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John Hult: |
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“WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE A WOLF?”We were living in an era when major crime figures often made the headlines. Al Capone, John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd and other outlaws were subjects of much discussion and concern. In 1929 our family had our own first-hand encounter with a notorious criminal. Our house was situated not far from the railroad tracks and almost every day, real-life hoboes would stop by and ask for food. Many were nice pleasant guys who were just plain hungry. Our parents never turned them away. Sometimes they would be asked to saw a few sticks of wood for our stove, but always they would be given a sandwich, a bowl of soup or leftovers from a previous meal. One day a scruffy black-bearded man appeared at the back door with a large sack slung over his shoulder. In my mind’s eye I can still see him, a ragged mean-looking dirty bum. But he was hungry and Mother was going to feed him! She went into the kitchen to fix something. In the few minutes of waiting we watched him suspiciously looking up and down the street. Suddenly he took off at a fast pace without waiting for his food. Perhaps he thought my mother was calling the police. This made Daddy angry. He ran after the man and grabbed him by the shoulder, scolding him for not accepting our hospitality. He wheeled on my father and shouted, “Why are you looking at me like a wolf?” Then he turned and hurried away even faster. Several neighbors stood by and watched this encounter. A few hours later he was shot to death by railroad detectives who recognized him. His picture was published on the front page of our newspaper and he was identified as Jake Fleagle, a dangerous criminal. He was wanted for bank robbery and the murder of three people in Lamar, Colorado, a month earlier. If the neighbors hadn’t been present he might well have shot our Dad. Many years later I read an article in the Sunday supplement of the Denver Post describing the most notorious criminals in Colorado history. Jake Fleagle was one of those listed! |
