Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1890 — THE TEXAS VIGILANTES. [ARTICLE]

THE TEXAS VIGILANTES.

Reminiscences of tbe Days When Crime Was Summarily Punished. New York Press, The halcyon days of the Vigilantes, when justice was swift, sure and poetAc, are just now much bemoaned by eomo of the old-timer-. The spectacle of a man tried and sentenced to a terni iin the penitentiary because he killed steer in order to provide ihis starving family with meat fills them with sueh indignation as can only be relieved by resurrection of old-time tales, .long since dead and buried. “Uncle” ißiddle Ackerman’s memory is especially good. There is a tradition that iin the old days no one was more deft with the noose than he. | “Did the man shoot the steer because he was hungry for meat? If so, all right. Did he shoot the steer and then sell the hide? If so, hang him!” And all the other old fellows nod willing assent. 1 _ * ‘Remember the trouble we had with that low-down chap, Bill Spangle, in r1859P No? Well, it was this way: Bill and his wife and a big brood of young ones lived in a shanty about four .jpiles out. Somebody was leaving the skinned carcasses of cattle around on •the prairie. They were always shot !in the head. None of the meat was ever taken, but their skins were always missing. We traced three of the pkins to town, and then traced the Shooting and skinning to Bill Spangle. lext day five vigilantes had him shimming from a limb in front of his house. On account of his family thdy let him down before he croaked, and warned Slim to pack up and get out before another sunrise. Bfll failed to move, and they warned film again. “He paid no attention^d&d the third day. just as the sun was coming up, |the same five vigilantes rode up and fhitched their horses to some trees fifty iyards from Bill’s front door. They all dismounted and one of them took off the belt containing his knife and revolvers and threw it on the ground, stripped himself to his shirt, boots, trousers and sombrero, raised both hands above his head, and walked slowly toward Bill’s door. Bill stood in the door with two revolvers cooked and aimed. Behind him stood his wife with a rifle cocked and aimed over his shoulder. The unarmed man walked on slowly, with his hands high above his head. One of those who remained . Behind cocked his nifle and stood partly concealed behind his horse. - “-For nearly bali-an. hour- thia- un-. armed man stood and talked with Bill, while two revolvers and a rifle were still aimed at his heart. He was urging Bill to leave the country for the sake of his family. From what they could hear the others knew that Bill’s answer was that this was his home and he would not leave it alive. Twice the unarmed man lowered his hand slowly to his brow, and each time he did so his comrade glanced along the barrel of his rifle at Bill from behind the horse. But twice the unarmed man raised his hand again and resumed the conversation. “At last the unarmed man’s left hand wiped the perspiration from his brow, while with his right he deliberately removed his sombrero. At that instant a rifle rang out from among the trees, and Bill Spangle lay dead across his own threshold.”