Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-05-28

ger left substitute IN charge While
he went to dinner. The money was
in packages of $100, but when 1t
reached the paymaster he, on check
ing it, found several thousand dollars
wanting. It was assumed that their
regular messenger, although he was
arrested and afterward discharged,
could not have done the stealing; but
circumstances were so strong against
his substitute that he was convicted
and served a long sentence in the
penitentiary. Suspicion still hover
ed over the regular messenger, and
he, to relieve himself of it, offered to
compromise with the company. 1t
was not accepted, the company pre-
ferring TO take the risk OF recovering
in another way. The substitute, after
completing his term, left the penl-
tentiary, to be shadowed six months
by detectives, who finally discovered
him in the act of taking the money
from it's place of concealment not far
from where it had been distracted
FROM the express safe. The full
amount was recovered"
SIN addition to the Renos," said the
old expressman, Indiana gave to
crime one equally as notorious, and
whose exploits rival those of the
James brothers. It was Sam Bass;
but as long as he lived in his native
state he gave promise of beng a re-
spectacle man. He was born at
Mitchell, Ind. in 1851, and about the
time the Renos fourished il Jack
| county, not far FROM that place, was
of an age to accept the romance OF
crime and notorious exploits OF crlm>
inals as the highest exemplification Of
courage. How far the Reno record
| affected him is not known, but it sure
| ly left some impression on him, for
about the year they came to grief he
Egan, of Denton county, employed
him to take charge of his cattle. But
the legitimate excitement of cows
boys life was not enough for him, and
he soon drifted to the bad seeking the
association of roughs, reckless men,
outlaws, and abandoned women.
Although illiterate, he had ability Tor
leadership that soon placed him at the
head of one OF the worst bands of
robbers that ever afflicted Texas. He
operated along the Rio Grande, yet
none of his deeds at this time acquired
anything more than local distinc-
ton. He had done enough, however,
to make him all object of search by
the rangers and state authorities. Hav-
ing a thorough knowledge of woods,
forests, and thickets, he found many
places of concealment which enabled
him to evade pursuit. Returning to
to the care Of cattle, he took service
with large stock~ralsers. This gave
him an opportunity to familiarizeEhim
self with the routes from Denison tC
to the Black hills. All this time his
arrangements for outlawry on a great
er scale than heretofore were being
perfected. In September, 1877 the
force of his organization was shown
in his great train-robbery at Big
Springs, Neb., and Joel Collins, Bill
Hoatling, Thomas Nixon, and Jack
son Davis assisted him in this depreda
ton. They got $4,000, all in SIC
gold pieces. A short time after the
robbery Collins and Hoatling were
killed by a sheriff's posse, and the $50,
900 that came to them out of the booty
recovered. Jackson Davis was also
killed, and the SO, 900 he had received
the pursuers found upon his person.
Bass and Nixon went to Fort Worth
Tex, shadowed by detectives. Dur
ing the next few months Bass partici-
pated in three express robberies, bu1
the spoils amounted to nothing com
pared with the Big Springs affair. In
July, 1873, he planned an attack on
the bank at Round Rock, Tex. While
on the eve of accomplishing this rob
berry officers in pursuit of Bass and his
gang corralled them in Henry Kop
pel's store, where Bass was buying
some tobacco. A fierce firing ensued
resulting In the death of Barnes, one
Of Bass men, and Deputy Sheriff
Grimes. Bass fled to the woods
wherein, at dawn the next day, hi;
pursuers found him, lying under {
tree, fatally wounded. Sergt. Neville
and his rangers, approaching him
were saluted with ''Don't shoot. I an
the man you are looking for. [ an
Sam Bass" On being taken to Round
Rock and questioned, he said: It an
Sam Bass. l am shot all to pieces, anC
it is no use to deny it," He dice
about the 18th Of July, 1873, just be
fore his last breath saying: ''Tht
world is bobbing around: let me go.
'"That was an exciting night in Jan
uary, 1875. for Messrs. Cone, Chaplin
and Tim Hart, Of the limited EXPIRES:
company. and two officers Of the
Cleveland police" came in turn from
a hitherto disinterested listener
There had been cause for extra pre-
caution on the night Express trains OF
the Lake Shore road, and one nigh
about the middle of January the per-
sons named went west to Wauseon
!, 0. Just before reaching that place
they saw a campfire, around which
were several men. At Wauseon they
changed to the east bound Chicago
express, due In Cleveland at 2:30 A.
NJ. There was no attempt that night
to rob the train. But the next nigh
the guards and detectives repeated
their journey, taking for their return
trip the east-bOund express at Archi