, 1868-09-18

ranch, got another man BY the same name to
take ms place. The band now composed Of
George Savage, John Billings, Tom Corey
aud johnson left the ranch and secreted
themselves in the mountains near TO the
place that Wheeler had chosen for the rob,
berry. About this time there was a great
deal OF travelling on the road aud a great
many camping near this place by night, that
had been selected, so that they were CON-.
PEELED 10 change the place two miles further
on towards Meacham's. Having learned, as
believed, all that was necessary, sent for
Wells, Fargo 4 Co.'s Division Agent, Mr..
Charles woodward, aud made him acqnxinr-
ed with all the facts. suggested that the
best way would be to lei them go ahead and
do the robbery, and afterwards we could
quietly go to work aud arrest the whole band,
which course of action was agreed upon. On
the I'd day Of August, about o'clock iu the
morning, saw some four or five dead limbs
lying across the road, and as the stage passed
over them, causing them to snap and break.
the robbers by this signal jumped from their
hiding places simultaneously, and before 1
could put my foot on the brake, was look
ing down the muzzle of double barrel shot
|
out halt each one repeating it, which did;
they then ordered the messenger, Mr.. j.
Sheppard, to throw up his hands, which he
did; then told him to throw down his gun !;
be said he did not have his gun; they told
him the third time to throw down his gun,
and that they would not tell him again, when
reached over and took his gun and threw
it to one side of the road. They then or
dercd the messenger to get down and the
passengers (of whom there we're three) to get
out of the stage and marched them, with
their hands above their heads, to about twenty
yards in froRt Of the team, where two of the
robbers stood guard over them. remained
in my seat. One of the robbers told me to
throwsout the treasure box, and then to
throw out everything that was in the boot,
all of which did. 1 next heard them at
work breaking open the treasure-box in the
rear of the stage, and as knew there was
nothing but rocks in it, (Mr. Woodward had
taken out the treasure at Union TOWN. was
afraid they would suspicion that had given
some information, and if they did, had con,
cluded that my time had come but as luck
would have it, they did not suspect that any
thing was wrong. They then opened the
mail and the passengers baggage and took
such things as they considered valuable.
Next they went through the passengers
pockets. After this heard QUO 'of than re.
mark that, this is the d-dest poorest crowd
he hadever struck They then took my two
leaders from me and ordered me to drive up
and letthe passengers get in, when they Or
dered all aboard and for me to drive on, orr
dering 10 one to look back. We had pro>
ceeded more than half mile before any of
them sFcke, when they did, one Of them OBJ
served that he was hungry.
From information that 1 gave, John Bill
lings and Melvin Bailey were arrested at
Walla Walla, on the 10Th of August On
the nj ight of the 9th and morning of the
28th, N Grande ROnde Valley, Dr. Laburr,
Nc FAY, Dave johnson, james Wheeler and
johnson were arrested. On the evening of
the 29,h, arrived at Boise City, and on the
next morning found that there was no one
Of the party there but John Wheeler. As
soon as the opportunity offered took him
out to the edge of the town to have private
talk with him. informed him that Billings
and an old friend of mine had robbed the
Warrens' Express forty. five miles above Lew.
iston, and that they had killed the express.
man and had broken a merchants thigh who
was with him and had attempted to escape.
That they got twelve thousand dollars 10
treasure and carried it about twenty miles
and cached it in a cliff of rocks, and had re-
turned to Walla Walla Valley and were now
at work in the harvest field. This story
told for the purpose of finding out where the
rest of the party was, and was entirely with.
out any foundation whatever. l then asked
him where the rest of the boys were, aud he
told me they had gone to Silver City to make
raid on Hill Beachey's safe. That they
would do it soon if they hadn't already We
then got talking about Billings, and he said
that he blamed Billings for being too fast |;
that if it had not been for him WeIch would
not have been killed in the Lemhi robbery
last fall. 1 asked him if he saw Welch
killed. He said he did, that he was the tall
one, that they spoke of as being among the
robbers. About ten minutes after this cons
versation with me he was arrested and taken
4 to prison by parties who came with me from
Umatiia for that purpose. Iu short time
we were on our way to Silver City in pursuit
of the rest of the robbers. We here arrested
three, George Savage, Goodwin and one
young man whose name do not know, and
brought them down to Boise, where we got
Wheeler, and continued on our journey.
When within mile or two of La Grande, it
being very dark and rainy, Savage and
Wheeler made good their escape from the
stage. We continued on to town and pro-
cured horses aud started out in pursuit of
the fugitives. On the second day, about 2
o'clock, we captured Wheeler, within about
three miles of DIR. Laburr's house. Savage
as yet has not been heard from. All the
others that were arrested have arrived safe
at Portland. Corey and Savage are the only
two of the band at large."-Aoantdineer.
A GENTLE HINT.-A spruce young beau,
| oallantino, hia intandad n few avaninOa since