Connecticut western news., 1874-11-06
BORDER ROBBERS.
Capture of One of the GraysOn RObberS-- Another Shot.


 Another Shot.
 The St. Louis Republican revives recollection of the bold and dastardly robbery committed at the house of ''old man Grayson," near North Fork Station in the Creek Nation, about fourteen months ago. That paper says: This old man, member of the Greek Na- tion, had lived an industrious and fru. gal life and had laid by snug sum of gold to keep him easy in his old age. Some days before the robbery there came to his place two travellers, foot sore and weary, and the old man, with the hospitality which characterizes his race, took the travellers in. The night the robbery was committed these men were in his house, and when the rob- bers came and made noise at the door one of them opened 1t for them to en- ter. The villains made a pretense of guarding the two strangers in Grayson's house, and then took the old man out and hung him up by the neck until he was nearly dead. This operation was repeated six times before the old man revealed the place where his golden treasures were hid. That ascertained, the robbers secured $30, 900 in coin, and taking the lodgers, who had all the time been in league with them, along, they departed. The old man mourned his loss, but no clew or tidings of the per petrators of the outrage were obtained or heard. But the officers of the law were working the matter up. Finally the names and characters of the men became known. Some two months ago one of them, desperate of prowess and courage, called Jim Reed, who was | implicated in the stage robbery between San Antonio and Austin, was tracked to the haunts he frequented in the Indian Territory, and in the attempt to capture him he was killed by an officer. This Reed was regarded as one of the shrewd- est, most daring, and dangerous of all the border knights of the roads. He was man of education and could simi- late the manners and bearings of @ gen. tleman. He had 8 home some elght miles from Dallas, and had gathered many of the eleganoies of a refined life. His wife was lady by education and training, but strange as 1t may appear, sympathized with and defended her husband with the daring of man, and the faith and devotion of 8 woman. Reed was the leader of the robber band who carried away the treasures of old man Grayson. There was another des- perado "mixed up," as they called it in Texas, with the Grayson robbery scarcely less shrewd and noaless daring than Jim Reed; He was known by the name of D. w. Wilder. The officers have been after him for many months, seeking his capture. They have been ceaselessly on his track, haunting his footsteps, and shadowing" his lodg- l ing places at all times. Wilder is from Southwest Missouri, and it is claimed is member of the celebrated Cad E Hill cavalry" force of Missouri, being oh termssof intimacy with the Young. CTS and the Jameses. It is said that he has been guilty of thousand crimes. But sleepless vengeance has been fol lowing, and according to Texas paper he "was corraled at Coon Creek" an out of the way and wild region in I Bosque county, Texas. But such men as Wilder do not yield to paper sum mons to surrender. The desperate knew it was fight, death, or the prison, and the officers knew it too, and. the fight opened in gallant style.I With Wilder at the time were two persons, 6 woman, supposed to be his mistress, and man supposed to be member o1 the gang concerned in the Graysor robbery. All three of them fought des f perately. Particularly noticeable was the tiger-like fury of the woman. Wilder was shot three times before he surrendered" He was put in irons and has been conveyed to Fort Smith. The other border knight and the woman made their escape. The officers are or their track. ,,.. a@ ,,s~-
 The existence of these bands, and the character of the persons who. compose them, present some points worthy te be we'll pondered. The history of thu Claude Duvals, Jack Sheppards, Jo' Danes, and their eongeners, finds | counterpart in the career of thu } Jameses, Youngers, Hardins, Reeds 4 Taylors, and EWilders, of Missouri Arkansas, Indian Territory, and Texas The strange part of it is the fact tha some of these outlaws have been united with elegant and cultivated women who have grown to be as desperate ant we'll nigh blood-thirsty as their outlay husbands.