The Southern herald., 1916-08-04

One Of the worst men l ever ar
rested vas Wess Watts, a notorious
outlaw Of Pennsylvania, thief, "yegg-
man." reported murderer of his own
father. and universally feared by all
who knew his name, in the manner
described in the following record.
During the years 1S75-76 l was chief
special agent for the Allegheny Val
ley raiirOad. One morning l was called
to BrOOkville, Pa, to investigate the
burglary of the company's office at
that point during the preceding night
On arriving In the little town found
the once Of the company almost a
wreck, the safe having been blown to
pieces with dynamite, and its con-
tents, including a fairly large sum Of
money and a number of Centennial
Exposition and railroad tickets, stol-
en-. After some work l came to the
conclusion that the job had been done
by the notorious Watts gang, which
had originally consisted of eight mem
bers, and had long terrorized the citi-
zens Of Jefferson, Clarion, Forest and
Elk counties.
Watts had gained immense reputa-
tion among the criminal element by
an achievement of earlier date. He
was wanted on a charge of criminal
assault, and the sheriff and posse of
seventeen men, armed with rifles,
shotgHRs and pistols, went to his home
and surrounded the house. The sher-
III and one of his aides raped on the
door, which was opened by Watts
mother, of whom the sheriff made the
demand that Watts surrender.
Before she could answer Watts ap-
peared in the doorway with a Colt
navy revolver in either hand and two
more in his belt.
-BIu." he said to the sheriff, u
counted your men as they surrounded
the house. There are eighteen OF
y0a. and I want to say to you that
have got twenty-four shots right here
! know all of you fellows, and you
know as well as your men know that
] never miss a mark that | shoot at
Nov, / am going to leave this place
at unce, and l will not bother Brook
vile again, unless you or any Of your
msa attempt to stop me. II you do
win kill every man of you and will
siiH have shots left"
With that he brushed the sherir
aside, sprang forward, ran to a gate
ia fnoat Of the house, opened 1t
crossed the road, leaped a high raj
fence and disappeared into the tim
beF, while not a shot was fired tt
stop him.
Eueh was the man whom set ou
70 pat under arrest. There had nevel
been any question as to his courage
he had been a gunsmith In Brookvill'
and was known as the crack shot o
Ghzt portion of Pennsylvania. One o
his fzVOrite tricks was to shoot al
apple from his brothers head at dis
tznes Of twenty PAGES with either
gun or a revolver.
Ny iirst act was to visit the West
ern penitentiary at Allegheny City
where a former member Of th'
Watts gang. who had been captured
was serving a ten years sentence
This mans name was Lafayette Ed
wards; he had a younger brothe
named Horace, who had also beel
connected with the gang, but ha'
changed his manner of living. From
Lafayette, having promised to take nj
action against his brother. / Learned
that Horace was employed as a farm
hand near Vermilion, Ill. The young
e. brother was duly located there b!
me He had established a good repu
tation. had Joined the church and wa
respected by all who knew him.
frankly told him the purpose Of m!
Journey and proposed that he return
70 Pennsylvania with me at my ex
psnsa, promising that l would keel
him quietly in a small town nea
BrcOkyflIe, where he would not b,
knsEn, until the remainder Of thu
gang had been apprehended, and theI
pay hls fare back to Illinois.
I'm q church member now," an