime, but each
face remained fixed in purposeful ex-
preston until the man with the
board announced his success by
reading out the name of John Chap
man" as the person to whom the let
ter had been addressed. Then each
looked at the other in comical query
and everybody laughed.
"Four-Eyed Jack" they chorused'
with the emphasis that resolves the
most solemn proposition into absur-
dity. But the letter piecing went
steadily on and the gayety simmered
down into a hum of shrewd question
and speculation.
The ranch house was situated near
Judith Gap, between the Show and
Belt mountains, and it was occupied
by J. c. Harrington, now a business
man of Spokane. His guests that
night comprised a posse under the
leadership of Sheriffs Ramsey, of
Yellowstone, and Conway, of Park
counties, each with following OF
resolute, impatient men from Bill
ings, Livingston and Big Timber,
hurriedly impressed into the pursuit
of three uncommonly nervy hold-ups
who had robbed the Northern Pa
cific train the night before just east
of Reeds Point. The robbers were
masked and the smallest of the three,
a boy in build and manner, held doz-
ems of passengers under the muzzles
of his revolvers while his companions
gathered in harvest that amounted
to several thousand dollars in cash
and jewelry. They also took a regis
tered mail sack, proceeding leisurely
in the taking. Many of the passen-
gers were as heavily armed as the
hold-ups, but the little fellow with
the big guns looked altogether too
business-Eke to trifle with over a
mere matter of being robbed.
With an expert trailer the posse
had followed the tracks Of the flying
three up into Judith Gap and there
they lost them, exactly as if the trio
had taken an aeroplane at this point.
In the search for footprints, however,
the keen-eyed riders noted torn
scraps of a letter scattered in the
grass, and these they gathered. 1t
had been windy the day before and
the scraps must have been dropped
since then, they reasoned otherwise
they would have blown away. AS
no other tracks led up to the place
but those they had followed, hence
the letter must have been discarded
by one of the gang whose trail they
were sure they were on. So they
came together that night at Earring
tons ranch to put together the let
ter and confront themselves with the
ridiculous possibility of "Four-Eyed
Jack" as a train robber.
Chapman had come into the coun-
try some time before. He brought
his spectacles with him and wore
chem constantly, by reason of which
he quickly acquired the nickname
suggestive of quadruple optics. 1t
was always used hilarously and never
had it aroused a symptom of resent
ment from Chapman. If resentment,
resistance or any other human trait
useful in Montana had been includ-
ed in Jacks disposition no one had
vet found occasion to suspect it. In
carriage and conversation he was the
typical misplaced refugee from some
divinity school, cast by heartless cir
cumstances into the COW country.
The range roamers used to take a
look at his smooth, boyish face and
.-&s 1xy 1Nyr