Arizona silver belt., 1889-05-18
THE ROBBERY OF PAYMAsTER wHAM
 AND ESCORT.

The murderous attack upon Maj. J
 W. WhaM, Paymaster U. S. A. and
 escort by highwaymen, on Saturday
 last, occurred at point about miles
 north of Cedar Springs and 15 miles
 below Thomas. The paymaster's par,
 ty rode in an ambulance and an escort
 wagon. Upon reaching the spot re.
 ferred to, where the road winds down
 the side of leng hlll between a high
 wall on the east and low ledge on the west, the wagons had started Nown the hill, the ambulance ahead and the wagon fifty yards behind, when, at bend in the road, huge rock was discovered in the roadway, which had apparently fallen from above. Nearly all of the escert party went forward to remove the ebstruc- ton and some of them had reached the rock when shot was fired from the rocks above and to the east, which was immediately followed by a volley from the same quarter. It was after wards found that the robbers had built a breastwork of stone on the brow of the hill, csncsallng it with brush.
 
 The paymaster's party quickly Neveght shelter behind the ledge en the opposite side of the read and returned the fire of the attacking party. The ledge afforded protection frem the fire from the robbers breastwOrks, but they foreseelng this had stationed several of thGlr men higher up and to the right, and they began destruc- tive creSs-fre upon the eseert party, and others of the robbers went to the left on the brow of the hill and opened fire. The soldiers we're driven from their position and made a break for the ravine below, being exposed, in the run down the hill, to a terrible fire. The paymaster's party continued to retreat around the point of the hill, until out of range. Maj. Wham at- tempted to rally his men, but the ef- fort resulted Tn only exposing himself to the bullets of some of the robbers, while their confederates went to the wagons broke open the treasure box, and secured the contents, about i $29 900. About thirty minutes elapsed from the time the first shot was fired until the last of the paymaster's party was wounded, and nearly an hour be- fore the robbers decamped.
 One of the robbers is supposed to have been badly wounded and was seen being taken away on pack mule. Of the eleven men in the paymaster's party, eight were wounded, one of whom is reported to have since died, Maj. Wham and his clerk, w. J. Gib- bon were uninjured, although the lat ter had a bullet pass through his sleeve and another through the top of his cap. Three of the mules belong ing to the paymaster's party were killed.
 |
 The robbers had a second fort built of stone, some distance behind the oth- CT one, to which they evidently in tended to retreat if forced from their first position. It IS stated in the Star that three of the robbers are well known but their names, fer the pres ent, are withheld.
 Troops from all the posts in South eastern ArIzona and New Mexico were ordered out, as we'll as Indian scouts from San Carles.
 Attorney General Miller has author ized U. s. Marshal Meade to offer re- ward of $500 each for the arrest and conviction of the robbers. Governor Wolfey also offers S50e reward on be- half of the Territory.