The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1893-12-28
THEIR CAREER OF CRIME
THE WILSON BROTHERS AND
THEIR MANY FELONiES,
They Have ar Interesting Record for
Dark Deeds Done In tho East-Strav
Bail Was Thor FavorIte Little Trick
Train Robbers.

While accounts of many exploits
crimes, daring robberies, imprison.
ments and reckless escapes in the
West have been written OF members
OF the notorious Wilson gang, prin.
clpally on information furnished by
Chief OF Police W. S. Seavy of Oma.
ha, Neb, at which place the family
resided for many years, it is not gen-
orally known, says the Syracuse
Standard, that the Wilson's also have
an interesting record for dark deeds
done in the East
Twenty years ago Dink and Charles
wilson were living with their father.
mother, brothers and sisters in the
small town OF Hollldaysburg, Penn,
which is located in an extensive
numbering region just west of the
coal mines. The boys wero quite
young at that time, but not nearly so
much as the ages given by them when
arrested would make it appear 1t
Is common trick among noted
criminals to place their ages at the
lowest possible point at all consist
ent with their looks. In this vav
they are often successful in proving
that they were not connected with
crimes happening years ago, at a
Time when 1t would be supposed that
they were too young to answer the
descriptions given of the criminals
implicated.
Charles Wilson has statad his age
at different times at 10 and 90 wears
respectively. That he is ut least
several years older no one who has
seen him doubts. And the same man
be said of bis brother Dink, who
stated his age at "a when arrested
len years more of life to confirmed
crook like ono of these means a lono
record Of deviltry and crime. So Il
was that in 1876 at the time of the
robbery in Hawley, Penn, the Wilson
boys whose regulations were any,
thing but good, were not beyond sus-
picion.
In wayne county, on the line of
the Delaware and Hudson canal
company's railroad, where coal is
transferred from the coal regions TO
the canal, is located the small town
d Hawley. j. Millham & Co, at
mat time, kept the general merchan.
use store. One night about the
middle OF the year 1876 the store
vas entered by burglars, tie safe
blown open and several hundred dol
ars in cash and many articles of
apparel were stolen. The
burglars escaped, but one of them
vas seen IN the streets of the quiet
own and being stranger there at.
racted attention. A description OF
ne man was sent over the state bv
he local sheriff and railroad men
7ere especially asked to keen n
for the fleeing burglar. A
ew nights afterward q brakeman on
coal train bound for Scranton saw
man leap upon the train when it ;
'as moving rapidly.
calling couple of trainmen to his {
sslstance he mado known his ous-
ioions that tho man looked like the
urglar wanted at Hawley, and to.
ether the railroad men overpowered I
he athletic young man, who FOUGHT
He was taken to Haw- {
~ and given into the charge of the /
Unstable. Next day he was broughv G
eiofe the local justice of the peace. ,
mere ne gave an assumed name. /
lie was recognized as one of the no. I
orlous Wilson family, and seeing
nat the evidence of his identity was
ositive. he admitted his name was q
Vllson. He said that his full name /
'as William W. Wilson, but the Of t
Gals found there was no such mem h
ef OF the family, and made up their h
linds that they had captured Lucius a
: wilson. He had on a pair of new /,
hoes, which Millham, the store. q
eeper, identified from the costmarh :,
n them, as being property stolen .
'om him.
wilson was held for the grand =,
Try, which would soon sit at the %
at Honesdale, where VIII y
IN was taken and lodged in one Of :,
10 strongest cells, equipped with "
eel doors, walls and CEILING. few D
avs afterward he escaped and was =,
aver since seen in that locality. It ", y,
as found that he obtained posses :
on OF the key to his cell for short "a "a
me and made an impression of Il OF .,
soap. This he managed in some VI
ay to send to friend outside the
II, who furnished him with a deli.
Ite skeleton key, which he used to
cure his freedom. The next morn. to
g the key was found in the road a.
lie east of the village. be
IL was afterward learned that Will
n went to Hollisterville, a noted ar
treat for crooks. AS Hollisterville
toward Scranton in a direct line On
est, his trick in placing the kew -
st OF the village, to throw the Of ~
ers OIL his track of escape, was a :,
aver one. WI
me history OF Lucius B. and iie
larles +. Wilson in the West has
en- published in the local press. be
ZEN when the boys were in school Sc
omaha they took delight in lead.
gangs OF boys into mischief of gu
ora or less serious nature. They It'll
re known to keep bad COMPANY
their start in crime is not to be IL,
'ndered at. y
ihelr first prominent arrest was in
avenworth, Kan, where search Of
'ealed that they were posses sed Of ba,
rglars and safc-cracking tools of SOC
advanced type. On this occasion '
Dir sister Nettie secured bail for u,,'
nx,1