The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-26
READS LIKE A ROMANCE.
Some Of the Incidents in the ca
reer Of Lon and Ed
Williams.
Two Pursuers Who Became thu
Ambushed Instead Of the
Ambushers.
Escaping From Two shorins and Their
Posses and Leaving Ono Of
Them . Corpse.

| Some day. when all the fragments Of the
story are collected and put together, the
few bones of the desperate Lon Williams,
| which were found at West Boulder, in yell
lowstone county, recently, may serve az
the foundation for a romance as thrilling
as that furnished by the crimes OF the James
boys, the Youngers or the Benders. Il ia
now some ten years ago since Ed and Lon
Williams started ont on their career Of
murder and robbery. At first they were
content with the dangerous occupation Of
horse stealing By the shrewdness Of an
Illinois farmer they were trapped and
caught, and each got three years in the
| penitentiary. They swore they would kill
the farmer the moment they were released.
He heard of it and moved to Wisconsin.
But his change Of base did not save him.
The Williams boys tracked him out and
shot him down in cold blood.
At that time there lived in Wisconsin,
near the scene Of the murder, two brothers
named Maxwell. Az much with the idea Of
Kidding the country Of these two outlaws,
a. for the purpose Of earning the reward
that was offered by the state and by the
dead farmers friends for the arrest Of his
murderers, the Maxwell's declared that they
would hunt down the two Williams boys.
ing too much. They learned that Ed and
Lon Williams were to cross the prairie at q
certain point on certain day, aud gave out
that they would be in particular spot to
intercept and arrest the murderefs. This
boast was carried to the Williams boys, for
communities, unfortunately. When the
Maxwells started out on their mission, it
was with bright hopes Of glory and reward.
The spot whero they were to await the COM
Ing OF their game was in sight when two men
rose up ont Of the tall grass, two rifles rang
wells fell from their horses dead. Ed.
and Lon Williams had anticipated their
would-be captors. Before the bodies Of tn,
Maxwells were cold, their slayers had
reached the neighboring village where the
pursuers had ordered their ammunition
liams boys represented themselves as the
Maxwells, secured several hundred cart
ridges, and were off before the double muir.
der was discovered.
Naturally, the entire country in the vicin-
ity Of this tragedy was aroused. The re-
wards offered for the murderers were in
creased. Two Illinois sheriffs undertook to
earn the money. They were Sheriff Leamey,
of Calhoun county, and Sheriff Blades, of
Pike county. It was their individual am
billions which led to the death of one Of
them and the failure to capture the Will
was witnessed by Deputy Sheriff Dyer, who
was then herdlng cattle, but who now up
holds the dignity of the district court Of
Lewis and Clarke county by frowning
down all conversations which annoy his
honor, Judge Hunt. II was on the other
bet that was glad Of it, The story as
told by Over l9 as follows: i..l
The two sheriffs. one coming down the
Illinois river and the other working up,
each with his posse, were almost within
hailing distance of each other one bright
afternoon, and had the Williams boys in q
trap had they come to an understanding
and closed in on the outlaws. This they
did not do, however, but pushed on, each
eager to make the capture and secure the
reward. Leamey reached the rendezvous
Of the Williams boys first. They were sit
hidden by the surrounding bushes. Sher-
i'll Leamy and his deputy rode over the
brow of the hill, the others in the posse be-
ing some distance behind. Leamey dashed
down the hill, firing az he came, until his
revolver was exhausted Seeing this Lon
full aim, and the sheriff fell dead. The
deputy seeing this dismounted and got be-
hind tree, from which point be began Ar
ing at the outlaws. But happening to drop
"a cartridge while reIoading he stopped
over to pick it up and received
tied him. The remainder of the posse had
BY this time reached the scene, and seeking
cover opened fire. Lon had secured the
sheriff's riderless horse meantime and both
brothers mounted the animal. They sat
back to back, one guiding the horse, while
pursuers. Sheriff 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 SHERIFF. horse, q noble ami
NAL, held the lead until the Illinois river
where it flows into the Mississippi. Here
a boatman was found. Il needed no fur
ther argument than levclled rife to make
him accede to the demand OF Lon .Williams
TO carry them down tho river. And thus
hs II euane
Gus posses: In their Tight for the boat
they had killed the horse Of the deputy
sheriff, which. having no rider, was blindly
following the animal ON which the two men
were escaping.
OF the subsequent wandsrings of the
Williams boys in Missouri little il known
except that they were supposed to have
been connected with the James gang. That
part is missing from the story Of their des-
Perate ca. eer. Ed, however, went back to
!linols later, and wass recognized BY q
farmer from photograph that had been
posted with the reward circular. This
farmer did not take too many chances. He
was big, powerful man, 20 no threw his
arms around the outlaw and held him until
others, attracted by his cries. came and
disarmed and bound the prisoner. Ed.
was taken from the court house during his
trial and hanged. Lon oame TO Montana.
The rest is known.
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