The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-10
WESTERN BANDITS END.
POLK WELLs' rom ~ PiChLfNG
virirtMlDICILCOLLLGE.
lie Bequeathed 1t For Diss'ciion-Tho
S&e.cton, Heart and b""e's !" II 10
Go To uu,band of divorced " fe.

The body of Polk wells, the notorious
Western Train rOUOer ana oaiiui'' - no"
ln tue ulcknu. VA Oh lac Orh''Si Medical
,yn.-c al ~ l,o.4s. ~ ella uleu IN tne
.Ow.l p..AtcutialS ~ AAdiaiv9d 4ii thc lat
tvr part OI Svptcinuci. ia 'ia VII "e ",-
qu,atned his bvuy 10 tiV "-~"i'"' ~''N7'
4Ur uIase, tins purposes. ~ '''P"'"''''
however, that me nedil an" 'N''N''''' 90
well as The bullets Ia his bv"S' s"oHiu 80
In Atu.tt Narltne, VINO hidiitc NJ ciis
,t,.or,.,.i wife. Aens tlallntu mat hc hau
ue.n shot seventeen un,s' an" '"dl Tic
bullets were sun IN the po"S' ,,,,
inc career OF tins ueal1l 80 W. ti'I ~
ing ana picturesque. Ills Auh name w.
t.narles ioik W els, ana hc was my
,,.,,. aid al the TINE of his dedtn. Iic
..i, 4 son OF Col john b.. Neiis, VI Next
an war fame, one VI tAc livitci a't'ivi .
II Buchanan county, NO. OF ""'oH D.
Joseph Is Tire county seat. ne ve'"i.'c NC
most reckless ana dams S''u'''ial '''"s
.Ntr operated IN uoItuN catciH NlssoNll
Jr Iowa When he was only eibht y ears
Did his mothtr died, and ne ai'.i warn AZ
ri1uted his crimes 10 the influences OF
mis- step-mother. She came on lHe sVelc
lWO years after his mother , u'at"' an"
when he was only thirteen ne ran away
rom the old homestead where ne Was
lOrn at KushVlIe. near 81. Joseph. ne
-emained in the latter city WINE ana
-ccumulatcd enough money ny uoihs ouu
obs TO buy cowboy Outnt. lie thrn
started for the plains 10 emulate buiialV
Bill as a fIOntieisman ana scout
He tell iuiO vicious aseullalluha az inc
start. lie rOamed the plains Tor ABOUT
ten years ana became the associate ana
boon Companion OF the WDiat cidl dtttia
VINO infested that portion OK the VITA
West. Tie won fame, ncttitltlrrsf as aA
lnuian fighter from the BRUSH dominion
10 the iso Pecos, ia New "teAieo. anu
from the Missouri river 10 the racine
coast. lie was twice captured bl Inc Itd-
SKINS, ana only escaped uui "i"7 az ,it~
stake by tho timely aid OF IIiehus. ii'
was in several expeditions against the IN
dams with buffalo ill and Sit Carson
and the latter compnmtntcd ms splendid
craftsmanship and great courage by pre-
seAtIuS 10 Lim a ninety lo4ish'u pntN
horn-handled hunting knife. Neil5 PEE
served the weapon til MS ueatl Aa "a M
meutO OF bis .urly atrul -lts on tuc ildli3.
lining Of his adventures ana haiI-
breadth escapes. hc returned 10 ~ Jo-
seph early in l,14 on Maich gun ~ thal
year he was married there 10 MISS jennie
Wilson. Size cied about year inter- IN
lh.2, Wells returned 10 MS OH nome at
Rushviilc. and was soon aiteiWdfd mar
Ticd 10 Miss nora Wilson. lis nrst Wile
c0islr. tie then seriously determined 10
reform and lead quiet lie. Tie opened
"a grocery store. but becoming lHNoiNeu ll
litigation, soon lost all his property. anu
airy ], 1870. he left his wife and baby with
his sister, and went back 10 his Ola ana
wild lie promising 10 return some ndy
when be was ia better circumstances Pc
cunlariy. Ills wife Kissed MIN sood-by
and said sLD would Wait.
TWO years later Wells returned, pros
porous, penitcut. ana reformed, only 40
Ind that his wife had 10 the mean time
taken up with another man. Al Marne Ne,
and was living with him. The httie BOY
baby was dead. Wells was astonisned.
All his good resolutions We're at onDe
abandoned. Ieng asked atterWard why
he did not make 1t hot for MdrneHe' he
pnilosophicaily replied.
"Oh. Narueke was a hard-wOrking
young fellow. and determined not 20 in
teriera 1 gave the woman VINO mi6nt
have been the making II me 500. ana
kssing her good-by, rode away-to my
doom.
IL was in May. 1878. that Wells commit
tel las first highway robbery. Then iol-
loved two express train rObberics, lhfce
bank rCLE,iies, and several stage ccath
hOld-ups. viii two companions, be once
rode i'm a Pullman car through Andrews
county. in Northwestern Missouri with
three pirkCrton officers who were on the
search for him. Conductor Hemingway,
Of the trauf. pointed Wells out 10 item.
but he finished the journey from Council
Bluffs 10 ST Joseph unm0lesfed. The cool
nerve and daring he usually exhibited
were his best protector. 10 was omy ID
week before that Dee had robbed toe
Princeton. a.. bank boo broad Cay Sight.
shooting The cashier and getting away
with several thousand dollars.
Wells next appeared 200 "a hf-lo town in
northern Missouri. where Mics Oiion' 8
circus was giving am exhibition. lie de-
cided t. rob the treasury box Ii the
tIckr, wagon by placing couple of sfCof-
ing irons apainst The nose of tho ticket