The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-04-22
Who Terrorized Northern
Texas for Years at Last
Succumb to
The Vigilance of a Deputy
Sheriff, Who Overhauls
Them in California
The Exploits of Two Young
Men Who Educated
Themselves for
"The Road"
Special TO the BaZoo.

Special to the Bazoo.
NEVADA, Mo-. April Is.
For many years Northerp Texas hai
been infested with bands of horse thieves,
safe blowers and stage robbers. A ganl
would spring into existence, flourish quick
ly, make few dashes, get away with the
swag and disappear, thereby eluding arrest
A few months later and another organiza
ton would come TO the surface and repeal
the dose, leaving nothing behind but their
fresh tracks and, perhaps, the decaying ef
fects of burned powder Thus il has beer
for years, and the authorities have been sue
cessfully bsffled in their efforts to secure
the gaiety craftsmen.
A BoLDER PAIR.
Four years ago two boys. Will Lewis,
alias Bill Underwood, born in Parker
county. and Bill Epps, who fr-t saw light
! in GraysOn county, but was mostly reared
in Cook county, turned out" and educated
themselves for the road. They were IL
years old, being within fifteen days of the
same age beardless BOYS. They stole
horses and run them through to Kansas.
Missouri or Arkansas, and then they would
go on a tour Of pleasure through the north
ern cities and expend the money gained by
the sales made IL riotous living, stopping
at the best hotels in the country, When
their ill-gotten wealth got low they would
return To their old haunis and make
another raise by feats of daring robbery,
which were so dashing, and with that pc
culiar holiness which made all Northern
Texas tremble when the names of Bill
Underwood or Bill Epps were mentioned.
EMBoLDENED BY SUCCESS
these boys continued ON and on, not disap-
pearing like the gangs that had preceded
them, until the summer of 1888, when it
appeared as il the pair OF "Bad Bills"
were going TO make last and final season.
Some time last summer did they hold the
Wea .herford and Jacksboro stage, and
with drawn pistols they compelled the
terror stricken passengers and driver, TO
throw up their hands, and while one
covered them with the muzzle Of six
shooter, the other would 60 through the
mail and passengers, taking money and
watches and such other valuables as they
might have in their possession that they
could utilize or reduce to money consid-
Grafton, and also the registered packages
pair of good horses and pull for the tall
timber in the Nation, and thence to the
further north, where perhaps they had an
accomplice TO dispose of the animals,
watches or iewelry that they might have
gotten.
HUNTING FOR THE ROBBERS.
This continued until about six months
III Il Il
Weatherford, was employed by Rhys NJ.
Thomas. United States mail inspector of
Texas, to hunt the robbers down. 1t was
difficult undertaking. To find their
place of abode was no small task. They
slept no two nights in the same place, and
the keen-eyed, sharp-visaged deputy almost
despaired of ever accomplishing his errand,
not only of mercy To the people of North
ern Texas, but also an errand of safety to
his neighbors and to the mails.
CLUE AND A TRACK.
About two months ago the precious
pair stopped the hack which plies between
Whitesboro and Gainesville, and it was
"hsnds up" again to all the luckless pass
engers. They committed the robbery In
with no disguise, and they were
known. This last road act so exasperated
the people of Gainesville that they offered
a reward of $1,000 for the capture of tine
robbers.
Sisk started in hot haste TO catch the
trail while 1t was warm Nerved TO more
energy and sleepless push by the reward
offered, besides the pay the government
was promising him, he went to the place
where the stage was robbed, after getting
OF the Two men. He found the
direction in which they went. He follow
ell necessarily slow, because often would he
lose his track, and then rctrace his steps
and proceed on another trail. Strange as
it may appear, these fellows
HAD STRONG sYMPATHIzERs
who would misdirect the deputy sheriff.
hence the chase was slow Finally he
found where two horses and two saddles
had been stolen, and he traced them into
the nation. Again he found where
double wagon and harness had been pilfer- |
ed. and further On another pair of horses |
was taken. To follow them after this !
while they were driving four horses to Il |
covered wagon was an easy matter, and he /
could gain on them. Dodge City, Kansas, |
was resched, where they sold the horses, |
wagon and harness, and shipped the sad.
lies TO Dick Fulton, Cheyenne, w. T.
Here they took the railroad, and by a
mere accident Sisk learned that they stop
ped at Pueblo, Colorado. and registered at
he Fifth Avenue hotel as Frank Lewis
md Dick Fulton. Here he was only
FOUR DAYS BEHIND THEM.
The deputy sheriff reached Cheyenne
April Sth, and found that Bill Lewis had
registered at hotel as Frank Sinclair, and
IN the next day there was a large conven-
ion of cowboys at Cheyenne, that made il
III the more difficult to single out his birds,
,ecause they dress nearly all alike and
hese young men were dressed In nearly
he same garb as a. majOrity OF those were ;
Who were attending the convention. Sisk
Eent to the pOstoffice and impaired his Sc
ret to the postmaster, told him what he
wanted, and asked him to spot and arrest