The Tomahawk., 1916-07-20
Copyright by w. G. Chapman

was wanted as witness IN an I'M
portant case, I took Horace Edwards
back to Pennsylvania, and with his
aid speedily rounded up all the mem
bers of the gang with the exception or
Wess Watts. Through the help OF
a. sister Of Mrs Watts, who was in
correspondence with her, I learned
that Watts had last been heard from
at Paducah, KY. I went to Paducah
and found Watts wife there, intro
ducing myself to her as friend OF
her husbands.
"You get out Of here!" shrieked the
woman, "or I'll throw kettleful OF
hot water over you. I amt got no
use for Wess nor none of his friends"
It appeared from the woman's fur
Their explanations that her husband
had deserted her and their child and
had run off with another mans wife.
Thereupon I quickly dropped my dis
guise and explained to the woman the
purpose of my visit. I learned from
her that Wess and man named Oil
yer Brooks had opened a gunsmith's
shop at Shawneetown, ILL.,, and had
their single out for repairing, but
were in reality committing burglaries
and thefts almost nightly in the vi
cinity of that town.
Shawneetown is on the Ohio river
some fifty miles from Paducah. l
started for this point under circum-
stances which will be described later,
u@I f1 hor
first plan. 1 now took a boat and
arrived at ShawneetoWn very early IN
the morning. I had no difficulty IN
locating the gunsmith's shop, and.
having done so, seated myself upon
an empty box outsideN a general mer-
chandise shop across the way and
awaited developments. I had been
seated there for about an hour when
l noticed a little cloud of smoke com
ing out of the stovepipe chimney IN
the gunshop shanty. A few minutes
later the door was opened, and it be-
came evident, that some one was
sweeping, though who this person was
7 could not determine. Accordingly,
feeling curious, got up to investl-
gate.
When reached the spot the sweep
er had disappeared and there was
nobody in the front room. / knocked
at the door leading into the rear room
and was answered by man who came
out carrying the broom. He was clad
in blue overalls, a knit undershirt and
a pair Of rubbers. From his resemb-
lance to other members of his family
it was evident that this was Watts
himself.
Are you a gunsmith?" I inquired.
"Well, I have job for you. l have
an old gun here, but I don't know
whether you can do anything with it
or not"
I awkwardly drew from my pocket
the IL Colt double-action revolver
which I had brought with me, holding
it about the middle. Watts turned
around in a leisurely manner to set
down the broom AS he turned again
and extended his hand to take the
weapon he found it pointed at his
head.
"Hands up" I ordered.
Watts hesitated for an instant.
Throw up your hands or I'll blow
your head off," l continued, and
Watts obeyed.
At that moment man with bushy
head of red hair peered through the
door leading into the rear room, but
when he saw what was happening, he
ducked his head and disappeared.
Paying no attention to the second
man, I commanded Watts to face
about and step forward to the door,
which he did, keeping his hands up.
AS he stepped down and out of the
door I took a pair of handouts out
Of my left-hand coat pocket and
snapped them on my prisoners wrists,
which were held above his head.
"Now you can drop your hands"
I said.
I marched Watts to the door Of the
village hotel, Watts obeying all my
commands in a mechanical manner
and uttering not a word. On arriv-
ing at the hotel I found the night
clerk in charge asleep in a chair, and
he seemed to be terrified at the sight
of his visitors. He quickly recov-
cred, however, and upon instructions,
brought us something to eat. Watts
managed to make pretty good
breakfast in spite of his irons"
On arising from the table it &C.
Cured to me that my prisoner was
not very we'll dressed for making a
long journey. I had espied a large
sized old fashioned linen buster and
big brimmed straw hat hanging on
the wall of the hotel sitting room,
which, after some dickering with the
porter, 1 purchased for seventy-fve
cents and placed upon my prisoner.
The addition of these garments made
Watts more like the leader of husk-
ing bee than the outlaw he really was.
It was only six in the morning when
we stepped aboard train bound for
East St. Louis. After we had been
in the car for about half an hour