San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-11-10
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
Some Statements Showing How the
Train Robbers We're Dis
posed Of.

The secret is out, and there is no longer any
mystery as to how the United States authOr-
ties have been able to catch up with the train
robbers of which Bill Whitley was the nomi-
nal head.
As usual in such cases there has been
"treachery," and the man who gave the whole
thing dead away was one of the gang, Ed.
Reeves, a United States prisoner in BeXar
county Jail. He made full confession detail
ing all the robberies committed by the gang,
the men engaged in it, and their usual haunts
where they could be found. Thus armed the
officers could not fail to succeed.
The conspiracy for robbery opens in Febru-
airy 1887. when Brack COrnett, Ed. Reeves,
Jim BUD Pow IL, and Charley Ross and Cloud
met in Buffers pasture. John Barbour and
Bill Whitley came later in the gang. Then the
robbery at Mcneil Jul; ction. Cornett was the
man who struck the messenger, and Powell
was the man who shot young Landa of this
city. Cornett was also the man who took the
mail agents hat having lost his own. The
oroce DIS of this robbery yielded several thou
sand dollars that were divided among the rob-
bers.
Soon after the FlatoniO train robbery was
planned, Cornett, Barbour, Whitley, Powell,
Ross Jacob and Reeves started out to work
pretext left the gang and took no part in
the robbery. The train was robbed, the men
got away with the plnnder S7,0O9.50 and lot
Of jeweery. Ell Harrell got some of the
pIunder, and Will Harrell, OF Floresville, fed
the gang. Newton Butler was of service and
received fine gold watch. Then came the
project 10 rob the CuerO and FREDERICKSBURG
bank. The fredericksburg bank was too well
guarded and the project, as regards it, was
abandoned. The other project also failed
Reeves went to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Powell
was also there. At this point Reeves was ar.
rested for carrying pistol; he put up $40
cash bond and skipped
At this time the gang divided, working in
pairs and in their own interest Reeves was
arrested at Grand View and brought to San
Antonio. determined plan was got up to
rescue Reeves, headed by Barbour and Whit.
lev, but it failed. Soon after Milt Day and
Kelly, two of the gang, were captured in Con
zales county and are now in Huntsville.
Jacobs it is said, decoyed Cornett to Allee's
ranch and there he was killed as reported in
the LIGHT.
Barbour and Whitley quarrelled because
Barbour left Whitley in danger, and run, but
efore that they killed Deputy Sheriff Stanley
n williamson county and robbed the Cisco
Bank of about $4,000 in oper-day light in a
most daring manner and got off.
Then, after some fugitive business, came
he HarwOod robbery, which was put up job
vaug whitley usually went to the express
car to rob it, and if he lad gone this time he
wOuld have died earlier As it was, Whitley
got the wrong car, and escaped.
Then came the HarraIl episode at Flores
VILE where Whitley was CAUGHT by the officers
md Eiiled. in resisting "rr2~t 1t is SAID that
the Harrall's betrayed him 10 save them
:elveS
However the gang were put down is no mat
TER: il is now extinct. and the United States
officers deserve credit for having rid us OF
lObberS that worried our people, and dis
rrsccd the state in the eyes of the world.