Year: 1876

taFt1c040FS OI tho ArfeSC Of

 John Hughes.

 DOVER, Ark, Dec. 12, 1876.

 To the editor of the DEMOCRAT:

 As many reports of the surren. der and escape and re.arrest of John Hughes are in circulation, I send you this statement as made by parties who were present from the time his house was surround ded up to the time he was lodged in the jail at Dover, where he is at this time securely ironed.

 On Friday evening the 8th i'm stant James Felxins, the town ship constable. learned that Hughes was 1t home; he sum- moned James Ross, - Perkins and John Felkins. They proceed ed to his house, finding him there as reported, demanded his sur render; he refused to do so, con- tending that they had no right to arrest him without a writ. The constable, Felkins, sent of for more assistance, and a runner to Dover for . writ and few of the Dover boys to assist him. In the mean time Hughes sent of for friend. A posse of 10 or 15 cit izens and the friend of Hughes, returned. It appears that a kind of compromise surrender was then made, Hughes giving up his arms to hls :friend. The posse all re ma:ned until daylight, when it was agreed that the citizens, with the exception of the constable and two or three guards be dis missed and return home, and that Hughes would go to town with the constable and 2 or 3 of the citi- gems as guards. At the breakf fast table Hughes eat Q light breakfast aad getting up from the table, re marked to the boys to eat hearty and he would go and catch his horse; he walked out of the house and kept waking, forgetting to stop to get his horse. The run ner sent by the constable to Dover for a writ and . few of the Dover boys had not returned as yet. Harry Poynter, Bob Rye, John Rowland and Wright from Dover mounted their horses immediately on the arrival of the messenger sent by the constable and with the proper authority hastened to the scene of action, ami when near the place learned that Hughes had made his escape. Poynter and those with him col lected another crowd and proceed ed ul IPiney searching every house as they went for the distance of about 5 miles above Hughes house, and found him in a cotton pen belonging to a Mr. Harris. He was we'll hidden under the cot ton. Poynter struck match and held it up over the cotton, when Hughes thew up his hands and said that he would surrender, which he did without resistance. By this time it was } o'clock in the night. The posse with their prisoner started for the house of Mir. Harr,s, ana on the way to the house Will Wright shot himself accidentally in the leg with pis tol-bad flesh wound. They re maiued at the house of Harris un- til daylight, when they proceeded down the creek enroute for Dover with their prisoner. Sheriff Hogin being absent in the southern DOT tion of the county on official busi ness and did not hear of the possee being after Hughes until he got to Russellville. He imme diately proceeded to join the posse and met them about five miles above Dover with the prisoner. There was general rejoicing that the desperate was captured. Many of the posse were on foot. They waded Piney many times barefOoted, it being very cold the small gravel froze to their feet i'm mediately upon getting out of the water. The boys say that it was not the hope of reward or the fear of punishment that induced them to undergo these hardships, but determination upon their part that the civil law shall be enforced, and that all such must know that Pope county boys will not permit desperadOes to deter them from doing their duty and bring them to account before the proper tri- bunal to answer for any unlawful act which they may commit upon her borders. CITIZEN.