The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-10-29
Copyright by W. G. Chapman

NY POWCI " ucLp you.
Telling his employer that the man
was wanted as a witness in an i'm
portant case, / took Horace Edwards
back to Pennsylvania, and with his
aid speedily rounded up all the men,
bers of the gang with the exception of
Wess Watts. Through the help of
q sister of Mrs. Watts. who was in
correspondence with her, l learned
that Watts had last been heard from
at Paducah, KY. l went to Paducah
and found Watts wife there, intro
ducing myself to her as a friend of
her husbands.
"You get out of here!" shrieked the
woman, "or I'll throw q kettleful of
hot water over you. l amt got no
use for Wess nor none of his friends"
1t appeared from the woman's fur
Their explanations that her husband
had deserted her and their child and
had run on with another mans wife.
Thereupon l quickly dropped my dis
guise and explained to the woman the
| purpose Of my visit. / learned from
her that Wess and a man named OIL
yer Brooks had opened a gunsmith's
shop at S~hawneetown, 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,
but was compelled to abandon my
FIRST plan. l now took q boat and
arrived at Shawneetown very early in
the morning. / had no difficulty in
locating the %gunsmith's shop, and.
having done so, seated myself upon
an empty box outside a general mer-
chandise shop across the way and
awaited developments. l had been
seated there for about an hour when
noticed q 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
/ could not determine. Accordingly,
feeling curious, ! got mp to investi-
gate.
When I reached the spot the sweep
err had disappeared and there was
nobody in the front room. l knocked
at the door leading into the e room
and was answered by q mar who came
out carrying the broom. He was clad
in blue overalls, q knit undershirt and
q pair Of rubbers. From his resemb-
lance to other members Of his family
It was evident that this raj Watts
himself.
Are you q gunsmith?" I inquired.
Well, / have q job for you. ! have
an old gun here. but l don't know
whether you al do anything with It
or not"
awkwardly drew from my pocket
the II Colt ad~ouble-action revolver
which I had brought with me, holding
it about the middle. Watts turned
around in q leisurely. name 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 OF I'll blow
your head. OIL" / continued, and
Watts obeyed.
At that moment q man with q 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, / commanded Watts to face
about and step forward to the door.
which he did, keeping his hands up.
AZ he stepped down and out Of the
door I took . pair Of handouts out
of my left-hand coat pocket and
snapped them on my prisoners wrists.
which were held above his head.
Nov you al drop your hands,"
said.
I marched Watts to the door OF the
village hotel, Watts obeying all my
commands in = mechanical manner
ana uttering not ! word. On arriv-
ing ct the hotel I found the night
clerk In charge asleep In Z chair. and
DC seemed to be terrified 1t the sight
d his visitors. He quickly ecov-
cred. however. and upon instructions.
drought 40 something to eat. Watts
managed to make = pretty good
breakfast IN spite Of his eIrons."
On arising from the table It oc-
CURED to me that my prisoner was
hot very well dressed for making .
hong journey. I had espied q large
sized old fashioned linen duster and
. big brimmed straw hat hanging on
the wall Of the hotel sitting room.
which. after some dickering with the
porter. I purchased for seventy-6ve
cents and placed upon my prisoner.
The addition Of these garments made
Watts more like the leader OF . husks
Ing bee than the outlaw he really =
lt was only six In mi morning whom
No stepped aboard q train bound tor
rnaSA ~ Nssl~ Attnr ~ had ham