The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17


covered that his armed pursuers were
close upon him. He jumped astride of
his horse and rode fast until he got
them strung out Then he shot his
The ether two fed He followed and
killed them also. No one was left to
tell the tale, and for a long time it was
thought the seven came to their death
at the hands Of Indians.
ROBBED AN EDITOR. ~
THE next robbery which took place
was that of the California stage, and
this occurred just few miles west of
Tucson. The stage was being driven
through a country comparatively free
from crime. Among the passengers was
John p. Clum, now engaged in the Post
Office Department at Washington. and
John Miller, who was editor Of a news
paper. The driver was telling the story
Of the last robbery, when the lone high
wayman stepped forward with the
words, Here / am again, boys. Who
have you here?' he went on.
A peace officer and an editor re-
piled the driver.
well, peace officer and editor step
out said the bold lone highwayman.
and both stepped out accordingly.
"Clum had $3.50 and Miller had $40.
which they gave up.
:" L want some money for breakfast
said Miller.
what will half years subscrip-
ton to your paper cost?' asked the high
wayman.
Five dollars
Here take it,
where will address it,? queried
Miller.
Address it to hell. said the high
wayman. Get in there now, and keep
your mouth shut
"A curious thing about the robberies
was that they would take place at one
time of the year, and that the day on
which they occurred it would rain. The
robber watched the sky so closely that
he knew when rain would be about to
fall. The robbery would be committed
two Or three hours before the down.
pour. SO that the tracks of the horse
made in the flight to his place of hid
ing were thus washed out. The rob-
berries continued daily, and it was be-
lieved that the robber was living in
Tucson.
1.-The people were now exasperated. L.
G. Hughes, the present Governor, was
then district attorney, and he discovered
the first clew to the robber. Shortly
after the commission Of another rob-
berry a man riding out from Tucson met
one named Davis Nimitz riding a horse
corresponding in every point with the
one on which the highwayman had rid
den during his course of crime. He re-
ported the matter to the sheriff, Charles
"A. OulOcll, WHO Sill lives Ill IuCSOIl,
and who has been recorder of Pima
county. The district attorney ordered
the arrest Of Nimitz, and the order was
carried out. the horse being placed in
safe keeping. This Nimitz was the man
who drove the stage from the stables
to the express office. and there turned
it over to the driver. He had house
about four miles from the town, over
which Mexican woman presided. The
sheriff at once proceeded to the spot
f01r,6 a number n hnrco-
shoes. 1t was learned also that the
horse had been brought to black
smith In Tucson to be shod shortly after
the last robbery. There was sufficient
evidence to hold Nimitz. The offense
being one against the United States
laws, the matter was taken In hand by
the United States district attorney.
Day by day Nimitz was questioned, but
yet he held his secret. He was now
bound over to the United States grand
jury as an accessory to the robber
Still he declined to open his lips. The
people were indignant and threats of
hanging at last were made At length
he said: Il will tell you everything if
you will keep me in Jail until you have
killed him. This promise was made,
and he said: The robber is Bill Brazel-
ton. who was employed with me in the
HOW HE WAS KILLED.
"Now came the difficulty of capturing
Vi hiiiiiS DkdZCllVH. "A pan was as ecu
upon, Nimitz was to go out to meet
him. He was to say that he had been
placed under arrest. but had escaped;
that the officers would soon be on his
trail and on the trail of Brazelton also,
and that their hiding place had been
discovered. He was then to ask Brazel-
ton to help him get away, as refuge
near Tucson was further impossible.
strx rr1xr nd
was arranged by Brsskelton that he
(Nimitz) was to hide out until the next
night, when he would meet Nimitz at a
certain deep cut in the roadway, sup
piled with food and ammunition. Then
they were to go to Tucson, kill all the
officers of the law, seize two horses and
flee. Each officer was to be called out
to his door and shot down. OF course
Nimitz gave all this information to the
officers. He was to approach to within
ten feet of the spot where BraZelton
was hiding. Brazelton was to cough
once. NimitZ was to answer by cough
ing three times. Brazelton was to lay
his hat on a log of wood which lay
across the road. preventing any one go
ing to the other side without consider
able difficulty.
Seven men were selected to go out.
The seven. as far as I remember, were
C. p. Etchell, G. o. Brown, James Lee,
e. A. Shibell, A. G. Buckner and myself.
We went out in the night. l was to
represent Nimitz. was about the same
height. / assumed his dress. and in
general way might have passed for him
at q distance. Every man took up his
position behind tree. 1t was drizzling
rain and became quite dark, so that
we could barely see. Every man was
to fire the moment he saw Brazelton
come from his shelter. At 8 o'clock
stealthy step was heard. Brazelton
could be discovered moving swiftly
down the road. crouching low so that
he resembled a tiger leaving his jungle
rather than a human being. Every
man was motionless; ii was a case or
life against life. 1 coughed once, Bra.
zelton coughed three times; then 1 put
the hat on the log as had been agreed
upon. Now, / was to have coughed
twice. but, in the excitement of the mo-
ment, only coughed once again.
"I'm trapped. I'm trapped roared
Brazelson, with despair and ferocity in
his voice Every man now tired. No
one was more than fifteen feet from the
stage robber. yet every man missed ex-
cept myself. My shot put an end to
Brazelton's life."
Brazelton was just thirty years of age.
He was a native of Wisconsin, and had
gone to San Francisco while boy He
came into Arizona with the purpose of
becoming a stage robber, and accepted