Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-31
Brought to Justice.

Brought to Justice.
| READERS Of the Globe may perhaps re-
tmember the account, which was pub
Ilished little over year ago, Of the rob-
tbery of Mr.. Walter Grays0n.s prOmi-
nent citizen of the Creek Nation. Mr..
Grayson, OF Uncle Wat as he was
Ifamiliarly called, was possessed of a
good deal of wealth, which he had ac-
cumulated by strict attention TO bust
ness and the practice Of rigid economy.
He was known throughout the whole
| Creek Nation, and held in high esteem
| by all who once formed his companions
bic acquaintance, 30 that the robbery,
and the circumstances attending it, raised
| a storm of indignation which it took
months to quiet.
! About the time alluded to stranger
called at the residence of Mr.. Grayson
| and, by representing that he was endeav-
oring to purchase number of ponies,
managed to obtain permission to remain
at his house during his stay in that neigh
| borhood. The stranger seemed to the
| kind old man to be frstrate sort of
| fellow, and he had no hesitation In giving
his friendship and telling him number
| of his secrets He little knew that he
was entertaining member of the squad OF
Gad's Hill Cavalry, whose exploits were
| the talk Of the whole country; bat 1t
only took him few days to find out his
| mistake. One morning the stranger was
| joined by his comrades, and the old man
was taken out, a halter placed around
his neck, and he was suspended from
| tree until life was nearly extinct, his
captors telling him, as they proceeded
| with their work, that they would kill him
unless he told them where he had his
money concealed and allowed them to
make on with it. But Mr.. Grayson had
the courage to meet death, If he must
sooner than comply with such demand,
| and he stubbornly refused to disclose the
hiding-place of his treasure. After keep.
ing him pendent from the tree until his
face became black and blue and he was
almost dead, they cut him down and tried
persuasion for time, when, finding this
method useless, they would again resort
to the hanging torture. 1t made no diff
ference to the old man, however, what
they did; his stubborn will would not
permit him to succumb, and the robbers
were at length, much to their disgust,
forced to leave him. But their devilish
ingenuity hit upon another plan. Mr.. Gray
%
who had been his daily companion for
years, and they knew that if her life was
attempted the old man would yield,
and they would secure the money. The
old lady was then taken from the house
and the halter tied around her neck in
the presence of her PROSTATE and help
less husband, and the villains were in
the act Of hanging her to tree when
Mr.. Grayson's courage, will, everything
failed him, and he told them to leave
him his wife and they could have his
money.
The whole party then returned to the
house. where Mr.. Grayson turned over
to them the sum of $4,000, $28, 900 of
which was in gold, with which handsome
amount they Immediately made off
The stranger who remained at Mr.
Grayson's house was named Wilder, and
he was the leader of the gang who aided
him in the robbery. He has recently
been arrested in Texas, and is now con-
fined in the Jail at Fort Smith, Ark,
awaiting his trial in the United States
Court for the crime. Soon after his ar
rest Mr.. Grayson was sent for and iden-
titled him, beyond the shadow of doubt,
as the man who stopped at his house I'M
der the pretense of being engaged in
buying ponies, and the one, also, who put
the halter around his head when the
gang hanged him.
Wilder, finding that there is no posi-
bility of escaping conviction, has made
confession, and acknowledges the
crime charged upon him, but he asserts
that he was prompted to the deed by q
noted Cherokee citizen, who took the
greater part of the booty himself, and
gave him (Wilder) only $3.50 for his SER
vices. He also says that one Of the gang
who aided him in the robbery was the
noted Reed, who was killed in Texas not
long since by Detective Morris, who
had been on his trail for several months.
Reed was once citizen of Vernon
County, Mo-, and was one of the men
connected with Wilson and sent to the
Pcnitentiary from Henry County for
robbing an old farmer, several years ago,
near Lamonte, in Pettis County.
The authorities are now at work
hunting up evidence against the Chero-
kee citizen alluded to, and, If Wilder's
story is true, he will be made to suffer
the severest penalty that the law can in
fiict.
There has been good deal of talk
among the friends Of Mr.. Grayson of
dealing in rather summary manner with
Wilder, but the Jail authorities will pre-
vent any interference with due course of
law.-St. Louis Globe.