The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-26
FIVE LIVES FOR A BAR OF GOLD.
An Incident of Bullion Transportation
in Arizona.


From 1850 until recently Arizona has
been the favorite resort of bandits and
highwaymen Both Mexicans and Ameri-
cans INDUCED in the practice, and it is
said that many snug fortune now belong
ing to respected citizens was founded in
that way. But be that as it may, many
a bar of bullion started from the mines
to the railroad and failed to reach its
destination. Years afterward the bones
of its custodian would be found bleaching
in the sand, but they could tell no tales
and the robbers went unknown, unless
the sudden rise of some struggling citizen
from poverty to af1uence directed suspic-
ion, in which case the matter was allowed
to drop.
One of the latest and boldest of these
robberieS occurred in 1888, little way
out from Phoenix, and its result has de-
TERED the Mexicans from any attempt at
its repetition.
The Vulture mine, the property of Sen
ator Tabor, was at that time worked by
an English syndicate, with a man named
Gribble as superintendent. In taking
away the bullion an armed guard of five
to ten armed men usually accompanied
it, riding far enough ahead and behind to
prevent their all being killed by single
fire from ambush. One morning, in Au-
gust, 1888, Gribble, with one companion
in buggy, started to Phoenix with forty
two pounds of gold bullion. His guard
consisted of two men on horseback who
were supposed to ride one 200 yards
in advance and the other 200 yards in the
rear, but it afterward developed that
they were riding together.
When the CaVaiCade reached lonely
place on the desert near Negro Wells the
road made up abrupt turn to the right,
and directly facing the turn, about ten
rods distant, was clump of greasewood.
From behind these bushes a deadly fire
was poured in on them by three Mexicans.
They had selected their targets, and
Gribble and two others were killed at the
first fire. The other man, who was
mounted on a thoroughbred horse, at
tempted to make his escape, but the bull
lets from the WinChesters overlook him
and he fell dead about 300 yards distant.
One of the MeXicans ook his horse, and,
strapping the bullion before him on the
saddle, the three made across the desert
toward Mexico.
Late in the day the stage from Prescott
came by, and the driver, discovering the
| bodies, brought the news into Phoenix.
By daylight next morning posse of white
men with Indian trailerS were on the
ground and began the pursuit. Late in
| the day four of them came upon the rob
bers while they were trying to cut the
piece of bullion to divide it, they evil
| IDENTIFY wishing to separate. They
showed fight, and the whites returned
to Vulture for achievements, and, going
back as rapidly as possible, found that
the robbers had separated, and two of
! the trails were lost in the mail pass
of the Eagle Tail mountains. Pressing
on the trail of the other they reached the
ella on the evening of the next day. Here
| they found the fugitive's horse mired in
1,p1, ,S11r.s md rrrifh h1-1lx Il &c
| rider having taken his blankets and the
bullion, which he still had in his posses
sion, and started down the river on foot
| He had ridden the horse more than 100
| miles without food or water, and in try
| ing to rush him across the river, which
was swollen, he had become mired, and
in a frantic effort 10 free himself had
broken his leg.
The pursuers shot him, and followed
the bank of the river to a ferry few
miles below where Gov. Powers had some
| MeXicans at work on a boat. Riding up
to the fence they asked him if he had seen
such a man, describing the one they
wanted. Before Powers could reply the
Mexican, who was sitting on his blankets
in the shade of the house and within hear
ing of the conversation, started to run up
the hill and toward the brush. The white
men began shooting and he fell dead He had
come to the house on foot a few hours be-
fore and had obtained permission to rest
there until they had repaired the boat so
they could put him across the river. In
his roll of blankets they found the piece
of bullion with Gribble's blood dried upon
it, The thieves had tried to cut it in two
but had failed, and they had separated,
the leader doubtless having given the
other two the slip.
The dead robber was found to be Yno-
cinte Valenzuela, a trusted Mexican en-
ployed at the mine. The other two rob-
bers were never discovered, nor were the
citizens ever able to even fasten suspicion
on any one.