The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-09-27

I've been engaged in enforcing law
since | was twentyone years of age,
but Pm Just getting started" replied
Judge j. T. Colleps, age &C, town
marshal of Alex, who was injured
by shots fired by two arrest resist
ers near here several days ago.
They got me four times, but I'll
never let that put me on the retired
list continued the aged, wounded
officer. TITS just made a better law
enforcer out of me. From now on
the party ! undertake to arrest is
guilty until he proves himself in.
nocent. Before | was shot by the
two men, assumed that every man
| arrested was innocent until he was
proven guilty"
Had Narrow Escape.
That he narrowly escaped death
when one of the two parties he had
placed under arrest fired four shots
into his body while he was wrestling
with the second party, is the belief
of the wounded officer. The bullets
took effect in the left shoulder.
Men giving their names as j. K
mman and Charles johnson are now
i'm the county Jail of Grady county
charged with uttering bogus checks
and with assault with intent to kill
Officer Colleps
coleps Veteran.
Judge" Colleps is a veteran law
enforcer. He held his first peace Of
ficer's JOB in 1876, when he was ap-
pointed deputy sheriff of Denton
county Texas. At this time he was
only twenty-one years of age He
remained in Denton county twelve
years.
Saw Middleton Die.
According to Colleps, one Of the
most notorious of the outlaws in the
Lone Star state during his law en-
forcing career in Texas was John |
Middleon, daring, clever and tact
full. A ten thousand dollar reward
was being offered for Middleton,
dead or alive
During a certain season of the
year, Colleps would take a "lay-off"
from his duties yat the sheriffs Of
flee and would superintend the
driving of cattle over the Chisholm
Trail from Texas to Kansas through
the Indian Territory.
One day big, robust, sturdy fell
low applied to Mr.. Coleps for a
job with the gang which was to
leave the following day to drive a
large herd of cattle from Denton
county to the Bell ranch near Las
Vegas, N. M. The applicant was
given job.
Soon after the arrival at the Las
Vegas ranch, the big fellow was
taken i'll with smallpox and on his
death bed shortly before he passed
away, the unknown man" said his
name was John Middleton, the out
law, for whom a ten thousand dol
lar reward was being offered.
Smallpox being contagious dis
ease being dreaded among the
Texas cowboys. Fearing this disease,
he body was unclaimed and con-
sequently the reward was never
paid. The purchasing power of ten
thousand dollars at that time, Mr..
golleps declares, was equivalent to
he purchasing power of small for
une under the present-day condi-
ions.
Moves to Indian Territory.
About 1890 the Alex marshal
moved to the Indian Territory and
vas appointed assistant to United
States Marshal Mushong, in charge
II law enforcing in the Chickasaw
nd Choctaw nations.
Deputy Collepss duties were along
he lines of secret service and he
vas known to only the leading men
+ the Indian Territory, including
udge Ben Carter, father of Con
ressman Charles d. Carter; Hobart
1eald in whose honor the town of
Iealdton is named; Bill Guy,
ormer governor of the Chickasaw
aIinn. Gant Nat Smith ,.nnltl,.. | M