The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-05
THE ORIGINAL LONE BANDIT.
HE WAS THE PIONEER IN STAGE
ROBBERY.
Absolutely Fearless and Dead
ShOt-scven Heavily Armed Men
no Match for Him.


Shot-scven Heavily Armed Men
no Match for Him.
Yuma (Ariz) Cor. Globe-Democrat
The death ofaJack Keller, at his shanty
way up in the Harqua Hala Mountains
recently. has set the old-timers In the
territory TO recounting stories of the
days of the Keller boys careers of crime,
and especially of the truly wonderful
method that the elder brother -Blll-had
in conducting highway robberies in South
Arizona twelve and fifteen years ago.
While the names of both Jack and Bill
Keller We're on the lips of every one In
the territory for four or FIVE
years, as the most ubiquitous
of robbers. and people seldom
took a long journey by stage anywhere
in Arizona without fear that they might
come upon one of the Keelers, very little
of the fellows has been known or pub
lished outside the territory concerning
them.
The Keelers came from the locality of
Sag Harbor. L. l., in the summer OF 1873.
when Jack was 20 and Bill about % years
old. They We're great. strapping fellows,
good-natured and companionable among
the cowboys. They soon became among
the best COW punchers In Arizona, and
Bin was a champion shot The brothers
had a row and separated, Jack going on
west to Yuma, and Bill remaining with
his bunch of cattle near Tucson. Ja k
got acquainted with several OF the tough
est and most cussed highway robbers
ever confined in Yuma penitentiary and
became infatuated with the career of a
professional highwayman that the con-
victs pictured to him. one night two
md unI
Keller turned UP missing. The Indian
runners and the hounds at the prison
were sent out, and reward was offered
for the capture of the convicts and Keller.
but they would not be caught.
These were the days of the opening OF
the Tombstone mines, ana men had Desun
to flock into the territory from Caitornlit
and Nevada I'm wagons and on horse ana
mule back In less than week after the
prisoners had escaped, and jack keeler
had disappeared from Yuma, series OF
highway robberies began. They were
sometir1es a week and sometimes several
months apart, but in each OF them there
were always two or three masked men
who did the business. There was stIohs
susDicion that Keller and his associates
were the robbers. They got together IN
less than a year something IKE M0,OOo
from men on their way to the new mines
and committed several murders IN cOhhec-
tion with the robberies. Bill Keller heard
that there was some good reason no De-
lieve his Younger brother had become an
outlaw, and he wept at the disgrace sl -
had been brought upon him. He agreed
TO give up all his cattle in defense OF ms
erring brother If the latter would only
give up his criminal ways ana return Tor
trial but all to no avail Inc highway
robberies continued right along az inter-
walls Three years later Jack keeler ana
an associate were shot while holdlng up
the Wells Fargo stage one night near Mar
icopa. While the associate was left dy-
ing lack and two others managed 10 get
away to the mountains ana 10 secrete
Themselves from their pursuers. JACK Jay
in a howell in a mountain canyon between
life and death for several weeks, ana when
the United states marshal ana ms depu-
ties came that way he gladly surren-
When he had so far recovered from his
wounds I'm his neck and shoulder as 70
stand trial he was sent 10 prison Tor tnHty
years. II was thought tnal ne wou l., ny III,
live out three months Of his term, ana ne
proved that he had not shot or killed any
one in his robbeTies. He told where seVerai
thousand dollars OF the stolen money n ieei
AZ nossible Jack Keller served about sew
enteen years in prison and was the model
prisoner He suffered much with MS gun,
shot wounds, and his repentance Seeneu
SINCERE When he was pardoned ne went
Immediately out to the mountains resoV-
"a 10 live a secluded life. Ills physicians
had told him he would live but a short
time. and that any excitement or exer-
tion might cause instant death. lie was
found stiff and cold in bed by party or
hunters and had evidently been dead for
But the strangest part Of the story Of the
KeeIesrs is that when BIZ Keller himself
was about 30 years old he suddenly turned
a professional stage robber. There nave
been all manner of theories as to what
caused the elder brother to change from
path of rectitude TO one or yiilainous ROD
berry to become hunted and hairless out
law hut no theory is satisfactory. All that
IS really known is that BIZ was cheated
out of his cattle and grazing grounds by
the big cattle ranchmen, and ne became
soured on the whole human race. He be-
came the most famous bandit ever known
m Arizona, and that is saying quite bit.
TOO. when it was whispered about Tucson
and Tombstone that Bill Keller, who had
disappeared months before, was the lone
highwayman who was so successfully
holding up the stage and getting several
hundred dollars a week, the information
could hardly be credited by BIZ s old cow
how companions. But there were soon
tell-tale circumstances about some of the
'hold-ups'' that made II certain they were
the work of the ex-coWDuncher.
People in the southern part Of Arizona
win never get through talking about Bill
Keeler's manner Of stage robbing. Indeed,
IL may be said that he reflected credit upon
his profession. His robberies were perpe-
trated in the most approved manner and
with little or no danger to his victims, be-
yond the loss of their valuables. He was
The first man in Arizona who ever robbed
a stage coach alone, and in this particular
he surpassed even the daring of two men
who "held up" the train on the Southern
Pacific a few weeks ago. Keller never had
an assistant in any of his robberies. and,
"a far as known, never made a confldant
of but one man, and this man finally be-
trayed TO the posse OF law officers by
whom he was killed.
About 1886 Keeler robbed train con-
tanning seven passengers, all of whom were
prepared for him. They knew OF him, and
had started out from Tucson thoroughly
armed Keller no doubt. heard OF IL
through his cOnfidant, who was one of the
hands at the stable where he himself had
worked in former days, and he determined
10 give these seven men an opportunity TO
defend themselves. He posted himself out
on the road about 70 miles from Tucsan
and about II O'Clock he saw the coach COM
ing He was just over the brow Of the
hill and could not be seen by the driver
-.nl. He -at his har..L LaL.aL-