The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1920-12-30
DETECTIVE PLAYS
ROLE OF PREACHER
OUTLAWS GIVE HIM THE SLIP
ON OLD RIVER BOAT

i OUTLAWS GIVE HIM THE SLIP
ON OLD RIVER BOAT
The Preacher is Scented After Few
Days Out and the Outlaws Succeed
ia Getting off First-They Leave
Message With the Captain-A Bank
Robbery Week Later.
In June, 1862, the City of New
| Orleans was about ready to clear New
i Orleans on her regular trip up the
Mississippi river to ST. Louis. She
Had not been in service many months
and looked spiek and span as the
black smoke curled from her stacks
and steam whistled through her es-
cape pipes.
Her crew was all attention. The
pilot on watch stood near the wheel.
The captain paced the hurricane deck,
It was an hour after leaving time,
and the mates were cursing the roust-
ers in attempts to get on board as
fast as possible all the freight in
tended for the upper river.
The last lot of freight was being
sent in, when seven men on horses
came galloping at good speed to the
docks and wanted passage to st.
Louis, including their horses.
Pretty well crowded with stock
now Don't believe we can handle
the business called down the cap
tain
"This is very urgent, captain, +"
spoke the leader, tall, rather hand
some man, riding dark chestnut
colored horse. an pay extra for
accommodations he said, taking off
his hat and politely bowling to the
captain.
Gall right, come aboard" ordered
the captain. The riders never left
their horses until they were safely
hitched on the stock guards in the
rear Of the boats warehouses.
The leader registered for all. He
ted the clerk they were cattle men
from Texas and had sold some stock
IN New Orleans, and Just wanted a
steamboat ride to st. Louis They
intended riding horseback from ST.
Louis to Texas.
No sooner had the men registered
with the clerk and been assigned to
rooms than thin, eagle-eyed man
came on board carrying an old-time
carpet-bag. He said he was a min
lister from York State, and having
heard so much of the Mississippi
river, wanted to take ride on it.
where do you want to go?" asked
the clerk.
WELL he drawled OUT in real
Vermont style, Il ought to go as far
as the gentleman that came on board
ahead of me"
"They are cattle men from Texas
and going to st, Louis,' replied the
clerk.
"Then I--go to St. Louis, because
that will give me an opportunity to
study conditions along the river. My
congregation wants first-hand re-
port"
A day or so after the steamer was
under way the cattle men and the
preacher were getting pretty thick
The leader of the cattle men was
tolerably we'll acquainted with the
Bible, and he asked questions the
preacher could not answer.
When the CITY Of New Orleans
landed at Vicksburg the preacher In
duced the clerk to send a message for
him, It was written in code and dis
patched to a man, care of the can't
tol building, Washington. In walking
onto the wharf the clerk accidentally
dropped the message from some other
letters and papers 1t was picked uu
by the cattle man. He glanced at i'll
hurriedly, then gave it to the clerk
When the boat was nearing the
month of White river that same
night, the leader Of the cattle men
asked the clerk if he could make a
landing for him. Il have received a
telegram calling me back to Texas,
and we can not continue our trip to
st. Louis"
The clerk hesitated, as the captain
had gone off watch. 1t was a dark
right, but finally the pilot decided to
land Next morning the preacher
was up early. The boat was nearing
Memphis, when he asked the captain
if the cattle men were out.
"0utm exclaimed the captain,
why, they left the boat last night at
The mouth Of White river"
"I'll ,' said the preacher, his
ACE taking on startled expression
The clerk handed the captain note.
It read:
"Dear Captain-Tell that preacher
passenger of yours he was not as
lick as he thought he was. had
i'm spotted from the time he came on
'oard-Jesse James.
Al week later there was big bank
obberv in Northwest Arkansas and
authorities spread the report that it
vas committed by the James bows
While riding through the city on their
pav to Missouri.
The preacher left the boat at Mem 1
his He was a secret service man,
GLOWING the outlaws, and intended |
apturing them at st. Louis.-J. Fl. {
sfr1-fic IN Go,,, m o,.c;oI yavaaI Z