San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-17
CLEANING OUT THE GANG.
SOME STIRRING SCENES IN THE
EARLY DAYS OF RAWLINS, wy. T.
Wild Times in the West, When Robberies
Were Openly Planned-The LypchinG of
Lacey and Opium Bob-Carter Allowed

to Escape Because He Was Half Decent.
Each Easter Sunday a majority of the citi
Gems of the little town of Rawlins, Wy. T.,
walk out to the stock yards, gaze at the high
fences and great gates of the strong pens and
return to their homes Of course, the visit
has its significance 1t is in commemoration
of Wyoming's only double lynching, an event
which had the salutary effect of wrestling I'M
limited authority of power from desperate
and lawless gang of thieves and murderers.
The town of Rawlins is quiet enough now,
but eight years ago it was one of the liveliest
of the many bustling communities. Every
other house was gambling hell and the in
tervening buildings were dance halls of the
worst sort. There were three variety thea
tres in full blast, with club and wine rooms
attached.
The auditorium of one of these two dens-
LAWNS Palace-was a tent. Serious brawls
here were of nightly occurrence, and men were
frequently wounded and occasionally killed.
At the firing of the first shot there was al,
ways grand scattering of non-combatants
Those nearest the walls whipped out knives,
slashed half moons in the canvas and leaped
through the improvised exits In time there
THE LEADERS AND THEIR HAUNTs.
The recognized leaders of the thugs and
gamblers were Lacey, Opium Bob and Car
ter. 1t was strong triumvirate, and their
edicts were law. Lacey had been a heavy
weight prize fighter, and had killed man in
a bar room row in New Mexico. Opium Bob
came from Chicago, was general crook and
a finished card sharp He was the director
of the operations of the gang-prime min
lister to Laceys rex Carter had been range
foreman for big cattle outfit, but was dis
charged after months of dissipation and neg
lect of his duties. He was the ''gun fighters
of the party, was quick as wink with his re-
volver, an excellent shot and stranger to
fear. Carter came from Texas.
This gang halted at nothing They stole
cattle and horses by the herd, held up stage
coaches, burglarized, sandbagged and cheated
at cards. They robbed half the stores in
town, but no one dared complain. Several
times they made men "stand and deliver in
broad daylight. The reputation of the town
became so bad that drummers did their so
Letting by mail, and the doors of the pas
senger coaches were locked while trains halted
for as brief time as possible. A prominent
citizen suggested that the government be
called upon for assistance. His house was
burned to the ground that night.
Scott Lilly, tin horn gambler and opium
fend, who was regarded as only hanger on,
was the traitor in the Lacey camp. Early
one morning he confided to the sheriff, Ike
Miller, that on that very night the gang pur-
posed cracking the safes of the Hugus Com
mercial company, at Rawlins, and Fort
Steele, a military post twenty miles away.
There were no banks in the country at that
time, and the repositories in town and at the
post traders store contained large sums of
money. Miller notified the commander at
Fort Steele, and he answered that the raiders
would be properly received. Then the cour-
ageous sheriff, determined to take a stand
against the desperadoes, enlisted and organ
lied a formidable posse. Lacey heard of this,
but declared that the trick should be turned"
at all events.
The gang fell to drinking during the day
and there were several serious conflicts be-
tween citizens and members of the lawless
mob. Late in the afternoon Miller and
pair OF deputies rushed into Chinese wash
house. where a lively row was in progress.
Lacey, Opium Bob and Carter, drunk with
opium, had beaten one Chinaman to insensi-
partner. The sheriff and his companions
leveled their six-shooters at the trio and
easily captured them, as the men We're COM
pletely of guard. These deputies were Bill
Findly and Charles Landgberger. The for.
mer had killed a mai who refused to
come to 'hands up" was subsequently
sergeant-at-arms for th9territorial house of
representatives. Landenberger was a stock
detective.
THEIR TOES TOUCHED THE GROUND.
The officers hurried their prisoners to the
county Jail and the backbone of the worst
organization which ever fourished In the
west was broken. The joy of the respectable
element was i'll concealed and knew no
bounds Resentment was deep in their
breasts. In power once more they proceeded
to rid the town of the Objectionable popula-
ton. More than 100 members of the gang
were forced to walk from the place.
During the progress of public meeting in
celebration of the redemption of the town
news was brought that the two Cinnamon
beaten by the leaders of the gang were dead
A lynching party was publicly organized,
and, after securing arms and ropes, the
avengers marched to the county jail, singing
on the way and carrying lanterns.
Findly and Landenberger were guarding the
prisoners by direction of Miller. Of course
they were not foolish enough to resist the
strangers, and Lacey, Opium Bob and Car
Ter, wearing handouts, were soon heading a
procession to the stock yards. The ceremo-
MES here were brief. Lacey and Bob were
helpless with fear, and Carter announced
that he had nothing to say. Now, the latter
had been a very decent sort Of a fellow ana
had some stanch friends in the crowd. 1t is
small wonder, then, that just an instant be.