Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-12-07
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN BANDITS.
Interesting Narrative of the Arrest by
Mormon Elders of the Train Robbers

Interesting Narrative of the Arrest by
Mormon Elders of the Train Robbers.
From the Salt Lake News, Nov. TO-
At about two o'clock this morning
Heber P Kimball, J. Quincy Knowl-
ton, and Riley Judd, arrived in town,
having in their custody two men, who
are supposed to be two of the four men
who robbed the Central Pacific train,
and who were seen at deep Creek lately.
Theodore E. Tracy, agent of Wells,
Fargo & Co., in this city, had spoken to
Heber about going out west, raising a
posse of men and making an effort to
find these robbers. In company with
his wife and her sister, and J. Quincy
Knowlton, he left the city yesterday
morning in a carriage for Grantsville,
expecting to leave the ladies there, and
from that point take his measures to
find the robbers if possible. When they
reached the forks of the road beyond
thespoint of the mountain they saw the
stage coming and found that Riley Judd,
Heber's brother-in-law, was on board
Heber hailed him and requested him to
go back with him to Grantsville Riley
said he could not very well do so, as he
had some letters which ought to come
to the city. Just then they saw two
horsemen approaching from the west, and
as they thought the letter could be
sent by them, Riley got off the stage
and accompanied them. When the
horsemen saw them they steered out of
the road as if to avoid, but seeing it was
a carriage containing ladies they turned
back into the road When they met,
Heber inquired if they were going to
the city and would take some letters
One of them replied that one of them
was, but the other would not go in for
two or three days. Some further con-
versation ensued, during which they re-
marked that they had been mining in
Skull Valley. What they said aroused
Heber's suspicious. He inquired if
they had heard about the railroad being
robbed. They replied they had not,
and wanted to know if the robbers had
been caught. He said no. but added,
6 You answer the description very well,
and [ guess we'll take you;'' at the same
moment, having got out of the carriage
during the conversation, he seized the
horse by the bride and brought his pis-
tol to bear upon the man.
The other one started his horse into a
gallop and rode off as hard as he could.
He was followed by J. Quincy Knowl-
ton, who mounted the captured mans
horse and gave chase, the fellow having,
however, got about two miles the start
of him. He succeed in getting so close
to him that he could have shot him if he
had wished; but, being alone with him,
he thought to do so would be unwise,
and continued the chase. By this time
they had reached E. T. City, and, in
passing through the slough, or irrigat-
ing canal, the supposed robber threw
away what seemed to be saddle-bags,
and shortly afterwards Quincy captured
him. He searched the water and all
around for some time for the saddle
bags, but could not find them.
In the meantime the other supposed
robber had been taken to house belong
ing to or near that of Bishop Lorenzo
Young, and was kept there under guard
by Riley Judd while Heber mounted one
of his team horses and went down the
road to assist Quincy in securing the
other man. When they got ready to
bring them on to the city, they proposed
to tie them, but no sooner did the first
one caught hear the proposition than he
made desperate effort to get away He
ran toward the mill-pond. One of the
boys fred the shotgun at his legs, but
it was loaded with fine shot, and only
two or three of them hit him. They
finally caught him, but he only submit
ted after he received several raps on the
head from the butt end of pistol.
We are indebted to officer Phillips for
the above particulars, Heber, Quincy,
and Riley having started out West with
the intention of trying to find the other
men. A company of United States cav
airy from Camp Douglas also started in
search of the robbers. Mr.. Alfred Bar
stow, the United States special mail
agent, made application yesterday to the
General commanding for the aid of the
from Washington by General Morrow
before he could send them with such an
outfit as to make their services available.
1t is altogether likely that the other two
will shortly be captured.
AS soon as Mr. Barstow heard the in
telhgence of the robbery, through dis
patch from Superintendent Towne, he
Immediately took the train and came
out on the line until he met the train
which had been plundered, and obtained
all the information which he could from
the men who were aboard Since then
he has been indefatigable in his exer-
estions to obtain clues to their move
ments and to have them arrested. He
has used the telegraph freely, and it's
aid has contributed greatly to the arrest
of these two who are now here. Through
his kindness we have been favored with
the perusal of the statement of one of
he captured men (the one who is wound
ed), which Mr.. Barstow wrote down as
he gave it. Mr.. Barstow took the pre-
caution, before receiving it, to warn him
if he did not tell the truth, any state
ment he might make would only dam
age him; if he would give him true ac-
count he would do all he could consist
emily for him. ~ -
The man answers the description of
one of the robbers, William Harvey,
and he had upon his person, at the time
of his capture, a pair of gloves marked
sEW. FL. Harvey" but he denies that he
is Harvey. He says he travelled and
slept with the latter, who gave him these
gloves. His name, he says, is Leander
Morton, and that is the signature which
he has affixed to the written statement.
Harvey, in the published description of
the robbers, is described as 23 years old;
this man says he is % years of age. He
admits nothing that would show on it's
face that he was party to the robbing
of the train, but there are several points
of his statement, as to his movements
and where he stopped, which agree with
the information in the possession of
Mr.. Barstow respecting the movements
of the robbers.
When shown the compass marked
" William Harvey, Company I, Third
United States Cavalry" which was found
by Mr.. Barstow in the debris picked up
by the men on the train, after the rob-
berry, he denied ever seeing it before.
He is can honest MINER" according to
his own account, and if it be doubted,
he wants an officer to be sent for from
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