News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-22
A ROBBERS CAVE IN TEXAS.
The Mans Bones Taken from TIA beliei
that IL Hides Many More.

SIN ANToNio. TExAs;-Slnee the
killing Of United States Marshal Gosllng
By the Pitts Gang of desperadoes last
wear, luck seems to have been against
these outlaws. Old Grandma browns
was with the party on the train at the
time that Costing was murdered, and In
the melee that followed she received a
fatal wound. Up to that time she had
exercised a wonderful influence over the
gang, adjusting their quarrels and gen
orally making peace among them. One
of the Pitses was also killed at the same
time, and Yeager, a member of the muir
derous band, has since been sent to
prison for a long term. AS the sury1v-
ing outlaws have been quarrelling of late
it surprised no one a few days ago when
the SCOTS, father and son, came to
town and gave information where one
of the Brannons could be found. Off
GERS went in search of the desperate,
found him at work in a field, and killed
him as he was resisting arrest. This
brought Cal Brannon, a brother, to the
front, thirsting for revenge, and he, in
the course of an interview with the
police told them where they could find
JIG pOuS VI IIduA I1dlII5, U Id
disappeared two years ago, and at the
same time conveyed the information
that the SCOTS had murdered him.
It had been known for several years
that the outlaws had a retreat some
where in the neighborhood of the
Helotes settlement, several miles north
of this city, but until Brannon came in
its exact location vas a matter of con-
lecture. He gave the officers explicit
directions, and, by following them
closely, the officers came upon a small
circular opening which answered to
Brannon's description of the entrance to
what is now called Robbers Cave. AS
it was pitch dark in the hole, a Mexican
with a lighted candle in his hand was
sent down, and he speedily announced
that he had come upon a human skele-
ton. After much difficulty the bones
were conveyed to the surface, where
they were recognized as those of Harris.
Although little time vas spent IN ex-
amining the cave, it was seen that its
dimensions were large, the entrance
alone being small. This goes down for
perhaps twenty feet, like a well, and
then the ave broadens out in all direc-
tons. 1t was at the bottom of the well
that HaIris's remains had been found,
lust as they had been thrown there two
years before.
The murder of Harris was the result Of
a quarrel between him and Jim Pitts,
growing out of an admiration of both
for q girl belonging to the Scott family.
jim was the leader of the desperadoes,
and he could not brook the idea that
Harris should be his rival in anything.
Harris, on the other hand, was regarded
by the girl with much favor, and he
swore that he would marry her, and
that no one else should. The SCOTS
favored Pitts, and on several occasions
they had trouble with Harris on account
of his persistency in wooing the girl.
At length, in 1884, as Brannon now con-
fesses, Pitts arrested Harris on some
trivial charge, and turned him over to
the SCOTS, one of whom was a constable.
Notwithstanding his connection with the
gang. The SCOTS set out one evening
with their prisoner, for the purpose, as
was supposed, of bringing him to the
city, but he was never afterward seen
alive. He was killed the same night,
and his body was concealed in the
secret cave from which it has just been
withdrawn. Soon after the tragedy
Pitts married Miss Scott, and they lived
happy together until he vas killed in
the Gosling affray. The SCOTS are now
under arrest for murder, and there is
not much doubt that they will have
other crimes to answer for before they
again see the outside of the jail.
Since the discovery of Robbers Cave
interest in the place has become very
great, and several exploring parties are
making preparations to investigate it
closely. 1t is believed to contain the
remains of a good many people who
have disappeared very mysteriously in
the last few years. The entrance is not
more than n hrp6-n1 foot f-oms+he
house in which the SCOTS have lived
for some time, and old residents in that
vicinity predict that it will be found to
be a regular private graveyard.