The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-05

they knew at once who It was and what
IL meant He commanded them not TO move
a hand, and they obeycd. Their reVolVcrs
| hung unused at their sides, and their ri
fies lay idle In the bottom of the coach.
| They knew II was death to somebody the
moment move was made. and they sat
I transtiNed with fear. He commanded them
] to get out one by one lay down their arms
| and stand I'm a row and divcst themselves
/ OF all their money and valuables. This
/ they did. ptling about Sl2,UW worth OF treas
/ ure up in a heap before them They were
/ then told to go back in the coach and
! drive on. Bin Keller taking possession of
| everything that had been left behind. This
/ story sounds incredible, but some of those
| who were in the coach at the time still live
in this country, and they verify It to the
! letter
The queer thing was that Keeler seem
/ ed to care less for money after he be
! came "a cruel highway robber. and had
| put price upon his life, than he did while
| "A cowboy. He cared nothing FOR money
| for its own sake and spent but little, as
| he never drank nor gambled. IL was no
uncommon thing for him to rob people
and then return part of what he had
| taken. He once rode foul of "a newspaper
man who had but $40. When keeler
| learned his business he gave him back %,
| with the remark that he would probably
| need it, He had a great regard for
| women, and would never rob stage coach
where any OF the passengers were women.
| He was never known TO have killed any
one, although he intimidated dozens of
men by shooting past their ears, or put
/ ting bullets through their hats.
The general population In Arizona at
| that time was crazy with money king
| in the Tombstone mines, and many man
/ made thousands of dollars from few
| hundred in month, That Is why Bill
| Keller was not hunted day and night,
| when the first OF his robberies took place.
/ But the sheriff of Tucson resolved to kill
| or get Keller at all hazards. The rob
/ bling OF stages had become too numerous,
and hundreds of men of capital would not
settle in a territory where such man as
| Bin Keller was operating. Iravel, also
| had fallen off. A reward Of $1,000 was sub
/ scribed for Bill's capture, dead or alive.
| II was a few months later that clew
| to the fellows hiding place was had from
| the imprint In the dust OF peculiar shoe
| that his horse wore at the time OF new
| stage robbery. The Yuma Indian trailers,
| the most famous of their class in the
| world. were called upon. They can tol-
| low for miles a fairly good trail Of q man,
| while riding at breakneck speed through
| the brush and across the desert wastes
| A Yuma indian went to work TO trail Keel
| or In two days he tracked the bandit
| right into Benson and to Mexican sheer
| herder's adobe house. IL was known that
| Bill Keller and the Mexican were former
Then the sheriff said that Bill had an
| accomplice and that he made his head
| quarters at the MeXicans, but when II
| came to dealing with such desperate men
! as Keeler and an accomplish II was tick
| lish business. Suspicion fell upon So
| nora Mexican named Ne1ar as the BAN
| dis associate Vejar was enVeigled TO a
| hamlet a few miles away and handcuffed
! and hung up in agony for two hours until
| he agreed TO help get keeler. He stipu-
| lated however, that the highwayman was
| TO be shot dead, because Keller would not
| rest until he had killed anyone who had be-
| trayed him. Vejar said that while he had
| fed and watched for Keller in secret, he
| had never been allowed and never cared
| 10 go on any stage-robbing expeditions.
| The sheriff and his posse were piloted
| nine miles into a heavy chapparal In a can
| Won. Vejar said that he had always gone
| 10 a certain tree there when he had food
/ or news for Keller, and had waited there
| until the bandit came riding up. pistol or
| rifle in hand. so as to be prepared for any
| pursuers The sheriff and his men con
| ceafed themselves behind brush and trees
| for several hours, when Keller came rid
| ing up with revolver flashing in his hand
| his saddel las Keeler came through the
| trees that morning" said the sheriff long
| after, he was the finest looking man I
| have ever seen a-horseback. He seemed
| for all the world like one of the ancient
| gods on a horse" But the sheriff did not
] let the picture that Keller made get the
1 best of him In n second he called "Firer'
| and seven rifles sent lead through the
| highwaymans chest The latter never
| spoke, but threw up his hands and pistol
| and dropped back on his horse dead
| The body of Keller was taken into Ben
son, and was braced up against a mud
| house while a photograph was taken OF
/ the corpse The pictures were in great de-
/ mand all over the territory for a year or
| So They are still to be seen in many a
| miners cabin or ranchman's home and a
more fierce tiger-like expression has never
| been seen than that of Bill Keeler.