The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-11
WESTERN TERR0RS.
Capture of Frc ntier Town by Fiva
Armed Desperadoes,
who EAiII Three Men, Wound q
Woman and Ride OF With
Twelve Hundred Dol
lars Booty.

TOMBSTONE, Ari., Dec. 1l.-About II 80
couple of couriers reached Tombstone from
Bisbee with news of a bloody tragedy enacted
in that camp a few hours previously. Shortly
after O'Clock party Of men well mounted
ard heavily armed rode into town, and when
within a hundred yards of the store of A.
A. Castanada dismounted, and. leaving
their horses in charge of two of their
number, five of them boldly walked up to the
store Three of The party, it is stated, entered
The store and the others remained on the out
side. just what tlanspired in the store is
not yet known, but few minutes afterwafd
the sound of Iifie shots rang out from the
neighborhood, desultory at first, but rapidly
resolving into regular fusiIlade. The in
habitants, wonder-struck, at the sound, has
tended to the scene and saw the party of
men mentioned mount their horses and de-
liberately ride off in the direction from which
they came. But minute elapsed, however,
before it was known that the reports of the
rifles heard were not the echoes of brayado,
but the death knell Of two human beings
and the death in a few hours of two others.
The names of the parties killed outright
are:
J. c. Tappeiner, assayer at the Copper Queen
mine; u. T. Smith, well known rancher at
San Pedro, who had business interests in
Bisbee;J. A. Nolty, better known as Texas, "
and is engaged in the lumber business there,
Was shot in the breast receiving a wound
from which he cannot recover: Mrs. Roberts,
keeper of a boarding house, received a
wound which will undoubtedly cause death.
Tappeiner and Smith were both shot in the
head and instantly killed, the former falling
| with his head into the Bon Ton SALOON, and
Smith fell a short distance from him. Mrs
Roberts, hearing the noise of he firing, came
to the door Of her house and received her
death wound while looking in the direction
of the shots Nolty met his fate in about the
same manner All of the parties were in the
immediate vicinity Of Castanada's store, and
| it is supposed were assassinated i'll a spirit Of
| pure demoniacal murder.
| Besides the carnival of blood instituted by
| the gang they also robbed the store men
| toned of about 81, 201 in money. The entire
| transaction occurred in the space of five min
utes The reports of the rifles were followed
| by the immediate departure of the bandits
and before the citizens could realize the dan
! ger that was upon them they had ridden fal
| out into the night, going in the direction Of
| Sulphur Spring valley. 1t is generally be
lieved the party are the same who robbed the
| train of the Southern Pacific railroad few
| days ago.
| Three large parties are in pursuit
The following is from Bisbee:
BIsBEE, A. T., Dec. S.-H. NJ Ellsworth
and Judge Wallace: Train-robbs1s, five in
number, robbed Bisbee fifteen minutes ago
Three men Were killed and one women wa.
wounded. The killed are John Tappeine
| Texas, J. A. Nolty and d. 7. Smith, Mrs
Roberts was wounded. Send Hatch and al
the extra horses you can, as no horses are K
be found here. A posse can be obtained
here. Castanada's store was robbed and thu
safe broken into and 81 200 taken Pleas
notify Ward. Over 100 shots were fired.
| w. A. DANIEL, Deputy Sheriff