Ottumwa weekly courier., 1878-06-19
rMlscEMAM9:
TRAIN ROBBERS.
Arrest Of Bill Henry and Big
Thomas on the y. p. r. r.

Fairfield Ledger,
OF late Jefferson county seems to
have gained quite an unenvisble no.
toriety because of certain desperate
and hardened criminals who have at
one time resided within her borders.
Bill Lee, Rande, Smith, who was
hung at s.Ottumwa, and number of
smaller fry have claimed this county
as their home.
For many years Batavia was the
rendezvous Of lot of hardened fell
lows for whom no crime was too
great-if plunder or revenge was the
object. A long time were they the
terror of the community, but thanks
to vigilant officers of justice they have
almost ceased to trouble law-abiding
people. To this gang belonged Smith
above referred to, and his followers,
the Henry family-Bill, Frank and
Pat-"Big" Thomas, Ellis Harden,
George Eply and others, and were al
ways ripe for spoil or bloodshed.-
The shooting of Hill at Batavia, so
fresh in the minds of our readers,
was done by Frank Henry, and for
that offense he was sentenced to the
penitentiary, appealed to the Supreme
Court and is out on bail. But reci-
tai of the deeds of these lesser scoun-
drels would fill columns of the Ledg-
| err.
On the night of May 2Sth a party
of masked men entered sleeping car
on the U. p. r. r. at Percy station,
and with drawn pistols and frightful
threats made most daring and sue
cessful robbery-taking every thing
of value from the passengers they
could get and made their escape. The
officers gave chase and succeeded in
capturing four of the robbers, June
I'd, in a mountain cannon, near the
Medicine Bow river. The wretches
showed fight but were overpowered
and taken to prison. Valuable prop.
erty was recovered, and one Of the
party turning states evidence it was
ascertained that these men were mem.
bers of an organized band of rob.
bers who were to prey on overland
travellers the coming summer.
Two of them gave their names as
VIM. Henry and John Thomas, and
there is but little doubt that they are
the identical individuals that have
been wanted time after time in this
section. 1t has not been q great
while since they left Iowa to avoid
the consequences Of their crimes, and
it is said since, that they robbed 8
Kansas bank before attempting theil
daring train robbery.
Henry is a son of Patrick Henry
who lives west Of Batavia and hi
misdeeds have kept him in hot water
ever since he was big enough to en-
gage in mischief. When his brother
i was tried for the shooting of Hill i
was claimed that they were the de
scendents of the illustriOus Patricl
Henry, of Virginia, but it is well tha
the celebrated orator had no knowl
edge of such relatives. In 1875, "Bill,
with some accomplices, attempted I,
rob the house of Ben Conger, livin,
near County Line, but was driven of
He was arrested for this and release,
on $500 bonds. Afterwards he wa
arrested at Ottumwa for selling coun
terfeit circus tickets, having purchas
ed them with counterfeit money. o.
this charge he was convicted, sen
fenced to ten years imprisonment il
the penitentiary, but appealed to tn
, Supreme Court and was released o
bail. In the same year he and Eli
, Hardin, George Epley and "Big
: Thomas, entered the house of q wild
, ow woman named Lefever, living i
Ivan Buren county, and succeeded i
robbing her Of quite sum of money
: They severely maltreated her an
) hung her son, to compel them to tel
where the money was hidden. Fo
this they were arrested. Henry wa
sentenced to the penitentiary, but b
again appealed his case and was r,
, leased on bail. After this he and Er
ley committed highway robbery i
!, Batavia, in 1876, but were not ARRESTED
,, Many other crimes are laid at th
door of these parties, and they hav
= been many times before the courts o
minor charges. At present Henry
forfeited bail will amount to sever,
= thousand dollars, for nearly all {
which his father is liable. Thorn,
:. has always been chum of Henry
:, but not nearly so wild and desperat
= They are both large fine looking me
= and Thomas wife now lives in tn
g county. That they are villains of Il
= deepest dye is we'll known fact
= this vicinity, and they have give
;. the Iowa officials an unusual amour
:. of trouble. They were the terror I
9 the community in which they live
), and it is to be hoped that Wyomin
!, justice will be able to give them the
J. deserts.