St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-09
Recent LaWIess Happenings
Recall Wild Days in
the West,
When Mining Camps Sent Out
Vast Quantities Of Yell
low Dust.
DR.. Powell Talks in ReminiS-
cent Mood Of Frontier
Occurrences.
Marauding Mexieans Run to
Earth for Murder and
Robbery.

1u6 E6CeHL EXPRESS anu Caring Dduk
rObberies quicken the memory of far
more daring deeds and Outlawry of the
days when the gold and precious metal
bearing camps were at their greatest
height. Frank Powell, formerly a
United States scout. but now medical
practitioner in st. Paul and in La
Crosse, being mayor of the latter city;
has a vast fund of most interesting
"reminiscences that he now and then re-
lates for the edIication of friends. He
! did not tell this story for publication,
| but ii is OF such general interest that it
! should not be withheld from the myriad
! readers of the GLOBE.
During the time that bandits seemed
to hold full sway in the gold-bearing
regions of the country, DR.. Powell. to-
! gether with other resOlute frontiers
men, Injured to hardshlps. and actu-
ated by that spirit of patriotism that
/ makes bravery component element,
were secured to protect the interests of
honest industry, ana to rid the mining
! country of the bandits that had made
mining Improbable and life unsafe.
| DR.. Powell did heroic service in his
Office, and his name will never be for
gotten by the hardy miners who have
! prOtited by his bravery and skill. He
is perhaps the best pistol shotin the en-
| tire country. and he ranks with the best
! with the rife. Indeed Col. William
! Cody esteems him the cIeYerest of ali
! that he has ever crossed the plains and
! the mountains with. and that is surely
( saying not a little. DR.. Powell became
/ the terror OF the MeXicans. who were
! really the leaders of. the bandits. He
! brought many to justice before he con-
! Guided TO retire TO the more proSaic call
! ing Of medicine.
| The AsandIts' Paradise.
From 1860 to almost the present time
! Arizona has been the favOrite rendeZ-
| YOus OF the bandits. Both Mexicans
and Americans have participated in
sanguinary scenes in which they prof
tied, and in which the owners of bullion
ana gold dust were left for their bones
to bleach under an unsympathetic sun.
Some OF these highWaymen have made
snug fortunes i'll their desperate pTac-
tees. 1t Is often related that 1t was not
seldom that poor man VINO had borne
an honest name would suddenly bloom
out Independently rich.
Nothing could be done about it, for
suspicion only could connect them with
any of the robberieS that had been COM
mitted. Dead men tell no tales, and
there were no people to give testimony.
But be that as 1t NAV, 1t is a notorious
fact that many a bar of bullion started
from the mines that never reached its
destination, and that years after the
bones OF the custOdians we're found in
some lonely spot. Some struggling cit
izen suddenly rose from poverty to affiu-
ence; and that is all that can be told Of
the episode.
The Mexicans were certainly the
worst class that the miners had to coz
tend with. But there was an occurrence
IN 1SSS that discouraged their desperate /
and bold depredations. 4 robbery oc-
CURED a short distance from Phoenix.
1t will be recalle by ali who are IA (
niliar with the scenes and incidents of R.
those exciting days that it was then (
that
The Famous VuIture Wine,
owned by Senator Tabor, of Denver, z
was in its glory. One would be pardon +
able for believing that it was one of the +
spots that Midas had Smitten. Gold 1
flowed from the bowels of the earth in (
vast quantities. The mine was being I
worked. however, by an English syndl- I
cate, and Senator Tabor was reaping his
reward without sweat. An armed guard
of from five to ten men usually
accompanied the man who took the
bullion to market. Half Of the number.
and all were always spiendidly mounted. +
rode a few rods in front. and the other |.
half like distance in rear Of the men
who had the bullion in their custody.
Supt. Gribble. of the mine mentioned.
one morning started with a companion .
in buggy to 90 to PhRniX. They had (
fOrthy-two pounds of gold bullion. The
only guard that they had was two men
on horseback. They rode in front of
the buggy.
At lonely spot not far from Phoenix !
they came up to three bandits who were +
IN ambush. The guards were first shot
down and then GrIbbie and his COM
panIon were murdered, and the bullion /
was carried of Ill triumph. 1t was f.
pretty well known IN the mining dis /
trlct that this ealYacade had started for
Phoenix with its valuable consignment.
and the next day little party OF miners /
found the bodies Of the murdered men. /
a Chase TO Kill.
They hurriedly gave the alarm. and +
IN short order pursuing party was on /
the trail. They rode hard. and secured /
relays of fresh horses.
Finally they reached a ferry across /
the ella. A crew of Americans was en-
gagged II making repairs to the ferry /
boat, and the party that was pursuing /
the robbers made inquiry of them con- /
corning any strange parties and ex- /
planned their mission. Suddenly |
Mexican sprang from a rock upon which /
he was seated and took for the hills. |
He was discovered, and the pursuit was
begun. 1t ended in shooting the Mex /
lean. and upon his person was found +
part of the bullion stolen from GrIbble. I
1t seems that this Mexican. who turned I
out to be one of the employees at the /
mine, had given his eoRfederates the
slip, and had made of with the booty. |
Since this time tie Mexicans have been I
more careful about such depredations !