:THRILLING EXPL
By W. D. HORNADAY.
OHN HUMPHRIES, a well to do
white. farmer who lived in
what is known as the~ cross
timber. region of East Texas, and his
son were taken out by a mob of their
white neighbors one night and
lynched for the alleged theft of a
hog. The local authorities did noth-
ing to bring the perpetrators of this
double crime to Justice.
Capt. Bill McDonald Of the Texas
Rangers was detailed by the Gov-
ernor to discover the identity'of the
men who did the lynching and place
them under arrest. He Went alone
into the isolated community and for
several weeks visited around among
the farmers. picking up a clew here
and there until he finally obtained
the names of fifteen of the men who
participated in the double lynching.
He waited until one night when all
of the men were in attendance at 8. ~
lodge meeting. He entered the room
*and with drawn pistol called the
- names of the men he was after, or-
Qdered them to throw up their hands
and proceed single file out of the
iroom. He made each of the men
'mount his horse and then drove them
alwnd of him to the nearest town and
lodged them in Jail. All of these
prisoners were tried, convicted and
I sentenced to long terms in the peni-
tentinry.
. (to another occasion Capt. McDon-
ald was sent to Rio Grande City with
instructions to ferret out the mur-
derers of Judge Stanley “'clch, as-
sassinated in that town while hold-
ing: District Court. McDonald hired
a horse and buckboard at the nearest
railroad town and started through
the chap-parral cbvercd country for
Rio (lrande City. twenty-eight miles
away. He was passing through a
dcnso thicket along toward midnight
when he was firm] upon from am-
bush. Hardly had the flush of the
guns of those who wcre'trylng to
assassinate him nmmentarily light-
encd tho blackness ol‘ the rondelb
voun of the outlaws when McDonald
Jciurncd the fire with his automatic
pistol. Many shots were exchanged.
and "when the battle was over Mc-
Donald, uninjured. made an investi-
gation and found that he had killed
four Mexicans. lie rode on into
town and told the sheritT to send
back and bring in the bodies of the
victims.
These happenings were in
early days of the Rangers, but
now they are to the fore again
and what the new members of
the {anions organization are doing
will send as (loop a thrill of interest
in'thc boys of this generation as
their forerunners did in former days.
It's true there are no more Indian
battles to record, but the menace of
“bad" Mexicans, "greasnrs" as they
are still called. the gamblers. horse
thieves and cattle rustlers on the
borderltas touched a point whore
the new men have ample opportunity
to emulate the deeds recorded in
this bloodstained story.
It is pretty certain that the
Rangers. organized of necessity in a
new and rough civilization, were the
incentive that led to the formation
. of State police organizations in New
York, Pennsylvania and other north-
‘erh States. but New York's Gray
Riders and the other State police
operate on very different lines
from the Texas Rangers.
"Marksmanship First.
To be a Ranger three things are
absolutely essential. These are utter
coolness in the face of certain death
”somebody's death, it. may be one’s
own; horsemanshlp, like that of a
centaur, and a true. unfailing shot.
As a. fact, the last, marksmanship,
ought to be first. A Ranger is dis-
qualified if he can't bring down his
malofactor every time.
The possession of judgment is to
be inferred as a part of these physi-
cal qualities. A Ranger has to think
and decide quickly. Since in three
cases out of five he has in his own
hands the administration of quick
Justice, there is no time for technical
legal argument or sophistry.
A wild night ride. a roundup of des-
peradoes on the plains or in the
gulliee. an unerring rifle fire or
else the instant surrender of the bad
“3 men is a mere everyday .ltem to the
the
Rangers, but it may include infinitely __
‘ more hardship, danger and disaster.
The Rangers. therefore. are picked
men and the company is always a
small one. What they are may be
' estimated by the saying of Texans.
"183: "one single Ramr is equal to
“ «in; whole “\company of soldiers in
may be estimated also by the terror
these avengers are held by the Mexi-
canevfldoersoutheborderofthe
Bio Grands.
.Tho Rangerdoesn'tgoaround look-
inglikoangurein aWild West
movie. Ordinarily he would be taken
the a quiet euttlemanor °\‘I-.'_ a
»' miner. Perhaps the superior h 7:30
-‘~ firm. might lead to the con-
‘audontbatheisneltherofthese.
gut he does not wear a uniform
u he usually travels alone. Only
'1" the‘Joblltoobigfol-oneman
- go In couples and even when
‘tfiygrsmrabnndofoutlaws the
”mumum
you M“ the mod fortune to
.1110“ '0: one of them he will
L
stamping out lawlessness. And it 4
one day show you the notches on his
gun. Each notch stands for. a life.
but all of them’ were obtained in the
performance of duty. What makes
the Rangers dreaded like murder
and sudden death by the desperadoes
is Just this record notched on the
guns. They know that every man
in the service is an expert shot. and
a horse thief. cattle thief and others
are shy of adding to the record.
7 - Besides. their plain dress the
Rangers keep out of the limelight
in other ways. They do no drilling.
no marching, they are ignorant of
military tactics. But they can out-
ride most famous homemen and they
can shoot straight, and wherever a
scene offldanger is. there they are
ready to ve it. It was due en-
tirely' to the efforts of the Rangers
that the notorious Big Bend region
on the upper Rio Grande was cleared
One of the Rangers lifted
of its hundred criminal refugees
who made that their rendezvous in .
defiance of all efforts of the local and
State authorities to dislodge them.
No Politics Here.
The Rangers are a. non-partisan or-
ganlzation, taking no part in politics.
Their commanding officer is the
Adjutant-General of Texas. They
have no rank higher than Captain
and the force is divided into several
companies. These‘ companies are
divided into detachments of two cr
three men, which may be detailed to
duty several hundred miles apart. If
one consults a map and comprehends
the vast size of Texas it is not dim-
cult to see that men so far from
headquarters and from each other
-have to think and act for themselves.
The Governor appoints the Cap-‘
Coins and each Captain chooses the
men for his own company.
men’s ages vary from twenty-three
to forty-five years and at the latter
age the men are euppmd to retire.
But they don't; the life is too fasci—
nating to quit for a little thing like
age—and after all the rule isn’t rig-
idly enforced. Several of the present
Sergeants and Captains are consid-
erably over the limit. Neither offi-
cers nor men arerequired to take an
oath on entering the service. 7
The salaries paid by thefitate are
$90 per month for privates. $100 per
month for‘sergeants. $160 per month
for Captains. To this is added 830
per month for each man for subsist-
ence. Each Ranger is required to
furnish his own horse, pistols and
rifles. The State furnishes the
forage‘for 'the horses. ammunition
and transportation. The enlistment
is for two years. but the officers and
men are privileged to quit the sefvv
ice at any ulna. If the Rangers are
required to be in permanent canth
for ally great length of time the
quarters are paid for by the State.
Ordinarily. however. they stay in
oneplneebutafewdalysatatlme.
A Wholesale Execution.
In the early days of Indian mana-
cres the Texas Rangers were a law
unto themselves. They Mummy,
meted out punishment to offenders.
according to“ the degree of their
crimes, gamut going through the
formality of a trial. » l
A few years ago the ancient
methodotcatchtngltbiefandhang-
in: or shooting him offhand win
revived. This us during 9-
sons times in Kenico. mum
The‘
' growled the killer. .
ITS"
How Captain“ McDonald: Sin‘gl 1-Han'de'd, solved
’.__-
y
Mystery, Invaded a-JLodge' ReomwandArre'si‘ted Fifteen
-- of the Lynchers, MarChing Them Off in Single File
to the Jail--—HOW\ Ranchers Riddléd Richard
Harding ' D
without trial. The suite authorities
looked upon this wholesale execution
as a highbanded act and dismissed
the entire company, including its
captaianl-om the service.
Capt. McDonald has several thrill-
ing exploits to his credit. One ,of
these was his pursuit of a. notorious
the helmet from Davis’s head and threw it into the air with a whoop.
outlaw who had been running cattle
off the ranches. This chase led from
the central western part of Texas up
through the Panhandle and into
what is still called No Man’s Land.
although it is a part of Oklahoma.
Four hundred miles from the starting
point Capt. McDonald overtook his
thief, tied him on a horse and
brought him all the way back in that
uneasy fashion.
Davis Initiated.
This is the same McDonald who
(dead now) 'was later appointed by
Gov. s. \V. T. ’Lanham State rave.
nue agent. As this office carries no
police powers the former Ranger was
under no necessity to go armed. But
he was too used’to his ever ready
gun to discard it willingly, and when
the Governor informed him‘ that
under the law he must do so Mc-
Donald said:
“Governor, you don’t know what
that gun means to me. I've worn
some kind of a. gun ever since I was
big enough to tote one. and I can’t
get used to goin' without it."
"You'll have to learn to do without
a. weapon: that's the law,” said the
Governor.
The old Ranger flared up:
“I know what you want.’ said be.
"You want some teller to come along I
and throw me- down and take my
terbacoo away from me!"
Capt. McDonald was sent by Gov.
Culberson» to prevent the tight the
promoters of the encounter between
Bob Fltzsimmom and Peter Mailer
axpectedtopulloflatElPuo,ths
legislators having We. law pro-
bibiting prize lights. The Ranger
found the town full of fight follow-
ers. gathered from all parts of the I
United States. He called in person
upon goLgnd Pete and their back-
on on 130 th
written. wn e law as it was
There was a bowl of
the tougher element did 3:332:13;
to make threats against McDonald's
life..But the Rangerwasnotdis-
tux-bed and when it was decided to
have the light take place on the
Mexican side of the Rio Grande op-
positeIaB-nstry.4oomlleseastdfl3l
"“9556 You want to
ammonium-m.
“1's rope-s he
tattle-testes
“1'11
“‘3” ' .fln' », '
“9.3)on ' L
by many bullets.
bad man. flinginghimself out of the
dining room. A frtend followed him
and asked:
. "Do you know who that man is?“
"No. but l'm going to fix him."
“Yes? Better not. He's the fa~
mous Ranger. Capt. Bill McDonald."
In 1890 an attempt was made by
Catarino Gama. a border editor of
a Spanish newspaper, to start a revo-
lution against President Porflrlo
Din: or Moxlco. He gathered a few
followers and for several months
made much work for the Rangers
in the lower Rio Grande border» re-
gion. It was big newi'and news-
papers of'the North and East sent
correspondents to cover the progress '
of the so-calied war.-
One or the first to arrive was
Richard Harding Davis. At San An-
tonio he stopped long enough to
change apparel to suit the campaign
that he thought he“ was about to
enter upon. Be donned a white duck
suit and a white cork helmet—an
outfit that might have been allrlght
in Egypt or India but which had‘
never before been seen in the then
“wild and woolly" "part of south
Texas. where Garza was recruiting
his force to invade Mexico.
In due time‘Devisarrlved a: the
Ranger camp. of Capt. J. 8. McNeel
and his company of fighters. It was
situated in the heart of the Chapar-
ral. The advent of Davis. dressed in
immaculate White. created quite I
stir among the Banger-s. They de-
cided to initiate him at once into
border life. First one of the Reuters
lifted the hamlet com David-heed
\and threw it into the an- vnth t
whoop. .Before it reschedule mum
‘ ever, what to do.
itmbomdthmn‘hbywy‘bnl- -
lets Davls’s white duck con :was
similarly treated and the prank!
ended by thenanm providing hill!
with an old cult of them
charm tWe andabiistmw lam-
bm Tomemntammmn
be said. he took the W03
80011 naturodly and‘all of. the
mammalian-tends. -
AFamogsHmM _. f
qumanyyesrsatlmetonem-
my 01 Banter- luld ks bode-lir-
mummt'mrmmm
of 131mm the ammotms
31° GWQ>MVM "
now living in contented rem-em eat
on his little irrigated farmpat‘Ysleta,
trolled anotorious mom can bandit
more than tvio hundred miles into
the deep and dangerous recesses of
the Big Bend region. .Hugbee'went
after the outlaw alone. He braved
avis’sf Clothes With Bullets
e
the bandit infested border locality.
knowing that it was a question of his
life. or theother man's. He got his
man. ,
Capt. Hughes once owued the most
famous horse in the Ranger service.
This animal was gray and fine to
look upon. It seemed to know when
it was on the trail of an outlaw, and
it even had the generous.reputatiou
of being able to follow the‘seeut of a
criminal. This remarkable reputation
was strikingly enhanced one time
when Capt. Hughes was on the chase
of a desperate murderer who had
fled into the wilds of the Big Bend
country. Night and impenetrable
darkness came on and it was im-
possible to follow the trail by dght.
The horse seemed to know, how-
It seemed so
anxioustocoouthntcapt. Hughes
turned loose the bridle rein. and per-
mitted the animal to take its own
nouns. ltwaefarputmldnight when
the horse suddenly slackened its
speed and lightened its footfalla A
few minutes later there came into
view the smoldering embers or a
camp fire. Capt. Hughes cautiously
dismounted. throwing bridle, rein over
be head of the bananas approached
the ring of light. He came upon the
sleeping fugitive and had the trons
upon his wrists‘ before the mains
fairly awake.
meounemryday m
Team Bowman
Indian lighter. but above all things
heMawlderepumflontorlleep-
in: and eatins' under all kindle!
conditions. Beam ,mlmd a
wcbapeetotalnehts'allofthesetwo
nees-ltles of life whenever oppor-
tunitywes‘efl’ered him. I": related
that on occasionrbe and another
Ranger byitbe name of Jim Law-
rence" were traveling homeback
though the mountainous region
endhadmademmpatasprlng.
m man-cued by a bend of
‘Apflcbelndm. For twbhoursthe
mm _ uphofltbelnniens.
m.mmmtmzcuuea‘
Finallytbere
‘ is was: moment!
“Jim.
do
A TEX
" ' ' 7:, \
S‘RANGE
petizingodorébofledvenisonenme.trop1eal
S
. . . k the rich m
tothenoetrtlsofBenson. andzrasses. Flint-mum“I "I!“
.“Thesmell oftbatmeatmaies me that usually disapw mmh‘
powerful hungry,” Benson' said. and the Angus: Mgh’m
"‘Buppose we ride‘over by the camp
of theredskins and maybe I cancel:-
hold ofa cooked llama-something.”
> 1.3ch could not We his
m »
it stood there ‘8 nw‘tath
companion from his purpose of pur- xreen. vivid as ever 3., in
mining the venison. ‘Whenthey got The trees are lush, magma”. .
mammal-amendment.“ melanoma “be
they saw several pots of meat in the blooming again, and so I“ ll
pmeess of cooldng. They put spurs They like this same rain. are “as
to their horses and rode till-ought)“; Try it. Don't worry about
collection of tents at top speed. Ben- rwet. Put yourself into $38
son stopped long enough to grab a clothes if the day is “m or 9“
whole ham out of one of the pots, a poncho if it is cooL and mm
and as he continued his ride he ate fOr the day in the Open as
the meat in a most satisfied way. planned. Was ever an- sure: had
TheIndlanbravespursuedthetwo
this rain washed arm
Rangas for several miles. firms at 08pm that
lncioses you! The
W00ds and fields are mtg - of.
T
Before it reached the ground it was bored through
son was nibbling at the ham bone.
When the Rangers were first or-
ganized all of the western half of
the domain that is now embraced in
Texas was occupied by Indians and
herds of buffalo, and for several
yams following their organization
the chief duty of the Rangers was
to protect adventursome white set-
tlers from the raids of Comanche,
Llpan and Apache Indiana It was
not longbefore the Indians realm
they could not burn and slay without
Mex-tug; terrible reprisal at the
hands of the White Devils- as they
called the Rangers.
Gradually the red men abandoned
their periodical attacks on the
frontier settlements and retired be-
. fore this new force. \Vith each suc-
ceeding year the Rangers penetrated
'ruruler and hn'ther into the Indian
country, driving the red men north-
ward into the Panhandle and finally
{defeating after a’ desperate mz a
great body of Comanches in the
Polo Dino-Canyon.
Following this kind of activity the
work of the Rangers came to be
rounding up of cattle thives. To
some extent even to this day the
cattle thieves are a pest in the live
stock interests of Texas. To run
them down. make prisoners or shoot
than is still a large part of the
dangerous game.
Sim the enactment of the Vol-
stead act and the State law prohibit-
mg the manufacture and sale of in-
toxicating liquors much of the ac-
tivity of the force is spent in up-
turlng liquor runners from the Mexb
can border and in tracing and con-
victing illictt manufacturers.
The Beauties .
Of the Rain
8y ' HILDEGARDE HAWTHORNE
YJUB vacation is being ruined.
Rainmnrain! Youwsnten
7 to be ouwoorst‘ every min-V
ate and here you haverxo stick.
cached uplands the house. mans
tbe'preclous hours and days. in
rained yesterday and lt is raining
My" 1. Therava- tellsyouiunemo-
may think is due to reitrto-
mnrrow '
.Iour
31m ”in runs
and happy
‘ “eminence may us.
And yet——
~”tile fleeing men. All this time Ben-
,from
so are the hues. The fold; a“
hills are so richly blue and a: ms
the greens of the form: so ‘33::
gated. Take the path over the bring,
and past the little lake
. Haw
drops dance on [the sheet of the
like a million elves at plav '12:;
water lilies are sh
their broad leaves pufled With mm.
ture. but the blue water hm
, are standing up straight and chal-
bowing a bit now and then as the.
shake off an extra load of rain. T3
willows make a musim Int-1mm: ;:
the rain finds its way through the
’0118. slender, silver green 1am
Otherwise it is almost (3113:.“ a
rain crew is uttering us how
queer notes from some my up the.
stream. and the chittering of 3
kingfisher suddenly break; {3301!
Your ears. to be followed by the flash
of hisrblue. gray and white self a,
he wings hurriedly-3cm the 3331
You are the only human being an
Every one else is indoors. I: is
.human sounds that are absent, x3-
ture isbusy enough with her myriad
notes.
The woods in rain are {Mn-drin-
The sound is bewitchlng, mo,
fact that you walk under the tree
almost sheltered except when m
encounter some low hung Dough and
.it spills a generous harm] of were:
on you and then bounds up Mgr:-
fully, having given ofiisbest And
if there are pines. how tardy the
drops are as they tall sliding down
the silvery needles and m on tn
haste, following each others closely
that they seem like little necklaces
swinging downward. Here you. may
come upon a thrush, perched on I.
shrubbery laurel, turning its head
sidewise to gaze on you with its full
dark eye.
By this time you have ceased to
care that you are wet, and the feel
of the rain on your face is Ike 3.
caress. The soft mild air does :6:
chill you as you more alartg. There
is no one to see you, and you are
taken very close to nature’s heart.
for she is unguarded and relaxed.
sure only that those who have her
are about. You elect to walk back
across the meadows, even though the
grass will- be dripping r,“ as
marshy spots fi-eqlient"m of
that? you ask: gayly. GK"! b. wet-
ter than you are.
At luncheon. rubbed dry. with dry
clothes and shoes and stocking you
have a glow all over you. The my
at homes ask if you didn't get
drenched. How odd, it mean, to
think that they have sat Many
all the charm of that we!
morning. You pity tin, all! you
eat an enormous lunch“ and re-
mark that you've «ladder! to exp-hero
the old wood mmmwve'
next morning.
“Yes. if it's fine tom, we
might ,plan sometldn; In that.”
they reply.
But you smile. You an free. You
are goingin mammalian
And you rather hopeltwm. The:
old road must be wonderful in
weather like this, and the bliss of
solitude is not to be denied.
This same bliss is only mutate
lnthecitymnkeweathe. Itis
when the skies pour and the Min
ut, most of them,
Norwalk Chronicler