FEARFUL ORDEAL OF A GOVERNESS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 371, 23 April 1910, Page 9

FEARFUL ORDEAL OF A GOVERNESS

FACING MADDENED CON VICTS.

"You refused me a chance of reforming. You laughed at me in 'stir' (prison). Now I'll give you a run lor your money, see if 1 don't."

Such was the message received one day by' the Governor of Texas from Bill Kelly, known throughout the country as "Big Bill"—a desperado feared by everybody, the police especially, as he took the keenest delight in shooting down an officer without the slightest compunction —who had escaped from.the State Penitentiary, and one whose head a price of 500dols. had been set. Kelly had escaped with twenty other convicts, but one by one they were recaptured, until only he and two companions remained at large. " BIG BILL'S " MISTAKE. The sheriff and his men were hot on their trail; but "Big Bill" had vowed vengeance on their Govehior because the latter had refused to intercede for him when he was sentenced to twenty years' penal servitude for "holding up" a train. That is why he made his way to the Governor's house, intent on killing him The Governor, however, was away from home, and "Big Bill," mistaking the house of the Lieutenant-Governor, Col. 'Newman, which was separated from that of the Governor by only about fifty yards of garden, nearly wreaked his vengeance on little Elsie Newman, a beautiful child of eight years of age. Indeed, it was only the pluck and daring of an English governess, Miss Lucy Willard—the name is honored throughout Texas to-day—which baulked the desperado of his revenge and resulted in his death. But so fearful was the ordeal, that for six weeks after the event Miss Willard was quite delirious. By degrees her reason returned, and then the whole thing recurred to her in all its terror. She had been with the Newman .family for several months when one Sunday, three weeks after the escape of Kelly, Colonel Newman drove with his wife and mother some miles out into the country to his farm. Most of the servants had gone with those of the Governor into town to church, leaving Miss Willard with her pupil, Elsie, and two negro servants—man and wife—to look after the house. THE PLUCKY NEGRO.

"I had taken a book from the table in the sitting-room," she said, when relating the terrible happening, "and was just stepping through the window into the verandah to join Elsie, my charge, when I heard a shot fired somewhere behind the house. "Lock de do'h, Miss Willard, quick—robbers !' shouted Sam, the black. "Another shot followed, then a scream. I grasped the little girl by the arm, pulled her into the house, and slammed the window, hardly knowing what I was doing. Another* shot rang out, and then Sam ran out from behind the house, loading his rifle. In my terror I ran to the next floor with Elsie, and, locking the door of the library behind me, shrank into the farthest corner. This room was on the left of the house, and from its window I could see two men—one standing, the other kneeling—beside the fence nearest the barn.

"One of the men was very tall and thin. He was without a hat, wore a blue blouse, and his trousers were tucked into his boots. The other, who knelt, was the most hideous-looking creature I have ever seen—red-haired, with a long scar across his face, over his nose, almost from ear to ear; His rifle lay on the toprail of the fence as though aiming, while the taller man was re-loading. Suddenly crack went Sam's gun again, and simultaneously the kneeling man fired. Then he got up and laughed—he had hit our noble defender.

"Then came a tramping on the verandah, and with a crash a window was ■ knocked in. Two men came to the'stairway, and just as the first started to ascend Elsie screamed out in terror, ■ 'Papa! papa!' There was a hurried movement, and a shot was fired at the ceiling. Turning suddenly, my eye caught the sight of a brace of cavalry pistols hanging in their holsters over the roll-top desk. I took them down, as much afraid of the things, perhaps, as I was of the men below. But they seemed to give me courage. THOSE AWFUL FOOTSTEPS. .■ "Elsie was crouched under a desk between the two- sides. I stood iu front of it, and was just beginning to hoptf that perhaps the men nvould not come up after -all when 1 heard the stairs creax and knew they were ascending. The library was the second door on the left of the staircase, and I heard stealthy footsteps approaching from the top of tie stairs. A moment's stillness, then tie nearest door was pushed open.. Then came the ejaculation: 'Keep down there and watch the back door.' Then those awful footsteps came nearer. The knob of mv door turned, but I had locked it. Elsie* poor child, moaned aloud in her terror, and the man outside heard lier. » "'Women-folk, eh! Well, the main guy ain't here, so we'll talk to you. Open the door!' I stood- almost frozen stiff. I 'Open the door, d'ye hear? Oh, you i won't, eh V There was a mighty heave, | Jut the door did not give. I involuntarily raised the pistol in my right hand, which shook very much, and pointed it towards the door. Another heave against the door, and still it did not give; then I there was a muttered curse, and with a crash the door flew open and the tall man almost fell in. THE CONVICTS' FATE. "I thought of the mail's fearful record and knew that he would show us no mercy. Then I pulled the trigger of the pistol, once, twice, thrice. Each time it spoke and the man fell, almost against my extended arm, so close was he when I fired. I was dizzy with my unnatural | effort and grasped the desk for support, hut the ordeal was not yet over. Two steps at a time the other ruffian came rushing up; and, just as his figure appeared in the of the doorway, I fired both pistols point-blank at him. He fell against the wall on the other side of the hall, then rebounded and fell lon his face across the open doorway. I turned to look for the child, but my limbs would not support me, and al- { though I did not faint, I sank to the floor! Poor Elsie!. She had fainted. "I crawled to her and tried to drag her from under the desk, but somehow I had absolutely no strength. Of a sudden I heard shouting and the galloping of horses. Then came quick orders and in. another minute the house was full of "The two robbers were 'Big Bill' Kelly and one of his confederates, named MolIvson They had escaped a posse, which was close at their heels, and had evidently come to wreak their vengeance on the Governor or his family, but had mistaken the house. The poor black Sain, was killed—shot through the head. His wife, who had first seen the men, was ' also wounded, but not fatally. I was I brought 'before a magistrate, according to law, -and was charged with killing the two men. but acquitted within five minutes of the clock!"