The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-02-19
BURGLAR BENSON BAG0RD,
The Chief Of Gang Of Professional Freight
Train ROhh0p and Horse Thieves Details
Of Their Doings-Iils Capture by
Deputy Sheriff Nixon,

Tuesday morning the HERALD published
the arrest Of w, w, Benson, by Deputy hher'
IN Nixon, rs VIZ learned, charged with horse
stealing In Wood county, henson turns ou'
To be more notorious criminal than WIS NJ
first apparent, lilo is tho lcpder of tho gang
OF professional lfoghtimin robbers and horse
thieves, whose depredations were 80 bold and
numerous about two years since Ito Is The
man who WIS traced no long by Jim Curry
IA Texas n Pacific detective, n little more
than year ago, m account OF which was
published In this paper AT tho time
Yesterday Sheriff Williams, of Wood
county, and one Of hs deputies, H. " Pcgnes'
arrived In Dallas and conveyed Hon
son on last nighps train back To
Mlneola. From Mr. Pcguea HERALD
reporter learned tho principal details OF tho
dolnps of Benson, Mr., Pogles, Jim Curry,
Deputy Sheriff Mcdonald, Of Wood county,
and Others, over year ngo trniled Benson
from San Antonio 10 various points IN ToAns,
robblng freight trains md etonling horses,
md ns Tar east M Poplar III II, Arkansas,
Finally Deputy Sheriff Mcdonald, BY some
schome, Inyolgled Benson across tho Texas
line md captured him, Several hundred
dollnra worth of goods stolen from tho freight
/ aims nt MineoIn were found In his posses
sion. and thousands Of dollars worth were
known TO have boon disposed Of by him md
his gang, 10 Deputy sheriff l'ogues and
Others he acknowledged 10 being guilty OF
robbing trains and stealing horses and
TINT hls principal pal WINS named
pettyiohn. Two indictments were found
against him BY the Wood county Grand
Jury last June, for burglary md theft, Fears
of rescue by his gang were entertained by
tho authorities, and h0 m removed from
the Minoola iail 10 the Gregg county jal u, nj
Longyiow. Here m attempt was made to
rescue him, tho ailer being knocked down
and the despcradoes proceeding 10 llbomte
l,eir leader, when tho Sheriff camo TO The
jailer's aid and frustrated tho scheme, cap
turing one of the resculng gang, who Is now
in iail NJ Iiongview awaiting trial.
Benson soon made known his desire TO in
form on tho balance of the gang, promising
If leniency was shown him he would peach
on his pals, and also assist IN thor arrest
On this consideration he was re-
5000: tho bond was made small on account
Of his promises to the authorities. lilo pro"
cured the bond, securing his bondsmen BY
pledging them valuable property, which he
forfeited and ran away. The authorities ~
Dallas and other places were mott lod, and
descriptions of Benson and Pettyjohn sont
them. Deputy Sheriff Nixon, of this county,
was especially jealous in his efforts to secure
their capture, M he had been In the employ
of the Texas 81 Pacific railroad about two
years ago, know of the robberes by Benson
and his gang, and had traced them TO differ
Ont parts of tho State and in Arkansas, OK
tending from Dallas to Poplar Bluff.
About three months ago an
individual under the name of Wright
was in Dallas and disposed Of lot OF horses
to Hirsch u Silvcrstein, livorymen and horse
traders. Nixon felt positive that Wright was
the man Benson whom he wanted so badly,
and that the horses were stolen. Ho wrote o
the SHERIFF. Wood county, asking If Benson
was still at large, expecting to arrest
Wright, when no received an answer
that Benson was still at large, but
before the answer came the game was
gone. In few days telegram was received
from Waco TO arrest man named Wright,
who had stolen lot of horses there, and this
confirmed the suspicion that Wright was
Benson. Nixon has been on the lookout
for the robber ever SINCE and last Monday |
no again got his eyes on him, and then
his official hands secured him.
Benson claimed that he was not the man |
wanted that his name was Wright. Nixon |
asked him if he could get any one in tho city |
to identify him. He said he could-liirscb |
Il Silversten would do it; they knew him |
well. Hirsch was found, and identified the
prisoner as Wright, Then Nixon sand; 81
hold over you just a little. | have known
him longer than you have, and am positive
h s name is Benson, and he goes to Jail"
After that Benson was reticent, refus ng to
talk about his career, being proof even
against the resources Of the reporter. But
we're "on to him" now. The Wood county
authorities were notified, and Mr.. Benson is
ngan behind the bars at Mineola. Pettyjohn
is the next man wanted, and it may be he
has been in Dallas operating with his chief,
but it is hard to recognize him from simply
descriptions.