The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1912-08-19
FAMOUS BANDIT HUNTER
CONCLUDES uFE'S FIGHT
Dead Member of Oklahoma 5
"Thrce GIIardsmcn' Asked NO
Flowers BE Sent.

Thomas is dead at Lawton and d
letter from him to Chris Madsen
bore the farewell message OF one
of Oklahoma's Three Guards
men" which designation has been
given frequently to Thomas. Mad
sen and Bill TiIghman-a trio
of early-day deputy marshals aud
bad men hunters.
Don't you and Bill come over,
and don't YOU send any flowers,
wrote the dying Thomas. The let
ter came in Thomas name, but
evidently it was written by his
wife. for the old warrior had been
100 sick for many weeks 10 write.
Remember me to your child
rem. writes Thomas. and tell
Reno that | received his good let
ter. but that it will never be ans
wered
Tears ran down the checks of
Madsen as he read the letter from
this friend of more than quar-
ter Of century. Madscn-a sol
der of Sedan and during the
siege Of Paris and later in Algiers
complained that the oId-timers
are all passing.
Many have been the battles
against outlaws i'll which Tho
Three Guardsmen ithrAieipated
They fought the Dooins and the
paltons, the Bert Casey gang and
all the others which have terror
ized the southwest in The last %
years After Madsen captured Bill
DoeIin and brought him to Guth-
RTE, it WAS Thomas who took the
trial when Doolin broke out Of
jail and again captured him.
Thomas heard that Doolin might
be hiding in a certain place and
he went there He concealed HIM
self i'll ii fence corner near the
house Early III the morning
Dooliu came out He went to a
coral from which he took a horse
which he had stolen in escaping
and led it down the lane approach
HE Thomas
When Doolin came within hail
ing distance Thomas commanded
Throw UP your hands Doolin
was carrying his revolver in his
hand and as he obeFesI the order
and raised his hand he fired BY
some miracle he missed, and Tho
mas fired at him with a shotgun
loaded with buckshot. The load
struck him and Doolin died short
~ afterWard.
Thomas was a relentless pur-
suer OF the Dalton gang and was
50 constantly on their trail toward
the end of their career that they
we're desperate for lack al funds.
It was that, it is said, which
caused Them to make the daring
raid on Coffcyville, kans.. in which
al except one of them We're killed.
Heck Thomas was born i'm Ath-
when Is years old, on the staff
of his uncle. General Edward l..
Thomas. Of the Confederate army
His first employment after the
close Of the war was as messenger
for the old Texas Express company,
successor 10 the Southern Express
company.
1t MAS while in this service that
the train on which Thomas Was
messenger was held up by Sam
BASS and his gang of outlaws. A
consignment of $50. 900 was in the
express car. Thomas took the
money from the deposit box and
hid it in the ashes Of the car
stove. In the box be placed a
dummy package of paper along
with a sack of silver coins, perhaps
$50.
When the outlaws entered the
train Sam Bass demanded OF Tho
mas that he open the money box
Thomas ossed the outlaw the key,
but was forced to pick up The key.
open tn" box and then throw the
money in the outlaws sack. As
the $50 in silver jinslcd into the
sack Bass never suspected that he
was getting dummy greenbacks.
AS result OF the fight with
the outlaws Thomas had one cheek
bone shattered with Il bullet and
another went through his neck
After the outlaws departed with
the decoy package. Thomas hast
ened In the engineer and told him
TO hasten out OF that vicinity. For