, 1890-12-13
BASH RELIEVED.
The Gallant MsIor is Unidentified
by Congress.
Charley Parker's Crime Again
Brought TO Public Notice.
None of the Stolen Money Has
Ever Been Recovered.

- ~ NH@N NSHNNIo AHAE ~
formation, AhIch will be of a great deal Of
local interest: Mai. Daniel N. Bash of
Chicago, the army paymaster who was
robbed OF government funds, got his dues
today by the passage in the house of the
bill relieving him from the 7 1880 loss.
IL will be remembered tNat Maj. Bash
was on a pay tour in Wyoming and
stopped at Antelope Springs for break
fast While inside a cowboy ran off with
the saddlebags containing the money.
The thief was afterward captured. and Is
now doing time in a Western p~enItentiary,
but the money was never recovered. Mai.
Bash's bill passed the house and senate
once before, but President Cleveland
vetoed it on the ground that the major
had not shown sufficient care. On the
other hand, the msjor has shown that
the government did not show sufficient
care, as they armed his escorts with pis.
tolls insteal of rifles, and failed to give
him a safe or other means to properly
keep valuables.
The Bash case will be remembered as
the Antelope Springs robbery. Bash and
his escort were in at dinner. The coach
was left unguprded. though it was drawn
up in front of the door of the ranch
house in which they were dining. A lone
cowboy rode up and snatched the valise
containing the 81 400 intended to pay of
the troops at Fort Mckinney and scam
perod of without let or h,ndrance. OF
course he was pursued for a short distance,
but he quickly outstripped his pursuers
and disappeared. 1t was afterwsrd dis
covered that the man had been lettering
about that neighborhood for several days.
He had planned both the time and the
place where he could commit the robbery
with least risk to himself. and as he was
finely mounted he had no trouble in max
ing good his escape.
The robber was finally traced to Ne
brasks where be was living on a farm. and
arrested. He was tried and convicted
and is now lodged in the United States
Penitentiary at Laramie. Not a cent of
the money was ever recovered. Mai
Bash at once started to get bill through
congress relieving him from the payment
Of the money stolen from him. He once
succeeded in getting a bill through con-
Eress but it was vetoed by President
Cleveland who gave reasons that we're am
ply sufficient to justify his action. APP
~parentlY Bash was not discouraged and
this time he will probably be successful in
obtaining the relief which he has so per.
s~istently sought.
The name of the robber who was slick
enough to get away with this good sized
lump Of cash from a United States army
officer and an armed escort was Charles
Parker, one of the most striking hgutes
in the criminal history of the West. The
robbery occurred in MAY, 1886. Early IN
June Parker rode into a settlement in
Logan county, Nebraska. near North
Platte. with the sang 6roid of a Cheyenne
CAPITALIST and declared that he wanted to
purchase a good ranch and was willing to
pay a good price for a place that suited
him. He was soon accommodated and
was shortly afterward comfortably settled
on the best ranch in Logan county. Com
mon ranch buildings were not good
enough for him and he erected a fine resi-
dence and filed it with costly furniture,
marrying a handsome blonde OF about Is
to share his rood fortune. lie was not
particular to conceal ms identity and al
though living under the assumed name of
James Harris, he frequently told
the %neighbors that his name was
Parker, and be alluded hippantly
to the late Major Bash" aud twitted the
hard working sons of toll OF the neigh
borhood on their inability to make money
by tapping the army treasure box. Those
foolish u%tterances and the fact that there
was a standing reward of 81, $50 for his
capture. led to Parker's arrest.
The sheriff Of Logan county ambushed
hun and captured him without difficulty
Aug II, 1887.
He entered a plea of guilty in October
and was sentenced to Eve years imprison-
ment.
Ii the case is considered as IN abstract
question of right and wrong, Bash is not
entitled to the money. for he was eulpa-
bly, negligent in guarding it, but as he is
an old man who could probably never
emerge from under this load OF debt,
much sympathy was aroused in his be-
half and the members of ongress proba-
bly, thought that the government was
well able to stand the loss 1t is not a
very good principle to go on, but Bash is
probably perfectly satisfied with il.