, 1890-12-04
Recalled by a Ghastly Dis
oovery in Montana.
CAREER OF THE WILLIAMS BOYS
Two Persons Who Became the
Ambushed Instead of the
Ambushers.


gether, the few bones Of the desper-
ado, Lon Williams, which were
found Mt West Boulder, in Yellow
stone county, recently, may serve
as the foundation of n romance as
thrilling as that furnished by the
crimes Of the James boys, the Youn-
gers or the Benders. 1T Is now some
ten years ago since Ed and Lon
Williams started out on their career
OF murder and robbery. At first
they were content with the danger
Nous occupation ofhorse stealing. By
the shrewdness of an Illinois farmer
they were trapped and caught, and
each got three years In the peniten.
tary. They sw0re they would kill
the farmer the moment they were
released. He heard of 1t and moved
to Wisconsin. But his change OF
base did not save him. The Will
Jams boys tracked him out and
shot him down in cold blood.
At that time there lived in Wis
consin, near the scene of the
MURDER two brothers named Max
well. AS much with the idea of
Kidding the country of these two
outlaws, rs for the purpose of earn
ing the reward that was offered by
the state and the dead farmers :
friends for the arrest of his
murdercrs, the Maxwells declared
,h,.r xpa,,lI hn,,f ~
two Williams boys. But they COM
mitted the fatal error of talking too
much. They learned that Ed and
Lon Williams were to cross the
prairie at "A certain point on GER
tain day, and gave out that they
would bc in u particular spot to
intercept and arrest the murdercrs.
This boast was carried to the
Williams boys. for even outlaws
have friends In respectable com
muntics, unfortunately. When
the Maxwells started out on their
mission 1t was with bright hopes
of glory and reward. The spot
where they were to await the COM
ing of their game was In sight
when two men rose up'out of the
tall grass, two rifles rang out
simultaneously, and the Maxwells
fell from their horses dead. Ed and
Lon Williams had anticipated their
would-be captors. Before the bodies
of the Maxwells were cold their
slayers had reached the neighbor-
ing village, where the pursuers had
ordered their ammunition sent.
Going To the express office the
| Williams boys represented them
Selves as the Maxwells, secured
several hundred cartridges, and
were Off before the double murder
was discovered.
Naturally, the entire country In
the vicinity of this tragedy was
aroused. The rewards offered for
the inurderers were increased. Two
Illinois sheriils undertook to earn
the money. They were Sheriff
I.eamey, of Calhoun county, and
Sheriff Blades, of Pike county. 1t
was their individual ambitions
which led to the death of one of
them and the failure to capture the
w llIluIHS pONH. HIS III
their career was witnessed by Deputy
Sheriff Dyer, who was then herding
cattle, but who now upholds
the dignity of the district court of
Lewis and Clarke county by frown-
ing down all conversations which
annoy his honor, Judge Hunt. ~
was on the other side of the river"
says Dyer, "and you can bet that |
was glad of it," The story as told
by Dyer is as follows:
The two sherfis, one coming
l down the Illinois river and the
bother working up, each with his
4 posse, were almost within hailing
= distance of each other one bright
afternoon, aud had the Williams
boys in u trap had they come to an
understanding and closed in upon
the outlaws. This they did not do
however, but pushed on, each eager
tomake the capture and secure the
reward. Leamey reached the rem
devious OF the Williams boys first.
They were sitting on II log on the
side of hill, well hidden by the
surrounding bushes. Sheriff Leamey
aud his deputy rode over the brow
OF the hill, the others in the posse
being some distance behind.
Leamey dashed down the hill, fir
Ing as he came, until his revolver
was exhausted. Seeing this Lon
Williams raised his Winchester,
took careful aim, and the sheriff fell
dead. The deputy seeing this dis
mounted and got behind u tree, from
which point he began firing at the
outlaws But happeuinp TO drup "a
cartridge while reloading he stopped
bullet wound through the hip.
That settled him. The remainder
OF the posse had by this time reached
inc scene, and seeking cover opened
lire. Lon had secured the sherlffs
fidelless horse meantime and both
brolh mounted the animal. They
sat back to back, one guiding the
%horsc, while the other kept up an
incessant fire on the pursuers. Sher-
iif Blades and his men had come up
Just in time to take part in the
Chase. But it was growing dark
and this favored the fugitives.
Though doubly weighted, the sher-
mrs horse, II noble animal, held the
lead until tho Illinois river was
reached at a point only mile from
where 1t flows into the Mississippi.
here u boatInun was found. 1t
needed no further argument than
ieveled rifle to make him accede to
lhe demand of Lon Williams to
carry them down the river And
mus the desperadoes were successful
III eluding and escaping two sheriffs