The Cloverdale News Leaf can now report that such a letter does, and in fact did exist. It was, even at the time of the trial, in the sheriff’s desk, and had Mr. Cabot been fortunate enough to have been assigned a competent attorney, a simple warrant and search would have disclosed that fact.
This newspaper found the letter, in the sheriff’s desk, not by writ of warrant as would be required of an officer of the court, but in the exercise of the freedom of the press. That letter, now in possession of the Cloverdale News Leaf, is included herein for the perusal of all justice minded citizens.
“Dear Sheriff Wallace, “I take pen in hand to inform you of a planned holdup of the Nevada Central train to be perpetrated by Frank Dodd and his gang. As we discussed, I have joined with Frank Dodd and his brigands in order to get the information we need to effect his arrest. The planned robbery will take place on Tuesday next, August 21st, at the evening hour of ten-thirty at the watering tower ten miles south of Lone City. I will be riding a gray, the only rider so mounted. Please have deputies on hand in the express car so that we may apprehend Dodd and his men.
“Sincerely,
“Bobby Lee Cabot”
It is the sincere hope of this newspaper that Judge Briggs will declare the first trial to be a mistrial, and will by judicial fiat overturn the verdict of the jury. It is the further hope of this newspaper that Sheriff Wallace be arrested, removed from his high office, tried, convicted, and punished, not only for the perjury which condemned an innocent man, but for what may well have been his own complicity with Frank Dodd.
Cutler blew the ink dry on the single-sided, single-sheet extra edition newspaper, then smiled. He had been in the newspaper business for over twenty years, and this would be the biggest story of his life.
Chapter Twenty-three
“Sheriff, have you seen this?” Deputy Beard asked, stepping into the sheriff’s office, carrying an edition of the extra Cutler had put out.
“No, what is it?”
Though the expression on Beard’s face was one of great concern, he said nothing as he handed the paper over.
“I never read the newspaper,” Wallace said, waving it away. “It’s just a waste of time. If anything happens, people start talking about it anyway.”
“You better read this one,” Beard said. “And this ain’t somethin’ we want anyone talkin’ about.”
“All right, hand it here,” Wallace said with an impatient sigh. He began to read, at first with bored indifference, though that quickly changed to anger and concern.
“What?” he called out in clear agitation over what he was reading. Putting the paper down, he jerked open the middle drawer of his desk. “Where’s that letter?” he asked loudly.
“According the article, Cutler took it,” Beard said.
“Why, that son of a bitch!”
“I told you, you should of got rid of that letter,” Beard said.
Wallace pulled his pistol and spun the cylinder, checking the loads. “I think I need to pay Mr. Cutler a visit,” he said.
“Huh-uh, I don’t think you want to do that,” Beard said.
“What do you mean?”
“Take a look down the street toward the newspaper office. There must be twenty or thirty men gathered there. They are talking about forming a citizens’ committee to put you under arrest.”
“Me? Don’t you mean us?”
“Yeah,” Beard agreed. “I mean us.”
“Damn,” Wallace said.
“What are we going to do, Sheriff?”
“I don’t know what you are going to do, but I am going to find Dodd, get my share of the money, then get out of here,” Wallace said. “I’ll go to Arizona, or California, or some such place.”
“I’m comin’ with you,” Beard said.
“Better get Jackson, he’s as deep in this as we are. And until we get out of here, the more of us there are, the better it will be.”
Smoke Jensen and Bobby Lee Cabot, unaware of the newspaper article that could clear Bobby Lee, had been on the trail now for just over a week. Needing to replenish their supplies, they stopped in the town of Lunning in front of Groves General Store, then tied their horses off at the hitching rail, then stepped up onto the porch. That was when Bobby Lee saw the poster.
“Smoke, take a look at this,” he said, pointing to the wanted dodger that was nailed to a post.
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
Bobby Lee Cabot
Buck West
5000
“It has been a long time since there was last a reward out for Buck West,” Smoke said.
“At least they don’t have pictures or descriptions, and they don’t have you connected to it,” Bobby Lee said.
“Not yet anyway,” Smoke replied.
