Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-30
and this Is no exception to the rule.

and this Is no exception to the rule.
The individual in this cas- was Jim
Webster, a celebrated outlaw, whom
every one residing in Nevada and Yuba
Counties in 1866, well remembers.
Early in 1856 Jim was1 quietly mining
in Timbuctoo, apparently rs harmless
and free from guile as any miner, when
he lost his claim in u dispute. This
seemed to embitter his spirit and make
him reckless. The worthy citizens of
Timbuctoo had just laid out Il new GEM
etery, surrounded by a pretty fence,
and overlooking the town from the
slope of a sunny hill. There it lay
with its gate invitingly open. while no
one seemed to accept its Inequalities
and locate a claim among the manza
nita bushes which covered it. This was
an evil which Webster felt called upon
to correct. He took his revolver and
and Went out prospecting for candi-
dates. In a neighboring ravine he en-
countered three of the men who had
wronged him. They had shown so much
eagerness to jumphis claim, he thought
they also might like to locate one
among the manzanitas on the hill.
Three shots from the revolver laid
three corpses in the ravine, and pro-
vided material for inaugurating the
graveyard with all due solemnity. This
was the beginning. and now the "silcnt
majority from their narrow homes
on the brow of the hill, gaze down
upon the deserted streets and crumbling
ruins of Timbuctoo. as one by one the
minority desert the old haunts and are
carried up the hill to be laid away in
their midst.
After this exploit Webster took to
the road, and lived upon the contribu-
tons of the travelling public. He de-
voted his attention chiefly to the noun
tain roads of Neveda County, the one
we are o travelling being a favorite
with him. In this wilderness of forest
and brush, over mountains and through
deep canyons and rocky gorges, it was
almost impossible to pursue a fleeing
robbcr with any hope. of success. 1t
was a veritable robbers paradise. A
price was put upon his head, and many
efforts We're made to earn it.: but noone
dared to hunt him openly, as his repu-
tatlon as Il marksman and his reckless
courage held them at bay. He fire.
qucntly entered the various towns and
mining camps, and walked boldly
through the streets, no one feeling per-
sonally called upon to modest him. AS
sociated with him We're 4 number of
hard characters, such as invariably
gather about an outlaw who has the
ability and courage to lead and control
them. But there is an end to every
thing, and IL day Jim was bounced
upon and turned over to the care OF
Boss Wright. This was IL few weeks
after the big fire which destroyed the
Courthouse, and Webster was confined
in u temporary calaboose. He and !;
fellow-prisoner took French leave one
night, bat were traced to Smartsvflle
by Hank Plumer and Bruce Garvcy,
and captured while quietly sleeping,
each with 4 big ~six"shooter under his
pillow. This Hank Plumer was quite q
noted case. At this time he was Mar.
shall OF Nevada City, but Il few year.
later he was suspected of hold.
ing too intimate relations with q
gang OF thieves, and was finally
caught in the act of robbing the very
people who had elected him to protect
them. He evacuated at once, and wen'
to Idaho, where he became Sheriff OF I:
county, and tlourished asa member o.
Il gang of road agents. and horse thieves
whom he protected by means of hi.
official position. Finally TIM people
learned the true inwardness Of the sit
u%ation, and organized Il Vigilance Com
mittee, which strung up Sheriff Plumcl
and about a dozen Of his gang. which
put an end to the whole business.
A~MBUSCADE.
Well, to return to Webster. He onl,
remained in, Jail Il few days. On.
night he again made his escape, &C
companied by two others who belonged
to Tom Bells gang. You've heard O
Tom Bell, l SUPPOSE"
Eyes, I've heard of him, but nothing
very definite"
Well. I'll tell You about him some
other time. l mustn't mix him up Will
the present story. You can well i'm.
agine the excitement when it wa,
learned that Webster had escaped
again. Armed parties went in searcl
of him in all directions. just before
dusk the following day two horses
fully caparisoned, were found concealed
in Il secluded spot in Gold Run, Just {
short distance beyond the railroad
bridge you observed spanning it as w.
came along. 1t was at once Ssum
that these animals had been PLACED
there for the use of the escaped prison
ers, who were supposed to be lying il
concealment somewhere until dark
ness should give them il tavorabl,
opportunity to reach the horse:
and ride away. A number O
residents of Gold Flat, whic!
at that time contained quite Il mining
population, organized into Il posse un
der the leadership Of l.. w. Williams
There were ten or Il dozen of them
whose names | remember being j.. B
Byrnc, Wallace Williams, Thoma
Baldwin, G. II. Armstrong, r. S, Wig
, ham and Thomas Lockhart. Thes,
men went quietly to the place wher,
the horses were concealed, anG hit
) themselves in the bushes t. await tn,
expected arrival of the desperadoes.
While these preparations were bein!
made by the people of Cold Flat, VIII
would no doubt have been successful i
they had not peer interrupted, provided
Of course, that they We're correct in tn
supposition that the animals belonged
tn WphStar--thp nn,vS was corri,6 mi