The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-10-05
[Reportcd for the v1RG1N1AN.1

NANT POPULACB.-AN AUG UsTA COUNTY
MANS ACCOUNT OF THE TRAGIC AFFAIR
Reported for the VIRGINIAN.1
Your readers, no doubt, have read in the
papers brief account of the killing and rob
bing of Express Messenger Hall and DR.. Vail
near Globe, Arizona, about the 10Th of last
month, together with the capture and lynch
ing of the murderers. Since reading the news
paper accounts, have had the privilege of
reading an account of the whole affair, in
letter from Mr.. Samuel w. Bell of Globe, son
Of Saml Holmes Bell Esq. of this county, to
his sister, Mrs. William L. Mowry. The sub
stance of the account herewith take the priv
iege of sending to your paper, which is as
follows:
About II O'Clock, A. NJ, on the Goth of
August, boy came running into town and
reported that the mail and express had both
been fired into and taken up at the foot of the
mountain, near Globe,-ddn't know whether
by whites or Indians. In very short time
armed men were on their way TO the scene
of the outrage. Arriving on the ground
it was found that it was the deliberate
work of highwaymen and that they had
shot several OF the mules and got away with
the express treasure OF five thousand ($5000)
dollars in coin, together with some other val
uabes and the express messenger, Andy Hall,
was missing. The mail rider escaped at the
first fire and being unarmed had gone some
mile and Il half to Ianche for Il gun. The
perpetrators of the robbery attacked from tue
brush, and he was unable TO tell who or what
they were and when he returned with others
they found affairs as herein stated, without the
least clue except almost indlstnct foot tracks,
which were in II short time afterwards entirely
obliterated 10y Il rain. The party, however, in
hunting for something definite on which to
work up the case, came across DR.. Vail, in a
dying condition. He had, that morning, left
Globe. a-foot 10 go 10 his camp. He had three
rifle bullet holes through his body, having been
shot from the rear. WhcE found, the Doctor
was so near his end that his friends could only
get an indefinite description OF the robbers and
murderers ere he breathed his last. He said
a-toot when be accidentally fell i'll with them
near the scene OF the outrage; he said he was
acquainted with one OF them, but couldn't
name him. He also stated that one was tall
and the other very small man; one was light
and the other dark compleXioned. He stated
that they compelled him to go ahead OF them
for a mile Or more, and then cruelty shot him
AS soon as the full particulars reached Globe,
a wagon was sent for the remains of DR.. Vail,
and armed men struck out III every direction
The excitement increased with the lapse OF
every minute, and reached its heghth when
word was received that Andy Hills body had
been found about TWO and a half miles from
town, and some two miles from where DR..
Vail was discovered, with eight of the largest
sized bullet holes through his body. The mis-
creants had been seen by several unsuspecting
parties at q distance, but not sufficiently close
for Identification; but the description given OF
their size, agreed with Dr. Wallis account, but
as TO who they were mo one could form the
the most remote idea About shutdown of the
same day, from one objection, DR.. VS. body
was brought into town, whlle at the same
time, another wagon, bearing the mutated
remains of Andy Hall, came in from another
direction. From all outward circumstances
and signs, and think also from the confession
Express Messenger, Andy Hail. after being
robbed, had aimed TO keep close enough to
the robbers not to lose track OF thtm, and they,
dviMing his object, secreted themselves in the
brush that lined the road on each side in thick
prottsion, until lie unexpectedly came right
up to them, when they fired on him, killing
him instantly. During TIE afternoon of the
goth repeated showers had fallen, rendering
the possibility OF detection by tracking, out of
the question, and by Eight-tal it had settled
down 10 steady lain, which, to all appear
ances, rendered everything in favor Of the es-
cape Of The outlaws, and by O'Clock, P. NJ,
all OF the searching parties had returned.
Everyone was breathing dire vengeance
against the murderers, and none, as the sequel
will show, were louder in their vehement cx-
pressions than the perpetrators themselves.
On the 21st, the two victims were buried
side by side. Everything remained in obscu-
concerned. No light appeared to break forth,
by which a hope could lie revived that the
guilty would be upprehended, until Tuesday
evening, Aug. %. AT that time, some of the
officers, after comparing circumstances and
descI iptions given them of the smaller man of
r..
whom there were connected some suspicious
circumstances, and who answered pretty well
the description given OF the smaller man, had,
on Monday morning, the 21st, left Globe to go
to work at McMorris' mill, distant about IL
miles from town, concluded TO go there
which they id. They found Grimes, and
after comparing the size Of his foot with one
of the trucks, they arrested him-telliDg him
at the same time, that there was no use deny
ing it; he might as well own up, as his COM
panion had made a clean breast of the whole
affair, and was then in custody and when one
of the parties declared that he saw him shoot
Hall, &c, he agreed to make written confess
sion duplicating his brother, Cicero Grimes,
for himself and brother as possible. 1t was
through his brother, who came ahead of the
express, from the mountains, that they were
posted on the weight OF The box and the men
with it, besides other important particulars
but he said his brother was not in the killing,
although he was indirectly connected with the
job from the first. After the confession of
Grimes, posse set out to town at once to ar
rest Hawley-which was quietly accomplished
that night, at his house, in town. A guard
was placed to shadow Cicero Grimes until thew
were ready to arrest him All the above was
accomplished without the least noise or ex-
element, as it was highly necessary to keep
the whole transaction profound secret, forthe
officers of the law knew full we'll that an en-
ragged and indignant populace would mete out