The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-05-24
ARIZONA BANDITS
Robbery as a Foundation For a Big
Fortune.

From 1860 until recently Arizona
has been the ttvurite resort Of bandits
and highwaymen. Both Mexicans and
Americans INDUCED the practice, and
It is said that many snug fortune now
belonging 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
atterward 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 sud
den rise Of some struggling citizen from
poverty to aftlucnCe directed suspicion,
in which case the matter was allowed
to drop.
One Of the latest and boldest OF
these robberles occurred in 1888, a
little way out from The Phoenix, and its
result has deferred the MeNicans from
any attempt at its repetition.
The Nuture mine, the property of
Senator Tabor was at that time worked
by an English syndicate, with a man
named Grlbble as superintendent. In
taking away the bullion an armed
guard Of five to ten men usually accom-,
panied it, riding tar enough ahead and
behind to prevent their all being killed
by a single fire from ambush. One
morning in August of 1888, Gribble,
with one companion in a buggy, started
to Phoenix with torty-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 to the rear, but it
atterward developed that they were
riding together.
When the cavalcade reached a lonely
place on the desert near Negro Wells
the road made an abrupt turn to the
right, and directly facing the turn,
about ten rods distant, was clump Of
crossword. From behind these
bushes a deadly fire was poured in on
them by three MeXicans They had
selected their targets and Gribbe and
two others were killed at the first fire.
The other man who was mounted on d
thoroughbred horse, attempted to make
his escape, but the bullets from the
WlnChesterS overlook him and he fel
dead about 900 yards distant One Of
the MeXiCans took his horse, and strap
ping the bullion before him on the
saddle the three made across the
desert toward Mexico.
Late in the day the stage from Pres
colt came by and the driver, discovering
the bodies, brought the news intc
Phoenix. By daylight next day a poss,
of white men with Indian trailers were
on the ground aud began the pursuit
Late in the day four of them cane
upon the robbers while they were trying
to cut the piece OF bullion to divide it
they evidently wishing to separate
They showed fight and the whites re
turned to Nulture for re-enforcements
and going back as rapidly as possible
found that the robbers had separated
and two of the trails were lost in tn
mail pals. of the Eagle Tail mountains
Pressing on the trail Of the other the
reached the ella on the evening of tn
next day, Here they found the fugi
tive's horse mired in the quicksand
with a leg broken, his rider havin
taken his blankets and the bullion
which he still had in his possession, an,
started down the river on foot H
had ridden the horse more than 10
miles without food or water, and in try
ing to rush him across the river, whic
was swollen, he had become mirec
and in frantic effort to free himse
had broken his leg.
The pursuers shot him and followe
the bank of the river to a ferry fe,
miles below, where Governor Power
had some MeXicans at work on a boa
Riding up to the fence they asked hir
If he had seen such a man, desCribin
the one they wanted. Before Power
could reply the Mexican, who was sill
ting on his blankets in the shade of th
house and within hearing of the con
versatlon, started to run up the hi
toward the brush. The white men be
gan shooting and he fell dead. H
had come to the house on foot a fe,
hours before and had obtained pei
mission to rest there until they had re
paired the boat so they could put hir
across the river. In his roll of blair
kets they found the piece of bullio
with Gribble's blood dried upon i
The thieves had tried to cut it in two
but had failed and they had separated
the leader doubtless having given tn
other two the slip,
The dead robber was found to
4nocente Valenzuela, a trusted Me,
lean employed at the mine. His bod
was taken back to the mine for tax
over identification. The othe
two robbers were never discovered, nc
were the citizens ever able to even taste
suspicion on anyone, though the fat
OF Nalenzuela has put a stop to tn
road agency business here.