The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-09

two revolvers into Vests head and chest.
That night Bill, Howard fled to the
mountains, and the next heard from him
he was at Gusymas Mex, Bob Wilcox,
who had been at enmity with Howard,
and had killed two mon at the ShaeffeIin
mine, heard how the vigilantes were after
his half brother Bill, and he started for
Tucson, ana never went back TO Arizona,
when he once got away. Bill, however,
coulc not keep away. he got back to the
territory in May, 1881. He was shot and
captured in an attempt to hold up tho
Maricopa stage, and was senG to Yuma
prison for life A more sudden change
probably never came over man shan
over Bill Howard in the first month Of
his confinement. le was u broken down
man when he went to tho territorial
prison. His long dissipation, ana his ex-
posure TO various climates, and his long
disregard of health, all told suddenly up
on him. He was from the fret one of TIE
most tractable prisoners in Yuma. he
never referred 10 his Tom bstore exper-
fences, although all the old-ume residents
of Arizona whenever they visited Yuma
prison, invariably asked to SEQ Bill How
ard, the bad man Of Tombstone.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
Dan Elkins and George wilbur. who
went To Tombstone with Howard, be-
came tho boldest highway robbers ever
known in Arizona. They went from the
mining town TO Tucson, about sixty
miles northwest from Tom in
the spring of 1872 They engaged
themselves as workers about the livery
stable in Tucson. where the teams
that drew the coaches from the mines
across the alkali deserts 90 Los Angeles,
in Southern California, rested and were
replaced by fresh teams and drivers.
Tn, two men afterward said they went
TO work there to learn about horses, aud
to especially know the habits and dispo-
sitions of stage drivers.
In the fall of 1879 highway robberies
began to occur along the lines of the
stages from Tombstone 10 Yuma and III
Paso. They were always done by Two
inen who wore white masks. The node
Of attack was varied. They stopped tho
stage To California three times near
Florence, and then the next week tie
El Paso stage was robbed $50 miles away
in another direction The driver was
killed in two instances. and another time
a miner from Tom mbstone, who was slow
i'm getting out of the coach with his bags
of gold dust was shot dead. One attack
was in the night and Others at different
times in daylight.
Once one of the robbers took passage on
the stage at some Mexican pueblo near
Msricopa. lie was, of course. we'll dis
guised and said he was OH his way to Los
Angeles. At a certain spot on the way
no drew two pistols and compelled the
pass myers who were lolliDg back on tue
cushioned seats inside the coach to sud-
denly rouse from their sleepiness with
The cold iuuzzle of revolver pressed
against their respective faces. Then in a
few words in an under tone so that the
driver outside could not b3ar no coin-
manded each of the five passengers TO
keep silent and put his watch. money ara
gold in his (the robber's) capacious over
coat rocket One young man, who SEEM
ha
pistol against his back. TO search each OF
the ussssng gers, to throw all the firearms
he found out of the coach window. and to
turn all yaluables into the highwsyman's
big pockets.
THE LONE ROBBER.
Dan Elkins is remem bered as the orig
inal lone bandit of the Southwest bee
cause. single handed and alone, no once
held up a stage load of eight passengers
besides the driver, when oil were armed,
1t was most daring and reckless thing
60 do, as may bs readily seen. For weeks
it was tho talk of the me. ia and about
Tom bstone. For some reason Wilbur was
not along with Elkins on a raid one day,
when the stage was rumbling along
through the San Miguel Pass, and it
seemed flt opportunity ~ for ElSins TO
mike another raise of money. Elkins
Cot all tho wealth there was OH that stage
END OF TWO BANDITS.
Their hiding place was 30 miles south
from Benson. nmong the granite foothills.
where no white man but they had prob
ABLY ever been. Indians were hirod To go
20 the spot, aud to act as IL they were
out hunting and had unwittingly STUN
blud upon the bandits, whom they did nos
know. Inc plan worked well. The
banGits were asleep when the Indians
camo thero one warm afternoon. The
Apaches asked for food, end while Will
bUr went To get knife 20 cut slice
from deer hanging in tho mesquite
hush near at haud, one Of the Indians,
pretondinR 10 bs Interested in one OF the
white strangers pistols, discharged ie
A few minutes later the posse rode up
psli-moll from bebind "A low footLii that
impeded the view.
"we'ru trapped. wo'Ie trapred shrieked
Elkins as he jumped from bis couch OF
leaves aud saw tie horsemen circling
about tho bandits hiding place. In "a
second he and Wilbur were pchind two
great oaks ard were prepared to seii thsir
ives - dearly a. possible. For mOiteDt
tboy were oil their guards and foraot tho
Indians ia the camp In he renr. and nc
sooncr had hey turned their faces toward
the advancing po,sss than both klkin aud
Wilbur were shot In the Daok ~ The
Apaohe trsiler-.