The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-01-30
"REDDYr THE
A Brief Biographical Sketch OF Robert
MeKemma. Road Agent.
How He Secured the Swan From Black
. burn 8 Co., and Got Away with It.
A Talented Desperate.

den of the same town. He continued
his intimacy with her until her condi-
ton became such as to arouse suspicion
on the part Of her relatives, and then
fled the country, remaining away for
years. His victim gave birth to IL boy,
who, as years passed by strayed in paths
of vice and grew mp to be known and
dreaded rs Il rowdy and thief.
Like thousands of other wicked peo-
pie, the bastard drifted westward, and
when the Black Hills were opened for
settlement. located there. Having very
Indifferent success in his ventures in
placer mining, lie began roaming from
camp to camp, carrying Il had repu-
tation with him, and always eager to
engage in wicked schemes. He was a
friend of Joel Collins, the dead L. 7.
train robber. and when a gang was or
gained for the purpose of robbing
coaches, lie was Il leading spirit. some
of his convicted companions claim that
McKemma shot Johnny Slaughter
nlltU III 81 VIZ Ntto ttAtA upon -
coach in Whitewood canon, last March.
1t was McKemma, who, with Dunk
Blackburn, James Wall, Webster and
Bill Bevans. o%verhauled three stages in
succession ut the Cheyenne river cross
ing. in July last, securing from one of
them Sll.u0O in gold and 81. 600 in
greenbacks.
After making this haul the gang rode
westward into the Sweetwater country.
he and Webster going into South Pass
city to purchase supplies. \ disrepu-
table woman ACCOMPANIED the PARTY,
and while Webster and McKemma
were absent she heard their compan-
ions Mating to kill them. When Nc
Eamm, rnturned she told him of this.
and he PLANNED with her to get the 9th
ORG drunk take thpir b,otv and dpcamn
This w,s successfully done and the
nracious n,ir secuted 80 q in gold
ne,rlv III of the greenbacks and fine
hest arms and fled NcKemma SAWS
tbey stru.t the Union PuriGc at Point
of Rocks station went from there fl
st. Louis. where he gave the woman
.c1 ooo ,rl ,.ft bo,. oo;uo tharce r.
Tax,s and from there tn his old home
in Ohio where he gave ont that he had
hecome rich Inv cattle speculotions
HE u.xt move wos to al ia PhiI,.
,1eIrhi, whore he had his GOLD dust
co;nad and sold most orth, coin RE-.
TURNING to UiIIshoro Inc soou r,und
b;mselr surrounded Inv a bevy or merce.
nary heouiies all eoocr tn wed him fo,
his money He made a choice and
married n vouna woman whose rcla.
tives are said 70 he wealthy and intIu-
entail. All this time. however. the
robber was haunted bv the emo of
his crimes and the fear of retribution.
| His fears were well founded. A neigh
| Dor noticed his actions and his proruse
use of money. McKemma bought :,
fine farm. traded it for a store, and en-
tered upon the life of a merchant. The
suspicious neighbor wrote To u friend
at Opallala. Neb.. NJ. F. Leach by
name, telling him of McKemma's sud.
den appearance there and that he had
plenty of money. This WAS lust after
the great train robbery at Big Springs
and Leach jumped to the conclusion
that it was one of the robbers. II,
went to Hillsboro, satisfied himself thai
he was on II false scent. but made III
his mind that McKemma wal II stage
robber. He advised Superintendent
Voorhees,, and meeting ex-Sheriff Bull
lock, of Deadwood, about that time
told him the story.
Bullock concluded that II trip tt
Hillsboro would be a good thing to take
and he took it. He arrested McKem
ma before intervie wing Ohio's gov
ernor, but instead of bringing him tt
Cheyenne at once, as he could ant
should have done, he put him in jai
and went to the governor. McKemma
| frn ,cfarrnl Ia. ,rnrar+, e. a.. Local E.r~