The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-05
WIPED OUT THE GANG.
Final Extinction of the Notorious
Mccarthy Band.
They Were Desperate Band Of Bank
Robbers,

Tho recent Killing or three bandltS
while attempting to rob the bank Of Meek
er, Colo, wiped out of existence the last
Of the notorious gang Of Mccarthy bank
robbers, who, as artists in this line of the
profession, ranked with their predecessors,
the James and Younger brothers
Thomas Mccarthy, the leader; Bill and
George, his brothers; Fred, otherwise
known as the ''Kid." Bilrs son; Bob
Parker, Matt Warner, Ross Lewis and
Bert Madden, relatives Of the McCartbys
through marriage, constituted the person
mel of this band of terrors
The McCarthys seem to have had crime
for their object since childhood. The
brothers were raised in Utah. Tom, the
eldest was born in ls4S, and the kid"
the youngest, less than 81 years ago
They were all Mormons, aud made their
headquarters at Moab, and up to 1899 were
we'll connected in Salt Lake City. During
their younger days they engaged in cattle
raising in the Paradox valley, with other
ranches at Haines, l.. t., and Star valley,
Wyoming. Their principal business how
ever, was rustling horses and cattle be-
tween Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming
and Colorado at which they became quite
wealthy, The one redeeming feature of
the gang was strict rule to never wan
tonly shed blood Their downfall came
simply through an overconfldence In their
ability TO defy the law, created by long
and successful term Of horse and cattle
stealing
In tho spriug Of 1850 Tom Mccarthy de-
cided 60 BRANCH out In new line of bust
ness where the rewards would be greater
than In handling Oregon cayuses and Col
orado mavericks Intent upon making his
initial nttonlpt at bank robbing he, in
company with Ross Lewis, arrived in Den
yer about the middle of March. A few
days later, at 1 o'clock In the afternoon, he
boldly and alone walked into the private
Office of President Moffat of the First Ma
tional bank, with six shooter in one hand
and bottle OF nitroglycerin In the other,
and under pain of instant death If he re-
fused or gave an alarm compelled him to
draw his check for SCI 900. Mr. Moffat
was then requested 20 summon his paying
teller and tell him 10 cash IL in currency,
which the latter did without the slightest
suspicion that he was participating in one
of the smoothest bank robberies on record.
On receiving the money, Mccarthy, with
the courtesy Of Chesterfield took off his
hat and bowed himself into the street and
before the president could recover from his
tuTDTlsc tilu KlNt tnC ullTin He nttu ulstiD-
peared rs though through n trapdoor into
the earth never again TO be seen in Denver.
A reward Of $4,000 was offered for his ar
rest, but 70 no purpose
Nothing more was heard OF the band un-
tff Juno 25 or tho shmc year, when Tom
Mccarthy, Lewis, Madden and Parker
rode into Telluride, Colo, at noon and
withoutflrlng shot or creating the slight
est disturbance, held mp the oilionso of the
San Miguel hank robbed the institution
of S27, 600 and were out of town inside of
30 minutes. This second bold hold up
within three months, together with the
posting Of large rewards, forced the detect
ives into unusual activity, and for over
year the band was supposed 20 have been
followed all over Colorado. Utah, Oregon,
Iowa and Wyoming, but IL proved 10 he an
ignis fatuus chase, as tho men spont most
of this time with their female companions
near Salt I4ako City and at dcsa Verde
They continued their seclusion until tho
summer OF 1882, when they captured the
town Of Roslyn, Or, and relieved its bank
Of Sll 900. Tho robbers came near being
captured here by posse OF citizens, but
finally escaped the town. Having taken
the precaution 90 station fresh horses nc
intervals along their limo Of fight, they
had no trouble in distancing their pursu-
ers and making good their escape.
Nothing moro was heard of them until
they met their first Waterloo at Delta,
Colo, on Scpt. z, 1853. A few minutes
after the Farmers and Merchants bank
had opened for tho days. business five
men, dressed as cowboys, rode into town
from different directions and proceeded di-
rectly 90 the bank, and as none OF them
displayed a+y arms or acted the brayado, as
bank robbers are generally supposed 60 do,
they attracted no particular attention.
Warrcn was left sitting on bis horse I'm
front VI tho building holding tho others
horses, whllo Tom, Bill ard Fred Nc
Carthy and Bert Madden entered it, Mad
don walked UP 90 the cashiers window,
and as that official approached to wait up
on THO rupposoa customer he met cooked
revolver and heard the command. Throw
up your hands - which he instantly