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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 1900)
KILLED THE BANDITS A STORY OF CAMPAION IN THE PHILIPPINES. American Soloier Atlnck and Dritroy n Robber' VIUirb la (tin Ittntiit of Negroi A Doicrlntloii Thnt Iteadi LUt Flctluu. The story of one of the most thrill ing epIsodeB of the wnr In tho Philip pines la graphically told In a report Juat received at the war department from Capt. B. P. Byrne, of tho Sixth United States Infantry, who command ed tho American forces in La Carlotn district, island of Negros. In command of 105 men, Capt. Byrne marched against u band, 400 strong, and found them in their mountain fastness. Tho battle that followed was largely a hand-to-hand conflict, In which clubbed guns and bolos were used with effect When It was over tho bodies of. the robbers lay thick on tho Hold, while Byrno had only ono man killed and wounded. This band of robbers had been tho terror of Negros for years. Capt. Byrne practically annihi lated It, and in recognition of his serv ices ho was made lloutcnant-colonel of tho Porticth regiment, United States volunteers. At 8 p. m. on July 17 tho column under Capt. Byrno started from Pontc vadra on a 15-milo night march to the bandits' stronghold. Tho rain came down In torrents, turning tho road Into a quagmire. After going six or seven miles tho column left the road and made its way with difficulty, rlco Holds waist deep In water being on countered, to tho foothills of the mountains. Ordinary rivulets hnd be como mad torrents by thlB tlmo and tho difficulties increased. It was ncces sary to follow tho bed of a stream In water waist deep, to climb over big boulders and to traverse a Jungle. At 3 a. m. tho base of tho mountain, where tho bandits hud their fort, was readied. An hour was spent in break fasting and resting. At 4 o'clock tho ascent of tho mountain was begun. It was steep at first and then became at most perpendicular. Foot by foot tho men worked their way up. Twenty yards from tho summit tho column was halted, whllo Capt. Byrne, Lieut. Nes Mtt and some men went forward to re connoitre. What followed Is given in Capt. Byrno'8 own words: "Wo climbed to the top of tho hill, and look lng cautiously over were astonished to find one of their block houses and observation towers not over 10 or 20 yards away. Somo of tho bandits were cooking breakfast In perfect Ignorance of our presence. Wo Instantly rushed upon them, and before thoso In and around tho houso had realized what happened, soven out of tho nine had been shot down not far from tho houso, Two escaped, zigzagging so quickly In their marvolously rapid flight that they could not bo hit beforo reaching somo high grass, Into which they fell, as Is their custom, and disappeared as iulckly as would n snake. Knowing that our presence was now discovered, wo ran back and I rushed Lieut. Nes bltt forward with 20 men who, hear lng tho firing, had struggled to the top of tho hill. Tho lieutenant went for ward, with his men deployed as skir mlshcrs, In tho direction of tho fleeing bandits, to attack anything he found as it was thought that tho main body would be found in tho direction the bandits had fled. I remained back for awhllo and sent tho men, as fast as they could be gotten up tho hill, to Join tho advanco line. I soon heard continuous thing In tho direction Lieut. Ncsbltt had taken, and leaving Sergt. MaJ. Bennett to gather up tho remainder of tho men, I started in tho direction of tho firing, I had pro ceeded but a few hundred yards when I came In plain vlow of the village, THE KILLING OF THIS BANDIT CHIEF. ubout H00 yards dlstuur. It was nn Ideal placo for a bandit stronghold, de fcudo.il by blockhouses nnd stockade, neither bullet proof, against uny en emy that might bo expected, except on tho sldo of tho mountain whore It was not expected apparently that an enemy would appear. "When I Hist sighted tho town It was filled with seemingly crazy men. It reminded mo of an anthill Just stirred up with n stick. They wero running In every direction, not leaving tho town, but charging back and forth In wild confusion. Horses wero run ning around loose among the men, somo saddled and In all stages of prop uration for mounting. I found that Lieut. Nesbitt had taken a very ad vantageous position, which afforded him tho opportunity to both flro Into tho confused mass of bandits with tcr riblo effect and at tho same tlmo to cut off tholr escape to Salupltan by the only trail In that direction. Sergt. Bennett soon arrived with tho remain der of tho men who wero nble to tray- -T cl, making In nil 05 tired men for the work ahead, tho remainder being too much exhausted to Join tho command. I seat Scrgt. Bennett to tho right to flro Into the village, also at the same time to bo so posted that he could cut off their escape to tho hills on that side and cover the road to tho valley. I remained between tho detachments with Trumpeter Steele, of Company K. Our fire was vigorously replied to by a party of about If, rillcmen located be hind woodpiles In the village. Short ly after wo opened lire the vlllngc seemed to bo deserted with tho same suddenness that It had but u short tlmo before been swarming with men, the riflemen alone remaining at their posts. They did not, however, leave tho placo but much to my surprise went Into tho houses, which afforded no protection except to screen them from view, and Btrnngcr still, the dead ly flro of our men could not dlslodgo them, as volley after volley failed to bring any of them out. It occurred to mo then that at this rate our supply of ammunition would become exhaust ed and the village still remain In pos session possibly of n considerable fore 3 A SLAUGHTER OF BANDITS. of tho enemy, so I concluded they would havo to be attacked at close quarters and poked out of tho houses." As speedily as possible Capt. Byrne drew enough of his men together to mako tho attack. There wero about 20 In the party. "They were gotten Into skirmish order," says Capt. Byrno, "and took the position of center skir misher of tho party and directed Trum peter Steele to sound the charge, tell lng tho men nt tho last note I w.as going forward and expected them to go with mo. At tho last noto of tho trum pet wo sprang up over the bank Into tho village. A few men were a llttlo slow, but soon sprang Into place. Two fell down behind a log, but on being shouted at, got up and Joined tho line All had now recovered their self-possession nnd would have gono any where. Tho bandits fell back across tho villago with our men still after them. Thou they became panic strick en and dispersed, fleeing down tho hill, while our men poured a deadly llro luto them at close range as long as they were In Bight. "LJeut. Ncsbltt, who had witnessed our predicament from tho hill, had started with all husto for tho villago and arrived shortly nfter tho bandits had disappeared In tho woods. Ho continued tho pursuit so long ns they could be found. They had scattered In every direction nnd quite a number were killed by his men. A notablo In cident of tho light, and ono of great Importance as affecting tho pence and quiet of this vicinity, was tho killing of tho chief of tho band, a tall, hand somo man, who looked like a Spaniard Ho died as hard as ho fought. When pierced by two bullets through tho breast ho fell from his horse, rolled, plunged nnd scrambled over the ground like u chicken when beheaded. Of all tho bandits killed I did not see a wound cd man except in the struggle of death on tho Held. They always got away to dlo off the battlefield. They would hop, scramble, roll or drag themsolves until picked up by somo comrado, who would run and carry another man with comparatlvo case." SINGLE-HANDED HOLD-UP. A Mmkeil Mini Coirs ICzpros Mt-NOitj;er mill Cotliint t'nuli. An unknown whlto , masked man robbed a Southorn Express company car near Branchvlllc, S. C, on tho Southern railway, tho other night. Tho train had Just left the station whon Messengers Ramoy and Uhodes wero covered with two revolvers held In the hands of tho robber. One messenger was made to stand with his hands over his head and tho other was commanded to hand over tho money packages from tho safe. Seventeen hundred dollars wero secured and the robber, after wnrnlng tho messongors not to put a foot outsldo of tho car until tho train had got under headway again, pulled tho boll cord and Jumped oft as tho train slowed up. Tho conductor saw tho robber escaping alongsldo tho track, but thinking him a tramp, slg nailed the engineer ahead. Whon tho train got undor headway tho mossen gers came out and told their story. Tho car wus a combination baggage and express car, and tho door hnd been opened to pormlt tho conductor to reach tho baggago section, which was on tho forward end of tho car. It was by reason of this fact that tho robber was enabled to enter tho car. Ono of tho safes which oscuped tho robbor's notlco contained $8,000. Tim Cow Tree, Cow-treo Is found In tho mountains of South and Central America, and is nn evergreen, its sap almost exactly resembles milk, nnd flows copiously from wounds mado In the bark. It was first brought to tho notice of Euro peans by Alexnndor von Humboldt Tho natives of tho country where the tree Is found are in tho habit of drink lng freely of tho milk, nnd find It both palatable and nourishing. . GOLDEN BUBBLE STUPENDUOUS SWINDLES BY FRANKLIN SYNDICATE. All Former Napoleon of Vlnnure J'nle Into Utter InOgnlllcance When Caiu pure J with William Miller the llrook lyu Nulmlltr. Another dream of wealth has van ished In tho collapse of tho Franklin Syndicate of Brooklyn, and tho hunt for its sponsors, William F. MUtor, Its head, nnd Cecil Leslie, press promoter nnd secretary. The syndlcata began business In a poor qunrtor of Brooklyn two years ago as a banking Institution ngrcolng to pay depositors 10 per cent a wcok for tho use of their monoy, or 520 per cent a year. Tho concern gave out that t was ablo to do this by lnsldo advices in tho stock market nnd tho making of millions by tho rlso In listed securities. This wont on qulotly for nearly two years and 10 per cont was paid deposi tors as per agreement. About two months ago tho syndicate advertised widely and a golden showor of unceas ing volume found Its way to tho coffers of what has been aptly termed tho divi dend mill. One day $81,000 was taken In and In nil somo $4,000,000 was rc WILLIAM F. MILLER. celvod across its counters. The bank ing house soon becamo tho busiest placo In Brooklyn and n small army of clerks, bookkeepers and typewriters wero engaged In Its service The Now York bankers of standing refused to havo anything to do with the business offered by tho syndicate, becauso tho officers wero certain It was a swindle. Tho patrons wero scattered all over tho country, whllo nearly every police man, flroman.domcstlc or school-teacher In Brooklyn wore entrapped Into tho device. Mr. Miller, who Joined tho Presbyterian congregation of Dr. Mere dith, of that city, waB expelled, made hnvoc with its members and tho pas tor complained to tho pollco that ho wa3 ruining pretty noarly all tho young men of his congregation by his Monto Crlsto scheme. For a long time tho authorities had an eyo upon the prlmo movers of tho syndicate, and Anally determined to closo up tho placo and arrest tho pro moters. Miller and Losllo, forewarned of this "action, disappeared. A war rant was Issued charging tho promoters with conspiracy to obtain monoy by fraudulent representations. Tho fed eral government also wants them for falling to place rovenuo stamps on re ceipts for deposits. So ends tho Get Rich Quick syndi cate which has defraudod tens of thou sands and given renowed meaning to tho saw that "n fool and his money Is TRAVELING TRA ELING Herewith Is a plcturo of a portion of tho suburbs of Senttlo, Wash., "on Its way from Rnlnlor Heights to Lnko Washington." Theso nro but a fow out of 60 or CO structures, all of which nro similarly "on tho movo," tholr nvorngo rato of travel bolng nbout 2Vfe Inches per dny. A. section mnny squaro mllos in nrea has beon "moving to tho front." of tho lnko shoro for nearly throo years past. A lnrgo sawmill on tho shoro of tho lake Is being steadily pusUcil out Foon parted." For days tho two wcoks beforo Its close a long lino of deposi tors awaited their turn In the street to give up tholr monoy nnd get 10 per cent for It, and ono day tho lino was 200 feet long and required several po licemen to keep It from becoming n mob. Miller Is described ns Napoleonic In scheming, of fascinating address when It pays to bo so, but frigid when ho is displeased with conditions or persons. It Is bcltovcd ho and Leslie havo nt least $500,000 as tho result of their knnvory In this deal. In every Instance? Miller paid tho 10 per cent a wcok On deposits, Just ns ho agreed, and never failed to return tho principal when ho was asked to do so. Ho simply paid tho Interest out of tho deposits which poured In upon him, nnd ho long ns theso deposits cnino In sufficient quan tities ho would have been nblo 10 do thl3 and still retnln largo amounts. Ultimately, of course, ho was dostlnod to como to tho end of his rope, and tho number of victims Is simply less thnn If ho had been permitted to go on for n tlmo longer. tlrcut 1'rlnnn nt Cnpe Town, One of the most Interesting places In Capo Town, the headquarters of En glish authority In South Africa, Is tho great prison, In which almost every nation In tho world hn3 Its representa tive. On Its rolls nro moro thnn 1,003 convicts. There nro Ameiicnn minors, sons of English nrlstocrncy, French men, Germans. Italians and Russlnns, to say nothing of tho lnrgo number of Knlllrs nnd other African natives. Tho least Intelligent of the prisoners nnd thoso who nro sentonced for llfo havo been employed on tho great fortifica tions which form tho defenses of Cnpo Town. Prisoners who nro not em ployed on tho public works nro leased to tho farmers of Capo Colony, who pay from 35 to GO conts apleco for each man, In addition to food nnd shelter, tho government furnishing guards nnd clothing. On tho hillside, overlooking Capo Town, tier upon tier of modern guns nro in plnce. Each of them la connected by wire with tho fort, nnd all can bo fired nt ono tlmo, If desired, by the prcssuro of an electric button l'upicnrcit with Ilia Wlfo' .Stepmother Georgo Payne, a prosperous farmer of Wild Cat Creek. W. Va., has disap peared with his wife's stepmother, nnd all efforts to locate tho pair nro futile Payne enmo Bevernl months ago with his family from Ohio. Ills father-In law, Sylvester Johnston, who Is 70 years of nge, lived with him, and four weeks ago wedded Mls3 Ella Owens, a hantlsomo young woman, though Pa no and his wlfo strenuously ob Jectcd. Tho Payne couple oven re fused to receive the elderly groom nnd his brldo. But matters wero nrrnnged amicably at last and the nowly wedded pair spent their honeymoon In tho Puyno household. But there was much surprise whon Mr. Johnston discovered that his wlfo was gono and Mrs. Pnyno found thnt her husband was missing. An investigation showed that tho two hnd left In the night. Mexico' (luinlilliic Monopoly. Don Felipo Mnrtol. tho famous gam bllug houso proprietor of tho City of Mexico, had mado n fortuno In tho uiisl ncss beforo tho government decided to abolish gambling houses by levying on them a llconso tax of $1,000 n day. Ono by ono tho gambling houses closed, and when tho field wns clear Don I'O lipo Martel approached the authorities wlui $1,000. In cash and domnnded n day's llconso. In a fow houra his placo was thronged. At n slnglo Btroko ho had won tho patronngo of Mexico nnd his doors havo nover been closed since Tho dnlly outlay of $1,000 Is not missed from tho dnlly rovenuo of thousands. PART OF TOWN. PART OF SEATTLE. nnd submerged In Itn waters: whllo novoral very linndsomo rosldonccs and a largo church nro on tho verge of de struction on the helghtH above; por tions of their gardons nnd such odd trifles ns couch houses and other out buildings havo already broken nway and become part of tho chaotic Jumbk bolow, Tho process is so graduai, how ever, that no ono soems seriously to trouble until It becomes no longer pos sible to hold tho furniture- In position. WOES OF INNOCENT, PATHETIC STORIES OF UNFOR- TUNATE VICTIMS. Wrongfully Contlrleit on Clrenmitnntlnl Itvldenco luitnncc In Which the In nocent Suffered Kteu the Extrome l'enalty fur t'ncnnmilttoit Crlmoi. Circumstantial ovldcnco and the pos sibility of wrongful conviction thereon nro topics never lacking in Interest among lawyers. Ono of tho most romarknble of wrongful convictions camo to light In Boontr county, Mo., In 1893. Soven years earlier Georgo Wntklns, with his young wlfo, removed from Kansas to Missouri, settling as tenants on n plan tation owned by Andrew Hodgepeth. Hcdgepcth remained on tho plantation nnd soon fell In lovo with Mrs. Wnt klns, who encouraged his attentions openly. Dcspornto Jealousy took pos session of Wntklns nnd several quar rels over the woman occurred between tho two mon. Ono day, having patched up tholr differences, npparently, Wnt klns nnd Hcdgepcth went to tho county seat together In n wngon. Hcdgepcth returned alone, Baying ho did not know what had become of Wntklns. A fow believed Hcdgcpoth'o story, but most of his neighbors scouted It, es pecially as Wntklns' ovorcoat, In tho pocket of which wero lila gloves, plpo nnd wallet, was found In tho wagon whero Wntklns had left It. Worso yet, thcro was a bloody hntchot In tho wagon. Hcilgopoth'8 arrest nnd trlnl for murder followed. Ho seemed nervous nnd unstrung whllo tho chain of clrcumstnntlal ovldenco wno bolng forged ngnlust him, but Insisted upon being sworn. On tho stand ho ndmlt ted frequent qunrrols with Wntklns nbout tho lnttor's wlfo, and also said that they hnd qunrrclod over her on tho dny they went to tho county scat But ho iwerred, with Booming slncorlty, that ho had not harmed Wntklns, who had declared his purposo to leavo tho country rather than endure tho ox Istlng situation. It Is probablo that Hedgopoth would havo been declared guilty, nnywny, but probability was rendered ccrtnlnty whon Mrs. Wntklns went on tho stnnd. For, In a fit of np parent remorse, sho swore that Bho nnd Iledgopeth hnd conspired to murder Watklns, nnd Bho apparently bcllovcd Hodgepeth guilty, though sho denied knowledge of the crime In detail. Bo lng convicted, Hodgepeth nppcnled nnd got n now trial, which resulted In n second conviction. In duo tlmo ho was hanged, nnd soon afterward Mrs. Wat kins died of real remorse. Six months Inter tho lawyer who had dofendod Hedgopoth found Wutklns nllvo and well nmong friends In his old Kansas homo, wlicro ho had been living qulot ly over slnco tho dny ho went to mnr ket with Hcdgepcth. Scarcely less remarkable, though It did not culmlunto In nn execution, was tho caso of John D. Cochran of UllnolB, who was convicted In tho Wabash county court of murdering John Buch cnbergcr. Buchonborger went from Evnnsvlllo to Mount Cnrmol on Oct. 11, 18SS. On tho lGth ho bought n ro volvor. Next day, having boon seen with Cochran mcnnwhllo, ho wns found dying undor n lumber shod, his rovol vor near by, with ono empty cnrtrldgo chamber. Cochran was arrested, nnd a tissue of clrcuinslnntlal ovldonco.fur nlshetl mostly by ChniieB Reese, who had served a term for horso stealing was woven about tho prisoner. Tho trlnl attracted attention throughout tho middlo west, Cochran's dofenso bolng a complete- denial. His nttornoy Bought to prove that Buchcnborger commlttod juilcldo, but could not provo It, nnd Cochran, being convicted, was sent to tho ponltcntlnry for llfo. In 1892 It wns learned that on tho day nftor Buchcnbergor's death his wlfo, living JOHN D. COCHRAN. nt Evnnsvllle, had received a letter written by him on tho day beforo tho supposed murdor, saying that ho was about to depart from tho world of mor lals to dwell with his Honvenly Father adding that his body would bo found exactly where It was found. Singular ly ouough, though no pains wero taken lo conceal tho oxlstonco of this letter, Cochran's counsel never henril of It When Cochran's friends lenrnod about it they lost no tlmo In laying tho caso boforo Govornor Flfer, and ho par dound tho Imprisoned man without de lay. A singular case of erroneous convlc tlcn on circumstantial ovldenco was that of John Baxwell, n merchant o Gibraltar, In 1811, Baxwoll was Catholic, and he had a protty 17-yoar aid daughter of tho unuBual namo of Elclza. William Kntt, a Lutheran fell In lovo with hor, but Baxwell do 3! i red that tho pair should not bo at lowed to wod, going so far aa to say lin would kill hor rathor than permit Uio marriage. A fow days later sho i disappeared. Naturally Baxwell was Arrested and tried. lCatt was tho chief witness for tho prosecution, and ho swore to Baxwell'fl threat of murder. Katt's testimony was reinforced by other testimony thnt loud cries had been heard from a cavo near tho Bax- well houso on tho day of tho girl's disappearance; nlso by tho fact that torn pieces of her clothing, with n lock of her hnlr, clotted with blood, woro found In tho cavo. Tho verdict waa guilty," dcsplto Baxwell's protest of Innoconce. On tho day set for hl xccutlon Kntt was nmong the spocta- ors. As Baxwell ascended tho scaf fold ho called Kntt to him, nnd, extend ing his hand, declared that ho forgavo tho young man for swearing his llfo nway. Immediately Katt becamo ex cited, nnd, Just as tho drop was nbout to fall, sprang forward with a wild cry. "Stop!" ho cnllod. "B&xwell in Innocent. I am tho only guilty mnn hore!" This prevented tho execution nnd the ofuclnls rushed to tho aid of Bnxwcll. Ho had falton In n faint, ap parently, hut In reality ho was dead from pure fright. Kntt then oxplnined thnt tho girl was nllvo nnd well, adding that ho hnd abducted and secreted her, Tho cries In tho cave, tno blood-stained lock of hair nnd tho pieces of hor clothing hnd boon "planted" to cover up the clopomont, nnd out of revonge ncnlnst Bnxwell. Tho authorities ANDREW HEDGEPETII. locked up Katt, and tho girl was sent to u convent. Russell Colvln was u farm laborer who married tho daughtor of Barney Boom, nt MnneheBtor, Vt., nnd for yenrs thereafter lived with tho Boom fnmlly, which Included two sons, Jesse and Stephen. No lovo wns lost be tween the sons and tho son-in-law, nnd Colvln finally disappeared, nfter n par ticularly violent qunrrcl botwoen tho three. From tho first tho Boorn brothers woro suspected of hnvlng mado wny with Colvln, but It wns years boforo there was anything moro than suspi cion. Then a lint, rocoanlzed ns Col- vln's, wus found. An old stump over turned, disclosed tho skeleton of n mnn. It was remembered that tho Boom boys had boasted that they had put Colvln "whero potatoes wouldn't freeze. The result wns tho Immediate arrest of Jcsso nt tho old placo and n search for Stophen, who hnd loft tho state. In tlmo ho wns found and brought back. In npito of tho lack of positive ovldenco tho Booms wero be llovcd by tholr neighbors to bo guilty, nnd this fooling ran so high that their parents woro expelled from tho church, whllo tho father wns held as bolng accessory to tho murdor. At tho trial Jcsso testified that, although ho had taken no pnrt In tho murder, Stophen had confessed It to him, nnd, to crown all, evidently In tho hopo of n lenient treatment from tho Jury, Stophon owned up on tho stand, going Into mtnuto particulars concerning tho bloody deed. Notwithstanding tholr confessions, Jcsso nnd Stophen woro Bontoncod to bo hanged, whereupon they changed front completely, pro tested Innoconco, nnd urged their coun sel to savo them at all hazards. Tho legislature commuted Jcsso's sentence to llfo Imprisonment, but would not Intcrforo to savo Stephen. As n Inst resort Stephen's lawyor, who 1 i Icq overy ono clso believed him guilty, put an ndvortlsomont In tho Rutland (Vt.) Herald Betting forth tho facta nnd calling upon Colvln to declnro him self If still living. Tho advertisement was copied In a Now York paper and mot tho eyo of Colvln hlmsolf, who wns allvo nnd well at Dovor, N. J., whero ho was employed by a resident farmer. Ho wont to Manchester In time to savo Stophon Boorn from tho gnllows, nnd then' Jesso was released from tho penltontlary. Vmiilult in of tho l'renent. From tho Now York World: It Is through lack of Information that tho vendetta Is referred to today as an In stitution of tho past. Vcndottns blood foudB exist today not only In Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, but in Kentucky and other of tho southern nnd wostcrn status, and also at times in England, Ireland nnd Franco, Italy and tho cast. It has happoncd recent ly that an Albanlnn whoso rolatlvo had been killed by n Turkish vlzlor shot tho vizier's son which Is nt loast a partial exemplification of tho vendet ta, in Arabia tho Bystom Is today In full operation, n fact which la so well understood thnt offensos sufficient to stnrt a train of killings nro rarely com mitted, and a considerable degreo of order Is thorcby preserved. As It Is generally understood tho vendetta originated In tho following practice: An nBsnssIn ivaa nover allowed to es cape. Tho responsibility of punish ment was assumed by tho nearest blood relations of his victim. There must bo blood for blood, a death for a death. Out of overy thrco persons Btruck by lightning two rccovor,