, 1892-01-17

AAoA eo NAoS NV ~ ASSDSh v
which occurred in July.
The Canyon Springs RoJLerV.
The robbery at Canyon Springs was a
desperate affair. An operator named
Campbell was shot dead. Gail Hill, one
OF the stage guards or messengers, was
seriously wounded and left for dead and
Capt. +. s. Smith of this city, who was
also a messenger, received two slight
wounds. One or two of the robbers were
supposed to have been wounded, but
they accomplished their purpose and
secured $4,000 in gold bullion besides
other plumber. Capt. Smith saws that at
the time of the Canyon Springs robbery
Brown was employed as an out rider
by the stage company and that he was
stationed at Jennev's stockade. The day
after the robbery Brown, Boon May and
others arrived on the scene. Smith says,
and the next day twenty other men from
Deadwood. According to his story Brown
was accused of being one of the robbers.
The theory was that he informed
the rest of the gang when the treas
ure coach would be along and helped
commit the robbery, returning the same
day to his station some twenty or thirty
miles distant. DENYING all connection
with the affair, Brown was bluntly asked
to show the scar resulting from Dan
FIpn's unerring aim at Whoop-up. On
replying that he had no such scar a rope
was produced and quick as a flash the
moose was around the neck OF the accused
and he was yanked up to a rafter of the
barn. Under such treatment he
''squealed" and the scar was discovered
to be just as rumor located 1t, which, OF
course led to Browns arrest a few days
later. There are other old timers who re-
member that some time or other Brown
was about to be hanged, but do not re-
member the particulars. Luke Voorhees,,
who was superintendent of the stage com
pany at the time. does not remember that
Brown was ever employed BY the company
until after his release from the cheyenne
Jail. Whether he was one of the Canyon
Springs robbers or not Johnny Brown
was never convicted nor even tried for any
robbery. His brother was a man of
influence, especially with the stage COM
| pauy, and both of them had scores of
friends in Cheyenne. Among these was
Miss Smith, whom, it will be remembered
by those who read the story OF Ross, visi-
ted Brown in jail, and from whom jeff
Carr secured the Photograph of Ross.
Brown had separated from his first wife
before comm west and 1t was generally
supposed that he and the Cheyenne girl
were engaged to be married.
The influence of so many friends proba-
bly, had itH weight and it seems hat the
stage company thought that the ire
formed" highwayman could be used. How
ever they bad not sufficient confidence in
the man to start him out as a full fiedged
detective. though he was given a job as
stock tender at Deadwood by the very
same company whose passengers he had
tried to rob. This job was held down I'M
til spring when Brown left for Colorado,
and locating in the beautiful little town of
Del Norte in the San Luis valley, en-
barke6 in the butcher business, HIS
partners name was La Mott. and whether
the pair we're "rustlers," as the term is
now beng applied in Wyoming, or only
as applied to a man who knows how to
get a move on himself, can only be in
ferred, but four years later they retired
from the business with a good sized roll.
While 10 Del Norte the subject of this
article became engaged to one of the most
respectable Young ladies Of. the town, and
at the same time courted at least one
other on the ely. At one time while in
the San Luis country he saved the life of
a detective who was about to be hung
by an Infatuated mob. For this he was
rewarded by the detectives wife falling
in love with him.
Leaving Del Norte, Brown and La
Mott visited Denver and after squander-
ing a portion Of their wealth 10 that city
came north aud went into the cattle bust
ness with Hank Freel, near Jenney's
stockade. LsMott remained with the
Freels, Hank and Jack, while Brown ac-
copied a position as wagon master of one
ofFred Evans freight trains. running be-
tween Fort Pierre and Deadwood. The
wages as wagon master we're large and
with cattle on a thousand hills Brown
should have accumulated wealth; but a
misunderstanding occurred between him
and the Beaver creek people, or rather
an understanding to the effect that if he
ever visited that part OF the country it
would be at the peril OF his life.
The dispute was over the cattle. Brown
with a companion. named VIM. Tadlock,
made a rad on the herd and ran off a
bunch of lat steers which were sold in
Lead CITY. Freel struck the trail and
with LaMott followed closely, arriving in
Lead before Brown got out of town.
Both parties watched each other but
neither could get the drop" so a slight
law skirmish was iesorted to. The trial
occurred 10 Sundance and Brown who
was defended by Judge Scott, now of
this city. but then of Smdance CANA