The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-08-18

vigorously, but l finally persuaded him
into the chair. l afterward had Davis
don the suit Of common field hand.
and soft hat of the kind usually
worn by the field hands in that Sec
ton. After Davis had been shaved and
dressed in his new clothes his own
mother would not have recognized
him.
l then placed the porter in the
charge of McCabe. who was unknown
in that part of the country, with the
following instructions: He was to take
the first train on the following morn
ing as far as the water tank above men
toned, near Overton. There Davis and
he were to leave the train, and they
were to walk into the village and go
around it, looking carefully at every
person who came near them. In the
event of Davis being able to recognize
one or both of the masked men he was
to inform McCabe quietly, and Nc
Cabe was to report to me at once.
l proceeded to Overton from Pales-
tine on train that left on the proceed
ing night and waited for develop
ments.
A short time after McCabe and
Davis arrived they were passing a
blacksmith shop when Davis suddenly
recognized John Price as one of the
bandits. John Price, who was inside
the shop, had an apron on and was
shoeing horse at the time. 1t was
then near noon, and the bloodhounds,
with the mob following them, were
seen coming down the hill into the
town, evidently having had enough of
the pursuit, which, aftc~ knight and
Price had been indicated by the ami
mails, had become an aimless wander
ing hither and thither AS the mob
drew near Davis recognized knight
among the front rank of the crowd, be-
Lind the hounds. He told McCabe
and my operative promptly informed
me. | then instructed McCabe to send
Davis back to Palestine and Instruct
him to await further orders there.
Powers, the wounded brakeman, had
been conveyed to the railroad hospital
at Fort Worth, Texas, where he was
supposed to be lingering between life
and death from the wounds he had re-
ceived., and l had been informed that
Powers likewise could identify the two
bandits. AS Davis had already identi-
fled Price and Knight, and his identifi-
cation was corroborated by strong cir
cumstantial evidence, among which
was that the bloodhounds, l resolved
to put the two men under arrest and
take them to Fort Worth, so that Pow
ers might have an opportunity of see
ing them. l therefore telegraphed
from Overton to Major Joseph Mer-
ron, general superintendent of the In
ternational & Great Northern Rail-
road, at Palestine, in a cipher code
which we employed, requesting him
to send special engine with coach
to Overton that night, and to arrive
about II o'clock. by which time the
great majority of the inhabitants
would be in bed. l also requested
that he would send my man McCabe
to me aboard this special train Major
Merron wired back to me that he
would comply with my request, and
that, if l desired it, he would come
himself and bring another man with
him. I asked whom he intended to
bring, and he replied that he would
bring Chris Rogers, who at that time
was city marshal of Palestine. Rogers
had held this position for a number
nf 30
doors of the community, having killed
no fewer than seven or eight men
during his term of office.
1 wired to Major Merron that
should be glad to have him bring Mr..
Rogers along with him, and requested
him further to instruct his engineer
to approach the station at Overton
quietly and without ringing his bell or
blowing his whistle, as it was essen
tial that the citizens should not know
that train was approaching.
The train arrived at the time ap-
pointed, bringing with it Major Mer-
ron, Chris Rogers and McCabe. met
them and took them at once from the
station to the house of John knight,
where l raped for admission. My
knock was answered by John knight
at once, and he was Immediately seized
and secured. When we proceeded to
the house of his brother-in-law, Price.
We fully expected to have trouble
with Price, for he bore very bad
reputation, having been mixed up in
number of shooting scrapes. He was
considered by the people of Overton to
be bad man" of the community.
Arriving outside the Price house, l
sent McCabe, who was not large man,
but was thoroughly game, to the back,
while Rogers and l went to the front
door and raped. A mans voice imme-
diately answered from within, asking
who we were and what we wanted.
I'VE are officers of the law and
have warrant for your arrest"
answered.
If that's the case," Price answered.
you can call in the morning after
have had my breakfast, and If l feel
like going with you will do so, but If
l don't feel like going with you I
probably won't"
Price lived in small, one-story
shanty. At one end of the sleeping
room was large fireplace, in which
a big fire was burning, which heated
and at the same time Illuminated the
room. The fireplace in question was
built up against the outside of the
house, and there was a crack, prob.
ably half an inch wide, extending
along the chimney. After Price had
made his jocular answer 1 left Chris
Rogers at the door and went tn the