The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-08

Of mountain, following trail, at
any moment likely to be picked off by
those he is following
These reflections are occasiOned by
a trip taken by Police Captain Dono-
van. officer O. p. Pratt, and represen-
tatives of The Herald and Tribune
yesterday 1t has been felt at the head
quarters that the public has not thor
oughly understood the details of the
encounter of the police and outlaws on
Thursday morning and that an idea
that the police have lacked courage is
not well founded. Therefore, the trip
was taken.
The party started from police head
quarters at 4 o'clock yesterday after
noon. and only the hardest sort of
riding sufficed to bring them to the
cliff where the fight occurred by $50.
The trail of the outlaws was taken
short distance above the place where
they passed the patrol wagon and was
followed. Only one who has taken the
ride can realize how hard it is. The
trail often took up The face of the
mountains where it was necessary 10
zigzag with horses before the summit
could be attained.
Keeping on High Points.
It appears that the policy of the
bows was to ride only in such places
as would enable them to detect pursuit
for some distance away. Therefore
they always scaled the points of noun
tains giving view for miles of the
road they had Travelled. Often times
the trail led through forests of scrub
oak. high and tough. 1t was seldom
less than extremely difficult TO travel
This trail was followed by Captain
Donovan and officer Janney, who in
addition to the difficulties of the rid
ing. were exposed to the necessity OF
constantly trailing the outlaws and
watching for an ambush. There was
scarcely a hundred yards of the entire
route that would not have furnlshed
a complete ambush for the two boys
and the officers realized that in going
in pursuit they were literally taking
their lives in their hands
Only Three Hundred Yards.
on ton of the mountain where the
fight occurred, however, there was the
most interest. The distance between
officer Pratt and the outlaws when the
first shot was fired, was measured, and
found to be about 300 yards as a bill
let flies. instead of 900 yards. Further
more, it was found that ordinary con-
versational tones of voice could be
heard from one spot to another, indi-
eating that when Officer Pratt called
out Throw up your hands" ne made
himself plainly heard by those on the
rock.
The rock on which the outlaws were
resting, which was yesterday chris
tened ''Murderers' Retreat" was a
natural defense. In one place facing
the officers as they came up, two rocks
came together furnishing q, protection
for the body and a. rest for the gun
in the narrow opening. On the other
side and bearing on the only other
approach to the spot was just such an
other formation. The only way the
place could be attacked would be from
the two SIDES, barren and exposed to
the fire from the rocks.
What Might Have Been.
Had the police seen the outlaws in
time it would have been possible for
two men to have made a long detour
and gained another point behind the
rock, thus effectually cutting off re-
treat, except down the almost perpen- !
dicular sides of the mountain. AS ii
was il the outlaws had fought longer !
they would all along have had the adj
vantage of the officers.
Captain Donovan performed a signal |
act of bravery. After the outlaws dis |
appeared and it was thought they had |
simply gone belli.sd the rock to await |
the approach of the officers, the cap
tain stationed Officer Janney on Il |
point nesr by 10 watch for any signs |
of life and then undertook to find if /
the outlaws were on the rock, crawling /
for about 200 yards and then Chamber
ing up on the rock, For all he knew
in doing SO he was likely at any mo- I