The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-09-28
MURDERER GROSS CAUGHT
w. Gross, One Of the Men Who Shot
Deputy Sheriff RAIDER, Cap.
tuTed in Missouri.
story Of the Fight in the Musselshell
Country and the Escape of the
Wanderers.

Sheriff j. J. OMAR Of White Sulphur
Springs, who has been ia Helena for a
few days, has received a dispatch from
WatoO, Missouri, stating that William
Gross, me Of the murderers of his dep
uty, VIM. RAIDER, has been captured at
that place Sheriff OMAR has often
expressed his determination to capture
these men il it was a possible thing to d.
so, and he not only thoroughly searched
the state for them, but caused their de
scriptions and photographs to be sent all
over the United States. Last spring
the wife OF Gross left Castle, where she
resided, and the sheriff caused her to be
followed and watched by a detective in
hope that she might meet her husband
somewhere. This system of tactics has
proved successful aud, according to the
dispatch, one Of the desperadoes is in
limbo. Sheriff OMAR will leave today
for Missouri with a requisition for Gross.
The murder of RAIDER caused a great
sensation at the time in this state, but
as some of our readers may have forgot
ten the facts they are briefly reprinted
below:
Gay robbed and burned a country
store in northern Wyoming and hurried
across the border into Montana with the
stolen goods. The men were traced to
Castle, where they had lived for some
time with their families, and warrants
for their arrest were put in the hands of
the officers. Sheriff OMAR of Meagher
county started GU to arrest Gross and
Gay, as did Deputy Sheriff VIM. RAIDER.
How the brave deputy met Gross, and
b " the desperate shot and killed the
officer who heroically attempted TO make
the arrest, is a matter of state history.
Briefly stated, when RAIDER met the men
he ordered them to surrender. Both
made movements as il to fire. RAIDER
took a shot at Gross, who fell apparently
mortally wounded. Gay started to run
aud Raider after him. After itader had
passed Gross, the latter, who was not
hurt but only shamming, raised up and
shot the deputy.
Deputy Sheriff RAIDER was murdered
May 9, 1893. Sheriff OMAR at once
started out with Il posse in pursuit Of
the two desperadoes. They traIled the
two s%coundrels eighty miles northeast
from the scene Of the murder and over
took therl in the thick brush bordering
the Musselshell. The posse ran right
into the two men, who were intrenched
in "a thicket waiting for their pursuers
The first intimation that the poss had of
the desperadoes' presence was d shot
from Gays rifle, which killed James
Mackey, "a member Of the pursuing
party.
A general fight took place. Many
shots were exchanged but nobody was
injured except Mackey, who was killed
outright. The posse WAS at a grra' dis
advantage. The murderers had dug "a
rifle pit in the thickest part Of the brush
and were well supplied with ammuni-
ton. The sheriff could not locate them
except by the smoke from their rifles,
and the posse had no protection. That
evening Gross and Gay secured their
horses and hurriedly left. In their
flight they abandoned part of their
weapons. This was the last seen OF the
outlaws till Gross was captured in Mis-
souri,,