The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
HOW BRAZELTON DIED
BETRAYED BY HIS ACCOMPLISH
AND SHOT DOWN BY OFFICERS.
Career of Arixona's BOldcst Robber,
Who. Single-Handcd, Held Up and
Robbed the Guarded Stages.
Tucson Letter in St. Louis Globe-Demo-

Tucson Letter in st. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat.
There's man who put an end to the
career of one of the boldest and most
daring highwaymen who ever found a
place in the annals of the West
These were the words of an old rasl-
dent Of Tucson as he pointed to the pres
ent sheriff of Peona county, Bob Leath-
erwood.' If any visitor to Arizona were
to ask for Robert Leatherwood, Mr..
Leatherwood or Sheriff Leatherwood
he would be met with a vacant stare,
and no one could give the visitor eny
information on the subject. Ask for
Bob Leatherwood, however, and there
is not a man, woman or child by whom
he is not known.
Leatherwood is a man OF weather.
beaten features, long pointed gray
beard, sharp eyes and a sharper voice.
He is a typical frontiersman. one OF
those men who will silence a bully by a
look, who will walk up to the cannon'S
mouth in a fight, but who would not
show anything but kindness to even the
most hardened criminal.
II was speaking of how you put an
end to the bravest bandit in the West"
said the old-timer as he approached
Leatherwood.
You mean Bill Brazelton," answered
Leatherwood.
Yes" said the man who had first
spoken; and after little persuasion
Leatherwood was induced to tell the
story.
TT was in the years 1877 and 1878"
he began, "that Bill Braxelton, as we
/ subsequently discovered his name to be.
commenced the work of stage robbing
| in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado.
For two long years he committed
crimes, the boldest and most daring
ever recorded, and during those two
years, all efforts to detect him. arrest
| him or shoot him proved unavailing-
To appreciate the peculiar condition of
things you must recollect what Arizona
and New Mexico were during these
years. There were no railroads in this
Territory; there were only very few
railroads in New Mexico. All of the
treasure, both of the Territory and of
| the United States, as well as of the in
dividuals, was carried by stage. There
were troops at Fort Lowell, Fort Grant.
Fort Whipple, Fort Mcdowell and at
Fort Yuma. Consequently there was a
large amount of money being sent in
here by the United States government.
The military and Apaches were striving
for the possession of the Territory.
There was little cultivation of the soil:
little capital The Territory was a re-
gion of desolation, land of darkness.
| 1t was the gamblers paradise. There
were only "a couple of little towns
Tucson. Prescott, Yuma and Florence.
the two last named being nothing more
than villages. There was. as 1 have
| said large amount of money. for the
pay of soldiers and officers and for quar-
| termasters' supplies. being sent in here,
| and this, as well as everything for the
few merchants, was carried by stage.
| Here and there at points distant about
| twenty-five miles were small stations.
at which passengers could get some
4 IN
| drink. Every man carried his rife; IL
was considered as necessary as his flask
| of whisky. In a word, civilization had
| not made much advance, and the op-
| portunities offered to the daring high
| wayman were many, and, If his opera
| tons were successfully carried out.
| yielded rich harvest. But the dangers
| of the operations were also great. The
| stage was as you may anticipate. al
ways we'll guarded The drivers were
| armed to the teeth; so was every pas
| senger. Moreover, the Indians roamed
over the mountains at will, and as the
| lone highwayman had to seek protec-
| ton in seclusion far from the haunts
| of law-abiding citizens he carried his
| life in his hands. even while snatchtng
a few hours rest.
| ALWAYS THE SAME STORY.
cit was during this time that every
| little while the people of our Territory
were startled by the news that the stage
/
| and other vaIuables had been taken. A
| few weeks later the story would come
| that the stage had been held UP in New
Mexico, ard a little later the same story
| came from some point in Colorado.
| Nothing more would be heard for per-
| hapS six months on the subject, and
/ then our people would again hear that
| the stage had been held up at the old
ss--.- In every instance the story was
| the same as to details. The robberies
were committed by the one man. the
| lone highwayman, as he was called. He
| was a magnificent specimen of man
i hood physically. He stood six feet in
| his stockings; was handsome in the ex-
/ IRENE. His eyes were bright; his coun-
| tenance open; his manner refined. The
4 method pursued was always the same.
| He was cushion-footed, moved like
cat, never failed to get his booty. He
| rode q beautiful American horse. 1t
| was a brown animal, with the lightly
| dipped back, the arched neck. the swift
| ness of foot of an Arab steed. He al
/ ways carried brace of revolvers and
| a long-range rifle. Resting on his right
1 hand, by the side of the trigger of the
| rifle. was placed one of the revolvers.
| so that in case the cartridges in the
rifle became exhausted the revolver was
| Immediately brought into play. He
| could fire with either hand or with both
| hands, and could hit a scent piece in
| the air with his revolver. AS we learned
| SUBSEQUENTLY, lie spent idISc potttoA
| of his ill-gotten gain in the purchase
| Of ammunition and other articles for
| the purpose of keeping up constant prac-
| tice with the weapons upon which he
/ depended for the protection of his life
/ and the pursuit of his crimes. AS the
| stage would be advancing at full speed.
| the guards with their weapons ready for
| defense. every man in the vehicle with
| his rifle between his knees. the lone
| highwayman would jump from his hid
| ing place, cover the driver and guard
| with his rife and order every man and
/ woman to get out; then he would take
| the yaluables. order all to return, warn
/ them that an outcry meant certain
/, death, mount and ride away as rapidly
/ as his splendid animal could carry him.
I'm 1878 there occurred the most start
! ling robbery of any which had yet
| taken place 1t was committed at a
| point not far from Prescott. formerly
/ the capital of the Territory, and point
i which is reached to-day by stage
There were $4,000 or $4,000 in the pos
! session of the guards, whose number
/ had been considerably strengthened by
/ reason of the unusual amount of treas
ure- AS the stage was being driven