The Coconino sun., 1925-10-23
UNRELENTINC TEXAN
SELF-LAW ENFORCER


authorities deplore the lawlessness of
the United States. Often the course
of justice is rallied at, and courts and
juries assaiied. But are the complain-
ers themselves intensive in desire to
have the laws ignored? Would they
go out of their way to part the path
for justice? Some would. Others
would not
If every man in this country were
imbued with the same determination,
and resourcefulness in endeavor as
Frank Norfleet of Fort Worth, Texas,
was when bunko men robbed him of
his earnings, if they would pursue
/ with a similar soleness of purpose Z
determination to see the guilty pun
ished, there would be less crime; this
country would be a better place in
which to live.
Here is how the American Legion
Weekly tells of Norfleet's long trail of
the transgressors: "The sun of ro-
nance has not set. There is some
thing peculiarly stimulating in the
news that Frank Norfleet, Texas cat
tie man, by his own initiative and eff
fort has placed behind the bars the
last of seven men who fleeced him of
S45,000 in Dallas six years ago. Nor
fleets quest to avenge himself and
satisfy justice led him on man hunt
which took him into eighteen states,
Mexico, Canada, England, France and
Germany. 1t probably cost him more
than he lost in the first instance, but
that is a cheap and spineless view to
take. Norfleet got his men. He tracked
them down mercilessly and caught
them with his own hands. Then, as
an enlightened and lawabiding citizen
should he turned them over to the
courts Of justice, which in every in
stance confirmed the service Norfleer
had done for society by sending the
swindlers to prison.
''It reads like romance, because it
is one. In 1919 Frank Norfleet was
at a hotel in Dallas during the oil
boom. He picked up a wallet in the
lobby and returned it to a man from
whose pocket he had seen 1t fall. That
was the trap. Norfleet was rewarded
for his act by being let in on sue
thing cleanup. The cleanup cleaned
the cattleman out of $4,000 in cash.
"Norfleet was no welcher. He took
his medicine in authorized western
shape-and swore to himself that
those who had victimized him should
take theirs He went home to his
ranch and arranged his affairs for an
indefinite leave of absence. Then he
started out on the trail of the men
who had swindled him.
"By a stroke of fortune at the out
set he traced them all to hotel in
Fort Worth, cornered them in a room
and at the point of a pistol told them
to hand back his money. They beg
ged for their lives and promised to
return the money. Norfleet, square
man himself, trusted them. Their
cowardice was so apparent that he did
not think they would dare attempt to
elude him. But they did. They
separated and fled. The pursuit be-
gan. 1t took two years for him to
get the first two of them in Cali
fornia. They went to prison. A few
months later he caught No. 3 at a
Florida resort. He went to prison.
Then Norfleet bent his efforts to run
down man named Spencer, the lead
er of the gang. He trailed Spencer
over half the world, but the slippery
fugitive was always one jump ahead.
During this chase Norfleet paused TO
pick up three other minor members
Of the gang, whom he recommended
for short sentences, which they go..
Finally the unrelenting Texan got the
ringleader in Salt Lake City. Spencer
was resourceful. He put up a skillfu1
egal fight, but the tenacious Texan
hung on and Spencer is behind the
bars and Norfleet has gone back to
his ranch after an absence of six
years. His job is done and he re-
fuses to talk about it.
"In the old days every citizen was
more or less his own sheriff. Society
could decree laws but it could not en-
force them very well. Unless a man
enforced the laws himself he was apt
TO be plundered. This aspect of things
has changed. Society makes laws and
society employees agents to enforce
them. The individual is supposed u
be protected without much effort on
his part. But it doesn't work out that
way always, thing Frank Norfleet
Of Texas very we'll knew When he
was plundered for $4,000 his pride
was hurt He said to himself, So
ciety didn't get me into this fix and |
won't bother society to get me out
did it myself and somehow or other
will get myself out of it to my own
satisfaction
"He did it. He took the law into his
own hands, Ordinarily this is a de-
oatable thing to do--but not as Frank
Norfleet did it. He ran down his
men, cornered and caught them. That
was his personal revenge. Then he
turned them over to society and the
courts did the rest. That was the re-
venge of society. Instead of impair
ing respect for law Norfleet enhanced
it. Instead of weakening the pres
tige of organized society-govern-
ment-he strengthened it. Which
shows what one strong, determined
man can do. Men like Norfleet in
the old days brought law and order
into existence. Men like him now
adays make it their business to see
that their actions square with law and
order"
6R7zAn