Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-08-19
EVENING STAR.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES IL, ISIS.
HUNTING DOWN OUTLAWS.
The Tragic Sequel to the Jail Delfy.
erV In DRmyeR-

The sequel to the jail delivery here two
weeks ago has just been written In the blooI
OF HAN and leighton, while Wilder lives,
weak and wounded, in the prison from which
ne and they made their escape. The pursuit
WAS not so prompt but that the two had time
70 transform themselves into walking arse
nals by BOLDLY Selling such arms as came in
their way, and within twenty-four hours az
Ter leaving the jail they had eighty-two shots
IN their armory without reloadtng. With this
terrible provision for defense. and perfect
familiarity with the use Of arms, Combined
with their well-known and well-ea-nei rep
utaticn as desperate men, who had every
tnlng 10 gam and nothing TO lose by selling
their lives as dearly as possible. there was
not much seduction in the Sl.1OO reward Of
Iered Tor their capture. The only induce
ment lay in the words ''dead or alive, 4" used
IN connection with the reward, and IL was
well understood that at least two of them
would never be taken alive, even If men
tempt.
The pursuit was well organized. and con-
tlnued TIL Friday last The fugitives did
not attempt 10 leave the country, but they
skulked in the heavy timber and the rocky
canOnS OF the divide south OF Denver and
never more Than sixty or seventy miles
nom town. In spite of the sleeplesS vigil
ance OF the sherif's posse, Hall and Wilder
were IN constant cOmmuTica with their
friends in the pineries, receiving provisions
every night, and only waiting an opportuui-
" 10 get horses before attempting 10 leave
the country. Their hiding places were 50 nu-
merous and secret that direct search for
mem was useless, ana III was resolved al last
10 Craw them out by subterfuSe. 4 ranch
man who was In their confidence. but not an
ally, was deputed 10 offer them the chance of
getting possession Of their horses By going
nv certain hour of the night TO a corral near
Blakesley's mill, on Cherry creek Leigh
ton was suspicious, and declined TO 60 II is
Salo mat he had premonitiOn of evil. and
on the way 10 the fatal SUOt ne tremblPd
with fear TIL the cold sweat stood in beads
over his shaggy browS. Hall, however, was
absolutely insensible to fear, and laughed at
t.alnf ,.r l.
would soon be out of the country and beyond
the reach OF their pursueTs-as, indeed. they
were tefore the dawn of day. Wilder was
Serenely indifferent, sharing neither In Leigh
tons fears nor Halls high hopes but il was
Wilder who insisted that the raachman
shonld accompany them To the corral. To
THIS demand the farmer yielded with ex-
IRENE reluctance. but finally consented in
the meantime informing the detectives that
ne would ride in front OF the desperaaoes un-
til they reached the lane leading In the COR
raj, when he would turn his horse suddenly
and leave them, taking the chances of their
putting two or three bullets through him in
his flight.
The programme was carried ont suecess-
fully. The sherinTs posse hid near the cor
raj, and at about II o'clock the party ap-
preached Their guide turned at the entrance
OF the lane. Wilder stood a moment, but
Hall and Leighton stepped forward, and he
followed them. Suddenly the roar of sixteen
guns broke upon the silent night, and their
ht1ul flashes lit up the darkness long enough
TO show Hall and Leighton prone UPON the
ground, and Wilder flying over the prairie
like deer. A moment later Hall sprarg 10
his feet and. darted away In the darkness
but his pursuers soon came upon him where
he had stumbled aid fallen, faint from pain
and loss of blood, but bold and resolute as a
lion at bay. Powerless with more effective
weapons, he heaped curses and maleIictions
on his captOrs for hunting him down like a
cog or wolf, and during the four or FIVE
hours through which he fingered before
death put an end to his suferings no word of
repentance or sign of softening escaped him.
Leighton was hit harder, and died within
the hour. He began 10 recount his crimes,
but lad only recounted the murder of hi
wife and three or four men when death scaled
his lips, and the world may never know how
great villain then ended his career.
The pursuit ofWilder was continued with
out success during the night, but the next
day he surrendered and was brought in, bal
~ wounded. The bodies Of Hall and Leigh
ton were bundled in their blankets, thrown
into wagon, and brought to Denver, where
their arrival Occasioned the widest excite
meLt. horrible sight was revealed when
the wagon, with it's CHASTITY freight, drew up
at The undertakers door, and the sheet was
lifted from the black and distorted features
ofthe dead. Both faces were a scogl. and
there was something devilish I'm the hard,
numerous half smile that crossed the lines
OF revenge and hatred in Halls swarthy fea-
lures. He was powerful man, with a head
and neck like an OK, and his coarse, curly,
tangled hair hung low over villainOus fore
head. Nor was Leighton lOvelier cOrose,
though his style was different. He was
slight, and almost shapely in outline, with
sOlt of feline grace OF person. bat with the
eyes and lose of "A hawk-cold. cruel, bloody
relentless. 1t was not hard TO believe thar
he had LETT corpses In his track, and his
seven gaping wounds might have stool for
the number OF murders he had himself COM
mitted.
Leighton, whose real name was Jerome
Berry, was born in Greencastle. Ind, ana
afterward lived in Knoxville, III, where ne
was sent 10 Joliet for murder in 1855 or ISCn
His sentence was for TWEEN ty-One yearS, bat
be escaped after about eighteen months con-
haement, ard went into tic army. H killed
a negro down south, and 10 escape the con-
sequences deserted. In Iowa, afierwarI. in
a baTrOOm fight, he killed two brothers na11el
Johnson, and He'd TO Omaha. where he as
sumed the name which he bore till death.
has borne tOlerable reputation, though
known TO be desperate and dangerous man
when aroused TO anger. His last victim was
friend and fellow musician named Ander-
son, and for this murder Berry expressed the
deepest regret before his own death, assert
Ing that lie had no intention OF killing him.
but was forced TO do so. The jury, however.
did not view II in that light when they tried
The case, having sentenced him to the PEN
ltentiary for ten years. His mother and rela-
lives are living in Aurora, III.
Little Is known of Hall or his antecedents
though he has been more feared than any of
the many desperate men VINO haunt thE
piBeries ofthe divide. He confessed nothing.
His reSOlute lips opened for nothing bat
curses on his captOrs. Wilder is not believed
10 have been essentially bad man, but was
linked with Hall in some deed or deeds of
crime, ard the stronger will OF the latter
held him IN complete subsection. His escape
from death was miraculous. Eight bullets
pierced bag Of provisions and cooking uten-
sis which ne bore, but only one Struck him.
breaking his arrn.-Datrer Dlsp0,cb % CPicaP1
Tunes.
a MEAN TRICK But A SHREwD ONE
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