The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-20

outlaw.
Durham said that he had done the bidding Of
Hdebrand through fear that he would kill him
II he refused. Harris informed his captors that
two days before he had taken a side of bacon
and some corn bread to Hilderbrands cave, and
that the provisions had TO be lowered from the
top of the cliff down to the mouth of the cave
with a rope.
MARCH TO THE CAVE.
The prisoners were still kept under arrest
and employed guides On the morning OF
the Esd, Colonel Bowen having made dispos-
tion of the force under his command went IN
search Of the cave where, it was believed the
outlaw was concealed. Two of the men were
ordered to proceed along the top of the bluff to
point where they were told the mouth OF the
cave could be seen. The balance of the com
mand marched along the bottom between the
river and the bluffs, with view of scaling them
from below. The bottom land was heavily tim
bered, and a silent gloom pervaded the deep re-
cesses Of this wild and broken region. Az
length they arrived at the vicinity of the cavern
The overhanging cliffs lowered up 300 feet
above the river. The mouth of the cavern was
found to be 200 feet above the foot OF the bluffs
and about 100 feet below the top OF the cllt.
In this almost inaccessible place there was dis
cerned a narrow ledge jutting out about ten feet
from the face of the cliff, and yellow and on
level with the mouth of the cavern. This mar
row ledge afforded platform for standing-room,
but how to reach it was the next question which
engaged attention of the attacking party Seye-
raj attempts were made to scale the bluffs at this
pOlnJ some OF JlC more DARING WOulu SGJ up
tOrty or fifty feet, and, finding little nche In
the rocks sufficient to maintain theirposition saw
nothing but perpendicular wall of stone rising
above them for perhaps twenty feet with no
chance to obtain foothold, and they had to de-
scend. The attempt to reach the cave at this
place was abandoned. They went back n quarter
OF mile and found q place where they sue
ceeded, with great difficulty, in climbing to the
top of the ledge. The man ahead would grasp
hold of the bushes, and assist the next behind
with one hand, in pulling him along.
Large rocks would become detached and roll
down into the chasm below with a laundering
crash. These loOsened stones opened up the
hiding places of several rattlesnakes. Three
snakes were killed. and the rattles brought away
as trophies.
ENTERING THE CAVERN.
After gaining the. top of the bluffs with the
whole force, they descended amid considerable
peril to the jutting ledge which led to the cavern
| by letting each other down. 1t was about an
| hour after daylight. Two entrances were found
| to the cavern. About twenty feet from the
| mouths the passages united, forming a long,
| dark chamber about two hundred feet in depth,
| and fifteen feet in height. A walking-sticll,
| which had been previously described to the
party as belonging to HildebranS, was found
| at one of the entrances to the cavern. Ashes
| from recently-built fire were also seen outside
| the entrance Two men were posted at each of
| the entrances, and the siege was commenced.
| The men thought they had the refugee almost
| within their grasp. Colonel Bowen, believing
1t to be altogether too perilous to risk his men
| in the outlaws den, determined to starye or
| smoke him out. The latter could be effected
| whenever the wind blew III the right direction,
so as to drive the smoke into the recesses of the
cavern.
| A quantity of dry wood was lowered down
| from the heights above. Eight rifles were kept
cooked and aimed so as to cross-fire the occu-
| pant within should he attempt to make an exit
| from his place of concealment. Thus they re-
| manned all day After dark fire was knded,
| which Illuminated the wilderness below to a
Il
| for the whole country and the fire was visible
| at great distance. The point is half way be-
| tween Valle's Mines and Skintown or Big River
| Mills, about eight miles distant from each.
THE BIRD FLOWN.
| Next morning a report was brought to the be-
| segers that there another outlet to the
cavern, the mouth of which was half mile dis
tant on the other side of the hill. Fearing that
| this might be the case, it was determined to
search the interior of the cavern at all hazards
| Four men volunteered for the enterprise two
| taking one entrance, and ColoAel Bowen and
| two men the other.
| They proceeded cautiously to the farthe5t ex-
| tent of the cavern and fOund-nobody there. A
bed of leaves, from appearances recently occu-
| pied, eap-boXes, bullets some powder in tin
| cans, fishing tackle, empty bottles and other
relics denoting recent occupancy, were dis
covered.
Much disappointment was felt. 1t was subse-
| quently ascertained that Hidebrand left the
| cavern on the night previous to the arrival of
his purSuerS.
| WHERE HE WENT.
| The fact was learned from one Nash, who was
arrested half a mile from the cave. Nash said
| that Hildebrand came to his house on the night
| of the 23d, arriving about midnight. He stopped
| till morning and went away carrying off Nash's
rifle. AS he left, he told Nash he would kill him
if he gave any information. 1t is proper to men
| tion that Nash was strung up by "a rope and hung
| till be turned black in the face before imparting
the above information.
| Nash's son. a boy twelve wears of are on the
| evening of the 25th, told Bowen that he had
| agreed to take to Hildebrand, by consent of his
| father n quart of whisky, for which Hildebrand
| had furnished him the money. The boy was to
| procure the whiskey at Mathews store, on
| 1'Vinegar Hill" five miles distant, and to bring
| it to Hildebrand at 12 o'clock that night on a
| path leading from the road passing Nashs house
| TO old Mrs. Adams house, and that he would
find him (Hildebrand) on that path, where there
| were two large rocks on either side.
ANOTHER PLAN OF CAPTURE.
Colonel Bowen Immediately formed plan to
/ capture Hildebrand and his quart of whisky
| He moved his force away from that neighbor-
hood, some eight miles distant, in order not to
| excite the suspicious of Hildebrand's friends
| us to his intention. During the remaining hour
of light the ground in the vicinity was recon-
noitred.
A NIGHT MARCH.
| At night the command was countermarched,
| and pickets were posted along the path leading
| to the two rocks from both directions. At mid
| night the entire force moved on the rocks
where they expected to find the outlaw. 1t was
| dark and the rain poured down in torrents.
| The men could not distinguish each other. They
| stumbled over the rocks and ran against
| trees and at last surrounded the rocks,
| but Hildebrand was not there. The next morn
| ing they discovered signs of his having been in
| the vicinity, such as bacon rind, some venison
| and the ashes of a recent fire. A deerskin was
| found hanging on the limb OF tree.