Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-06-30
A COLORADO LyNCHING.
Details or the Capture aud Exploits OF
Billy lie Roy, the Bandit

/
mites IN Colorado were made angry by
the escape of the notorious highway
man, Billy LIE Roy, from Deputy Mar
shal Cantril, on the Kansas Pacific ex-
press. The story of the escape, as
printed at the time, was that lie Roy's
sweetheart had planned her lovers re-
lease and that she had successfully be-
witched the deputy marshal. The true
story, as related by the bandit to DIR.
Flournoy, of Del Norte, is as follows:
lie Roy carried about his person tiny
key, made from watch spring. When
he was stripped and searched on the
morning of his departure for Detroit he
creased the skin of his neck and placed
the key in the crease. His mouth was
opened, his hair brushed and his ears
examined, but the key escaped the no
tice of the searchers. When the train
was running at terrific speed Cantril left
his prisoner, shackled hand and foot,
and stepped to the toilet-room. "In
two seconds" said the bandit to DR..
Flournoy, II had my hands free and in
another two seconds my feet also. All
the passengers in the car. except one
lady, were either nodding or half asleep
| knew how to settle the lady. | just
gave her one look, ran to the platform
and jumped off. | was stunned, but
came to in little while and got away"
Several days passed after lie Roy's
escape, and the people hoped that he
had gone to some other corner of the
world. On the night Of the 18th
ult. the down stage for Del Nortc
passed the lower corner OF 'Funkln's
ranch, when from one side Of the dark
highway there arose demand to halt
The quick movement of the robbers
| frightened the coach horses old jim
my-so he is called d-was driving, and
horses, though he did his best. The
robbers, mistaking the runaway for a
deliberate 'attcmpt on the part of the
driver to cvade their clutches, fired
Volley into the fast-heeting coach. One
of these shots passed through a mans
hat who was on the box with Jimmy,
and took off one of his 10 k Of hair
Let's go back and surrender" said
Jimmy; if we don't they'll kill me
next time"
"For Gods sake don't 60 back"
pleaded a passenger, "for.I have got
S700 on me now and l will lose the
whole OF it
So Jimmy put lash to his horses and
the coach got away as quickly as pos.
sible. Then Jimmy resigned. He did not
propose to be killed in auy such style.
He knew that the bandits were none
other than Billy Leroy and his party.
lie Roy was next heard from when the
stage was ascending the hill about three
miles from Antelope Springs aud about
a mile and half from the lake. The
hill is very steep, and it was while the
ascent was being made that the agents
! jumped from their concealment and
fired whole handful Of bullets into
the passing vehicle. One Of the bullets
took effect in the leg Of Engineer Bart
/ lett, OF the Denver and Rio Graude
road, striking him in the ncshv part.
/ The ball struck q silver dollar in Bart.
let's pocket and sent the dollar into
| the flesh, then glanced aud went through
the leg and out The silver piece pro-
tected the femoral artery AMI saved
Bartletts life. Bart! 1T Gays there we're
three men in this party, and that one Of
/ them-a little fellow-said TO the big
man OF the crowd Get on the other
side, there, and tend to businers."
The little fellow pulled his self-acting
British bulldog and a mbed mp on the
wheel. He pointed the muzzle at
Bartlett's bead and remarked:
:" am going through you; hold up
your hands,"
The operation required but a short
time. Money and watch soon passed
into the deft fingers of the road agent.
1t became necessary to get into the
pocket nearest the wound.
"You are hurting my leg very much" ="
mildly protested tho victim.
"Well, you can't stand it." was the
reply. The front boot was then cleared
of mail, aud the rear one being empty,
the driver was told to go and that
deuced quick" The inside men we're
not disturbed. The robbers were evil
IDENTIFY nervous, for IL was early in the
evening The little fellow"
was lie Roy himself.
A fife and drum corps paraded Del
Norte when the stage reached that
| IL 4 =