CAPTAIN DIIX' M-DONALD TEXAX "'' ' '''''' ' \' -C / -->~SYS ?'Si UV7W&SJ ' ty*V<? > S&£?Z , j& : J& si*s£> THOSE days when the Wl'tii -\l' ss ' ss 'PPi planter was only something less than %0 a feudal baron, with slaves and wide domain and vested rights; with horses, hounds and the long chase after fox and good red deer; with horn and flagon and high home was sail in tii£j liall—in those days was born Wiiliam Jesse McDonald, Sop tember 28, 1852. His father, Enoch McDonald, was a planter of the feu dal type fearless, fond of the chase, the owner of wide acres and half a hundred slaves—while his grandfa ther, of the clan McDonald 011 his na tiv< !i< ath, was a step nearer in the backward line to some old laird whr let? his men in roistering hunt or in bloody tray amid the green hills and in dim glens of Scotland. That was good blood, and from his mother, who was a Durham—Eunice Durham —the lit tle chap that was one day to be a leader on lis own account inherited as clear a strain. The feudal hall in Mississippi, however, was a big. old plantation house, built of hewn logs and riven boards, with woods and cotton fields on every hand; with cabins for the slaves and outbuildings of every sort. That was in Kem per county, over near the Alabama line, with De Kalb, the county seat, about 20 miles away. It was a peculiar childhood that little "Bill ■less" .McDonald had. It was full of such things as the homecoming of the hunters with a deer or a tox —sometimes (and these were grand occasions) even with a bear. Then there were wonderful ball games played by the Bogue Chita and Muckilutia Indians; exciting shoot ing matches and horse races, long fishing and swimming days with companions black and white, !*id the ever-recurring chase, with the bloodhounds, of some runaway slave. There was «ot much book-schooling in a semi-bar bari;. childhood such as that. There was a sdioo!ho»tse of course, which was used for a church and gatherings of any sort, and some times the children had lessons there. But the Kemper county teaching of that day was mainly t<- rido well, shoot straight and to act quickly in the face of danger. That was the proper education for the boy who was one day to make the Texas Panhandle and No-man's land his hunting ground, with men for his quarry. Presence of mfnd he had as a gift, and it was early manifested. There was a lake not far away, where fishing and swimming went on almost continuously during the summer days, and so.-retimes the small swimmers would muddy the water near the shore and then catch the fla'a in their hands. They were doing this one dj.y when Bill Jess was heard ♦o announce, excitedly, "I've got him, boys! I've got him! You can't beat mine!" at the same Instant swinging his catch high for them to see. That was a correct statement. They couldn't beat bin catch and they didn't want to. What they wanted to do was to get out of his neighborhood without any unnecessary delay, for the thing he held up to view was an immense, deadly moccasin, grasped with both 'lands by the ne.:k, the rest of it curling in stantly around the lower arm. His hold was so tight and so near the head that the snake could not bitt> him. but the problem was to turn it loose. His friends were all ashore and it a safe distance. He did not lose his head, however, but wa.ling ashore himself he invited thein one after another to unwind that snake. Nobody cared fcr the job and he told them in turn ::nd collectively what he thought of them. Then be offered the honor to a little slave boy on attractive ter.ns. "Jim, lie snid, "ef you-all don't come an' unwind this he.-ih snake. I'll beat you-all to death an' cut off yo' ears an' skin you alive and give yo' eahcass to the buzzards." Those were the days when a little slave boy could not resist an earnest entreaty of that sort from the son of the household, and Jim came forward, his face gray with grati tude. and taking hold gingerly he unwound a yard or so of water-moccasin from Bill Jess, who, with the last coil, flung his prize to the ground, where it was quickly killed, it being well-nigh choked to death already. But even the gift of presence of mind will sometimes balk a* unfamiliar dangers. It was about tiiis time that the civil war broke out, and Enoch McDcnald enlisted a company to defend the southern cause. The little boy left behind was heart broken. His father was his hero and when bv and by the news came that tin soldiers weie encamped at Meridian—a railway station about 50 miles distant—the lad made up his mind to join them. He ar rived at Meridian one morning and began to look over the ground and to make a few in quiries as to his father's headquarters. He had never seen a railroad before, and he fol lowed along the track with increasing interest till lie reached the engine, which lie thought must be the most wonderful and beautiful thing ever created. Then suddenly it let off steam, the bell lar.g and the air was split by a screaming whistle. It was too sudden and too strange for his gift to work. The son of all the McDonalds and of a gallant soldier set out. for the horizon, never pausing until halted by the sentry of his father's camp. He was permitted to enter and was direct ed to the drill ground, where his father, who had been promoted for bravery to the rank of major, was superintending certain maneuvers. The little boy In his eagerness ran directly into the midst of things and Major McDonald, suddenly seeing him, was startled into the conclusion that some dire calamity had be fallen his famili and only Bill Jess had escaped to tell the tale. Half sliding, half falling, he dropped from his horse to learn the truth. Then gratefully he lifted the lad up behind him and continued the drill. Eunice McDonald was c-nly a day or two behind Bill Jess, for her iiutinct told her where the boy had gone. They remained a few days in camp and then bade their soldier They never saw him again, for he was killed at the battle of Corinth at the head of his regiment, his face to the enemy, as a soldier should die. The boy of 12 was now the head of the household. He had his mother and a sister, and most of the negroes still remained; but he was the man of the house and was mature before his time. The war ended at last and with it the Mc- Donald fortune. Slaves anil cotton were gone. Only a remnant of land, then worthless, remained. Eunice McDonald, wid owed, with two children, her home left desolate by the ravages of war, knew not which way to turn. A bachelor brother with his face set Texasward of fered to make a home for her in the new land. She accepted the offer and in JB6ti they reached east Texas and settled in Husk county, near Hen derson, the county seat. Here the brother and sister made an effort to retrieve their broken fortunes, with moderate success. But though still a boy in years, being not more than 16, his youth came really to an end now. It was the period of reconstruction in the south—a time of obnoxious enforcements on (he one hand and rebellious bitterness on the other, with general lawlessness in the black settlements. The military dominated the towns and there were continuous misun derstandings between the still resentful con quered and the aggressive and sometimes inso lent conquerors. Young McDonald, with the memory of his hero father shot dead while leading his regiment against these men in blue, was in no frame of mind to submit to any indignity, real or fancied, at their hands. It happened just at this time that one Col. Greene, a relative of the McDonalds, was mur dered by negroes, who, being arrested, con fessed the killing, stating that they had mis taken Greene for a mule-buyer supposed to have a large sum of money. The men were lodged in jail, but it was believed that under the "carpet-bag" military law then prevailing they would escape punishment. In later years young McDonald was to become one of the most strenuous defenders of official procedure —one of the bitterest opponents of lynch law the state of Texas has ever known; but he was hot-blooded in 'sixty-eight and the situa tion was not one to develop moral principles. When, therefore, a mob formed and took the negroes out of jail and hanged them there is no record of Bill Jess having distinguished himself in their defense, as he certainly would have done in later years. Indeed, it is likely that if he did not help pull a rope that night it was only because the rope was fully occu pied with other willing hands. Of course the military descended on Hen derson and set into discipline it for this con certed lawlessness. The townspeople as a whole, and the relatives of Col. Greene in par ticular, resented this occupation. Charley Greene, a brother of the murdered man, in company with Bill Jess, presently got into trouble with some soldiers who were deporting themselves m a manner considered offensive and the result was a running fight with the military in the lead. The soldiers made for their quarters in the courthouse. It would have been proper to leave them alone then— to retire flushed with victory, as the books say, and satisfied. But Greene could not rest. He persuaded Bill Jess to stay with him and they rode up and down in front of the court house, occasionally taking a shot at the win dows, to punctuate their challenge to warfare. Finally Greene decided that they could charge the courthouse and capture it. He primed himself with liquor for the onset and refused to heed his companion's advice to abandon the campaign. The two ascended the courthouse stairs at last with pistols cocked. Greene had one in each hand and with them shoved open the double doors at the head of the stairs. That was another mistake. The soldiers were "laying for him" just inside and in an instant later his arms were pinioned and lie was a prisoner. The doors swung to, then, and Bill Jess stood outside, wondering whether he ought to charge to the rescue, wait there and be captured or retire in good order. With that gift of logic and rare presence of mind which would one day make him famous he decided to get out of there. No attempt was made at the time to arrest young McDonald, though soldiers frequently loitered about his home premises and witli these he had many collisions, usually coming off victorious. Still, he was laying up trouble for himself, for Greene's court-martial was coming off and Bill Jess, who went over to see if he could be of any assistance, was promptly arrested while nosing about the stockade and landed with his reative on the inside. This was a serious mat ter. The boy realized that, as soon as the gates closed behind him. He realized it still more forcibly when a few days later he and Greene were led into the courtroom for mili tary trial and he took a look at the men who were to prosecute him for aiding in the crime of treason. Nor was he reassured when one of the lawyers present announced that lie would "defend that boy's case." For there was nothing inspiring about this champion's appearance. His eyes were half-closed and he had a general air of sleepy indifference which did not disappear until it came his turn to take part in the proceedings. Then suddenly the sleepy eyes became alive, the shaggy hair was tossed back, the clay pipe was laid on the table and Dave Culberson, afterward known as an eminent lawyer and stataesman, arose and made such a plea in behalf of the boy whose father had died at Corinth and whose mother and sister relied on him to-day for protection, that only one verdict remained in the minds of his hearers when he closed. Bill Jess was acquitted, but his relative. Charley Greene, was less fortunate. He remained in a north CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1910 ern prison many years before he was finally released. Dave Culberson afterwards repre sented his di3trict in congress and the boy he defended eventually served the son, Charles G. Culberson—then governor—now United States senator from Texas. It is likely this bit of experience with hot headed lawlessness and the result thereof proved of immense value to young McDonald. From that time forward we find him a peace maker, a queller of disturbances, a separator of combatants, even at great personal risk. After a brief sojourn at Longview he es tablished himself in Wood county, at Mineola, then a newly established and busy railway ter minus. This was in 1875 and his venture was a success. Soon he was considered the lead ing grocer of the town. It was during this period that McDonald made the acquaintance of James S. Hogg, who in later life, as governor of Texas, was to con fer his most useful official position—that of ranger captain—thus enabling him to do much of the work which has identified his name with the state's constructive history. Hogg, then a young man, was justice of the peace at the county seat, Quitman, a few miles distant from Mineola, and was also conducting a pa per there. He bought his groceries of Mc- Donald and the account ran along in a go-as you-please sort of a way. They were good friends and courted together and it was through Hogg that young McDonald met Miss Rhoda Isabel Carter, a young woman with fine nerve and force of character —just the girl for a Texas regulator's wife. And such, indue time, she was to become, for he married her in January, 1876. His friendship for Hogg continued for some time after that, but came to a sudden end one day, when Hogg, who had been elected county attorney, with character istic conscientiousness prosecuted McDonald and others for carrying concealed weapons— McDonald's possession of such a wapon hav ing been revealed by his aiding in the capture of a gang of boisterous disturbers of the peace. McDonald rose and defended his own case, de claring he had quit business to do his duty as a good citizen and that he would stay in jail the balance of his days before he would pay a fine. With his usual frank fearlessness, he said some hard things to Hogg In the presence of the court, and though discharged the two were est. '""° d for a considerable period. Then a truce v. „ied up, but only for a time. But now came Bill McDonald's first official appointment and service. Living just outside of Mineola was a man named Gordon, of hard character and the owner of several bull-dogs, similarly endowed. Man and dogs became a menace to travel in that neighborhood, as they lived near a public road and were allowed at large. The man was particularly quarrelsome and ugly and was said to have killed several more or less inoffensive persons. He always carried arms the customary pistol and a bowie knife, the latter worn in a scabbard "down his back." He was an expert at throw ing this weapon and altogether a terror to the community. Bill McDonald would naturally resent the domination of a man like Gordon and when one day the latter came to town with one of his unruly dogs and the clog set upon and injured McDonald's prized pointer there was trouble active and immediate. Mc- Donald's reputation as a good man to let alone was already established at Mineola. He was known as a capable marksman-—fearless, reso lute and very sudden. When, therefore, lie produced a six-shooter for the avowed purpose of killing the bulldog, its master, who, like every bully trade, was a coward at heart, interceded humbly for the dog's life, promising to take the animal home and leave him there. McDonald agreed to the arrangement, but for the benefit of the community at large he promptly applied to Sheriff Pete Dowell for a commission as deputy, in order that in future he might restrain officially the obnoxious Gor don and others of his kind. The commission was promptly conferred and thus Bill Jess Mc- Donald, quietly and without any special mani fest, stepped into the ranks of Texas official regulators, where, in one capacity or another, he was to serve so long and well. But however quiet his enlistment, his ser vice was to be of another sort. Those were not quiet days, and the officer who set out to enforce the law was apt to become a busy per son. Gordon very soon appeared again in Mineola, and after investing in a good deal of bad whisky went on the warpath flourishing a six-shooter and giving out the information that nobody could arrest him. He was in the very midst of a militant harangue when Deputy McDonald suddenly appeared on the scene and before Gordon could gather himself he was, by some magic "twist of the wrist," disarmed, arrested and on the way to the calaboose. He demurred and resisted, but slept that night behind lock and bars. Next morning ho re fused breakfast and demanded release. Dep uty HcDonald left him in a mixed condition of reflection and profanity, returning at noon to lind him sober, subdued and hungry. Upon promise of good be havior for the future, he was taken hofore a justice, where he pleaded guilty and paid a fine. Then lie took his place as the first example of a long line of wonderful cures set down to ("apt. Bill McDonald's credit today, for lie gave little trouble after that and remained mostly in retirement, to be set upon at last by his own dogs and killed. But the Gordon experience was mild enough, after all, compared to the many which followed, and is only set down because it marks the begin ning of a career. Indeed, an episode of larger proportions was already un der way. In the timber lying adjacent to Mineola some 300 tie cutters were encamped, supplying cross-ties for the 1. & G. N. road. They were a drink ing, lawless lot nnd on Saturday nights the Mineola streets were filled with riot and disorder. The city mar shal, George Keeves, and Deputy Mc- Donald had on several occasions made arrests and such enforcement of the law bad been regarded by the tie-gang as an affront to all. They sent word to the officers, at last, that they would be 011 hand in full force on the fol lowing Saturday and that the cala boose might as well go out of com- mission so far as they were concerned. Saturday night came, and according to promise the tie-cutters were on the street, nu merous and noisy. Seeing a commotion at the rear of a cheap hotel, where a number of the men had gathered, McDonald went over there and found Reeves surrounded. Without hesi tation he shoved a way through with his pistol until he stood by Reeves' side. Reeves had arrested a man and a general riot was immi nent. The prisoner was very drunk and dis orderly and demanding that he be allowed to goto his room. Catching the drift of matters, McDonald said: "All right, take him to his room, if he's got one; I'll take care of this crowd." There was something in the business-like confidence of that statement which impressed the crowd. And then he had such a handy way of holding a six-shooter. Nobody quite wanted to die first and Reeves started for the back entrance of the hotel with his man. As they entered the door the fellow reeled against the casing and fell to the ground. Then a general stampede started, for it was called out that Reeves had struck him. McDonald said: "Stop, you fellers! The fool fell down. I'll kill the first man that interferes!" That was another discouraging statement from a man who had a habit of keeping his word. It seemed to the crowd that an officer like that didn't play fair. He didn't argue at all. Somebody was likely to get hurt if they didn't get that gun away from him. Movements to this end were started here and there, but they didn't get near enough to the chief actor to be effective. Finally, when Reeves and his prisoner set out for the calaboose, the crowd moved in that direction, timing their steps to a chorus of threats and profanity. Reeves and McDonald made no reply until they ar rived at the lock-up; then, the disturbers being there handy, the officers began gathering them in, a dozen at a time. It was a genuine sur prise party for the tie-men. They were too much astonished for any concerted movement, and when invited at the points of those guns to step inside and make themselves at home they did not have the bad taste to refuse. The turbulent tie-men were sober and sen sible by Monday morning and allowed togo, under promise of good behavior. Mineola suddenly became a moral town. Amusements of the old sort languished. But by this time Deputy Bill Jeess was not satisfied with the quiet life. He had found his proper vocation-—that of active enforce ment of the law —and he was moved to pursue it in remoter places. A certain desperate ne gro outlaw by the name of Jim Bean had com mitted crimes in Smith county, whence he had escaped to Kansas. There he had killed a city marshal and returned once more to Smith county, which adjoins Wood on the south. This was the kind of game that Deputy Bill always enjoyed hunting. It was worth while. He made frequent still-hunts along the Sabine river, the dividing line between Wood and Smith, hoping to locate his quarry. He had heard a rumor that a certain family of swamp-dwellers were in league with the men, and, reflecting on the mat ter, he concluded to visit this house, both for the purpose of investigation and to borrow a shotgun, which he thought might be more useful in a man-chase than his rifle. Arriving at the suspected house, he told in his mildest manner a tale of a wounded deer not far away and borrowed a shotgun as well as the infor mation that the men and dogs of the place were in the brakes. He now began a careful still-hunt for his game and presently came full upon Jim Bean, who was on a horse, with a shotgun, guarding some stolen hogs. Before Bean could move now Deputy Me- Donald had him covered and commanded him to get off liis horse or lie would shoot him dead. Bean obeyed and McDonald threw his leg over his saddle and slid to the ground, still covering Bean with his gun. Suddenly Bean made a dash for a large tree, turning to shoot just as he reached this cover. Mc- Donald was too quick, however, and let go with a load of buckshot, which struck Bean in several places, causing him to make off in the direction of a slough toward thick hiding. McDonald now mounted his horse and started in pursuit of the wounded Jim Bean. Blood stains made the trail easy to follow. Soon a powder horn and then a pair of boots lay in the path of flight. McDon aid followed six miles to a cabin occupied by negroes. Bean was not in the cabin, but bare foot prints led into the woods. The man hunter followed them and finally overtook their owner. It was not Bean. The officer had been tricked—Bean had escaped while his pursuer had been following this false lead. It was dark now and further search was hope less. Next morning the outlaws had vanished from the country. They never returned and were heard of no more until some time after, when news came from Wise county that both the Bean brothers had been killed restating arrest. S^Fgs E\\wrs Sewva acts \/cX cwWve, V)owg\s , cVeawscs \\\G SX/SYgwx &scc\\\a\Yy * assvs\B VvabvXvxaV consX\pa\\ow pucwawGwXVy. To GeVvXs bcwcJvcAoV ujjtcls.aYways bux/ l\ve» Ocvwxvwc, FIG SYRUP Co. SOLD BY LEADING DRUGGISTS 50'ABQTTli Fair, Fat and Tide-y. A Kansan sat on the beach at At lantic City watching a fair and fat bather disporting herself in the surf, fie knew nothing of tides, and he did not notice that each succeeding wave came a little closer to his feet. At last an extra big wave washed ove. hia tlioe tops. "Hey, there!" he yelled at the fair, fat bather. "Quit yer jumpin' up and down! D'ye want to drown me?" — Everybody's Magazine. A BURNING ERUPTION FROM HEAD TO FEET "Four years ago I suffered severely with a terrible eczema, being a mass of sores from head to feet and for six weeks confined to my bed. During that time I suffered continual tor ture from itching and burning. After being given up by my doctor I was ad vised to try Cuticura Remedies. After the first bath with Cuticura Soap and application of Cuticura Ointment I en joyed the first good sleep during my entire illness. I also used Cuticura Resolvent and the treatment was con tinued for about three weeks. At the end of that time I was able to be about the house, entirely cured, and have felt no ill effects since. I would advise any person suffering from any form of skin trouble to try the Cuti cura Remedies as I know what they did for me. Mrs. Edward Nenning, 1112 Salina St., Watertown, N. Y., Apr. 11, 1909." Asking Too Much. "Why, Willie," said the teacher, "I am pained to hear you speak so slight ingly of your parents. I am afraid you have not been properly instructed con cerning the respect you should pay to your elders. That is one of the sad things about our scheme of civiliza tion. We do not insist strongly enough on having the children accord to their parents that deference and respect which is so common and so beautiful in most of the European and oriental countries. In China and Japan, for in stance, the ciuidren always look up to their parents as to superior beings. I ant ashamed of you, Willie. You should have the deepest veneration for your father and mother." "Well," Willie sniffled, "how's a fel low goin' to have veneration when his ma puts on a bale of hair every morn in' that she bought at a store and his pa wears a yellow plush hat?" Harvard Scored. R was the morning of the Yale-Har vard game at Cambridge, and two of the New Haven collegians were wan dering through the Harvard yard, looking at the university buildings. Down a walk toward them came a youth of serious aspect, but palpably an undergraduate. "I beg your pardon," said the Yale man, who is a bit of a wag, to the strai.ger, "can you tell me where I can find Harvard university?" "I'm very sorry," said the serious one, with never a smile. "They've locked it up. You see, there are so many Yale men in town." A WOMAN DOCTOR Was Quick to See that Coffee was Doing the Mischief. A lady tells of a bad case of coffee poisoning and tells it in a way so sim ple and straightforward that literary skill could not improve it. "I had neuralgic headaches for 12 years," she says,"and suffered untold agony. When 1 first began to have them I weighed 140 pounds, but they brought me down to 110. 1 went to many doctors and they gave me only temporary relief. So I suffered on, till one day a woman doctor told me to use Postum. She said I looked like I was coffee poisoned. "So 1 began to drink Postum and I gained 15 pounds in the first few weeks and continued to gain, but not so fast as at first. My headaches be gan to leave me after I had used Postum about two weeks long enough to get the coffee poison out of my system. "Since I began to use Postum I can gladly say that I never know what a neuralgic headache is like any more, and it was nothing but Postum that made me well. Before I used Postum I never went out alone; I would get bewildered and would not know which way to turn. Now Igo alone and my head is as clear as a bell. My brain and nerves are stronger than they have been for yeans." Read the little book, "The Road to Wellville,"in pkgs. "There's a Reason." Ever rend the above A nrn one irppeara from time to time. Thry art- Kiuulnr, true, ud full «112 kunu lulrrrat. 3
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