Salt River herald., 1878-08-24
The Texas Terrsr.

Ddin DdSS, llc HlSlWdy Iudn, train robber and desperate bandit of Tex as, whose career in crime has so suddenly been brought to close, was born in Mitchell, Southern In diana, in 1851. His parents pass ed .'to the other side of the river before their old age had been em- bittered by the disgrace of their misguided son. At the place of his birth still reside his two brothers, John and Linton, and four sisters. When about the age of nineteen, and in the year 1870, Bass left his Indiana home and came to North Texas, taking employment as cow boy and herder under Sheriff Ea- gan, of Denton County, who gave him the control of all his stock, cat tie and herds. While thus employ ed the young man obtained that through knowledge of the woods, thickets and forests that subsequent ly enabled him to elude the search and pursuit of the best officers and the sharpest detectives. While living the life of COW boy Bass took passion for gambling and horse racing, and sought the society of reckless men and abandoned wO- men, and it was after he left the service of Sheriff Eagan that he perfected the outlaw organization that has been a source of such ter TOT in North Texas in so many months past. Up to the time of his capture the young bandit continued the chief of the gang which accom- plished its maiden practice on the Rio Grande border, where Bass met with many restless spirits as reck- less and desperate as himself and his robber band. He afterwards returned to North Texas, took ser vice under some of the big stock owners and fan.iliarized himself with the routes and country from Denison to the Black Hills, which proved of great advantage to him in his subsequent desperate undertakings. BASS RoBS 4 UNION PACIFIC TRAIN.
 In the month ot September, 1877 Bass got through successfully with his first great train robbery-that of the Union Pacific train at Big Springs, Nebraska. A full account of this daring robbery Was publish cd at time, and the bandit was as- sisted by Joel Collins, Heffridge, Thomas Nixon, Jackson Davis and Jim Berry. By this exploit Bass and his accomplices made the snug haul of S60,0OO all in S2O gold pieces of California nintage, the last piece of which according to the detectives, was spent by Bass and his companions at saloon in Waco, Texas, few days before his cap ture. A short time after the Big Springs robbery. Collins and Hefridge were killed by a sheriff's posse, in Kansas, and their divide" S2O,000 recovered. Jim Barry, was soon after killed at Mexico, Mo-. and a part of his SIO,OOO captured by officers and detectives. Bass and Nixon escaped to Fort Worth, Texas, closely followed by detect ives who have shadowed the bandit ever since. There the two separa- ted, and Bass returned to his old home in Denton county. From there he and one of the Texas gang, Underwood, went to San Antonio, followed by one of Pinkerton's men. It is charged that Thomas Gerrea, a deputy Sheriff at Denton, warm friend of Bass, at this stage of the bandits career, warned him in time to escape capture. From San An tonic the brigan1 returned to resi- dence in Denton. The next heard of him was the
 STARTLING ROBBERY AT ALLEN
 STATION.
 Above Dallas, on the Houston and Texas Central railway, and one of the great connecting lines between St. Louis and the western shores of the Gulf. The arocity was SO un- expected that the people of Texas were amazed at its boldness. \ full description of the robbery ap- peared in the Globe Democrat next day, and was subsequently, pictur cd in the New York illustrated pa pers. This robbery occurred on the 22d of February last. Another robbery. equally daring and atro- ciOus. quickly followed, and in the same part of the State-that of the Texas Pacific express train at Ea- gle Ford, west of Dallas, March IS. None of the passengers were dis turbed, and the messenger saved most of the contents of the safe by previously hiding them. The sack ing of the express train at Mesquite followed, April 20, after which Bass found himself so closely watched by detectives and surrounded by