Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-09


v.uuc.a .a;. IHe parsaing party lie, cam,
IN sight Of the robbers near tie crossing
OF the VI dicine river south Of town. Til,
robbers. seeing that they were abont to b.
overtakcn turned and opened fire, and sew
eral volleys were exchanged between the u
and Barney O'Connor, Vernon Lyle, Alex
Mckinney and G. G.. Tillaferro who were
in the lead Of the pursuing party. They
crossed the river on the Kiowa road and
soon appeared on the hill beyond; again
they fired on their pursuers. and this was
kept up for two miles when tire bandits
turned north into tho canyons ut the foot
orthc gypsum hills, hiding nearly complete.
ly In a deep washout. where they were dis
scoyercd by the pursuing party. In the
meantime c. c. TalIafrro and Geo. Fried
ley. seeing Il might BE- necessary to sur
round them with a large force, came In for
reinforccmcnts.
Whca ihc robbers were trapped, enclosed
in a hole from which they h ID every advan-
tagc, then came the time for nerve rom
the purNcrs. Lee Bradley walked To- with
in rev yarls " tlc ~ IT tho risk OF beln z
rild.cd with outlets, and demanded tina
they come out. One OF them Brown re-
pliel that hc wanted to- say a word; Brad
ley told him TO throw down hls gun and
advance and he would not be hurt. All
tllis time the boys had been forming "a
n smaller circle around the bandits, and
/ they seeing that resistance WAS no long 2
OF any use, all came out and threw down
/ their arms.
VINO THY WERE.
/ The surprise Of the clptors can better be
/ imagined than described when Il was discoy-
cred tlInt the robbers were all wcllknown.
The header Of the gapg was n. n. Brown
marshal Of Caldwell, the other three were
Ben Wheeler, assistant marshal of tire same
place; William Smith, well-known
cowboy who has been employed for some
time on the r ; range, aud John Wesley.
alias Harry Hill, another wcll-kuown COW
boy.
or these men, Brown Is tle only one who
had acquired any notoriely. His histor,
on the frontier began with his connection.
with "Bllie tine kid' In New Mexico. II
u said that hc was a companion Of tic no.
tel dcsperi 10 in some Of his most exciting
adventures. or late years, however, n
SEEMED to have sobcpd down. Some three
years since he was elected assistant CITY
marshal Of Caldwell and for the past two
years has occupied the position Of marshal
OF our ncighboring city. lie WIS some
time ago presented with an elegant gold
mounted Winchester repeating rifle by IN .
citinns Of Caldwell, as "a token OF their ap
probation OF his services as marshal of that
place. In appearance Brown does not show
the criminal plrticalirly. lie l. man ur
! about medium height strong, wiry build
wears 40 Lclrl except a mouslachc, and
his face indicates ilrmness and lack Of ply
steal fear. During the time he has held hi.
oihcf l,c las Killed several men bit W..
generally considered entirely irstifiable.
Ben Wheeler, the man who frcdth shot
which killed George Geppcrt, Is a large
and powerfully built man. sandy compleet-
ed, and with rather an open countrnance.
So far rs we know he has never been noted
as dcspcrado. lie has occupied the posi-
tiou Of assistant marshal Of Caldwell for
the past two years and has been consitlerel
we believe, a good officer. Ills action yes
ter'hy, however, showed him to be- prrlap
tie most cCldbloodyd murderer In the
gang.
Wesley is rather untler mcdium size and
has an evil. reckless expression Of couutc-
nance and is just such boy as would as.
pre to desperate.
Smith is also an uudersizel man man
with dark complexion and rather a harden.
ed expression Of counienance.
In another column a statement made by
J. Johnson will tel! more about who Yves
ley and Smith were.
When the party were brought in they
were surrounded 10y crowd Of cxispera-
ted clhzcus and cries Of
HANG THEN! HANG THEN!
Sounded on every sid, aud for awhile il
looked as though they would BE- torn from
the hands Of the officers and lynchcd on
the spot. A somewhat cilmer feeling
came over the crowd not that the feeling
was any les intense but the desire to do
tie JOB up In a morc busincss-likc style was
grcatrr. TSrre was n desire TO wiring from
tie desperi'locs al the information posi-
Die. andascertaiu II they hal any confe,l-
crates. Ell. Sample, prominent attorney
Of ibis place, mounted the public we'll and
inside n nice talk admonishing the crowd to
b. patient, rs they could surely and ccrtliu-
y administer the justice they desired to
metz out. and perhaps at the same time
gain some important information.
10 endsd the most exciting and most sor-
rowful dry in the history OF Medicine
Lodge. No bunk robbery ever chrouielel
w the annals Of crime was ever boldcr in
In its design or accompanied by more cold
blooded mur,ler In its attempted execution.
That the dcspcradoes f,ile,l IN accomplish
ing their full purpose was not the fault OF
th"ir plan but was due to tie courage and
promptutss Ofa number of our cltizrns
nud others, a promp'ness and eoumge IN
Sex which has rarely been equalled on any
similar occasion anywhere.
JUSIICE ADMINISTERED.
IL appears that arrangements were per-
iretrd Ia the aitcrHoon by which vengeance
was 10 be mctrd ont TO four rs vile hearted
criminals as were ever allowed TO live In
I sasa.N a
large number toO-had met ian the after
noon aud quietly agreed that the prisoners
Wrr' To h. 'xec t'l tlat night. they con-
el"drd the Laws delays might DC the means
Of allowing some one of the number TO es-
cApe, andas all had confessed participation