The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-05
ROBBERS, BUT NOT VILLAINS
PoSTOFFICE INSPECTORS oPIN-
ION OF ROBBERS BOOSTERS.
Outlaws Have Confederatss Who Hold
Responsible Positions-One Utah.
Postmaster In League With Them.

! Denver Republican: According to
the statements of George Waterbury.
! postoffice inspector. who resides at 2441
Robbers Roost gang, of which so much
has been written, lately, are not heavy
villains. He brands them as cattle
thieves rather than desperadOes, and
says that with one or two exceptions
they are towards and will run before
they Will fight, unless cornered.
The members of the gang have many
friends in that section of the country,
which includes a part of three states
Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. Their
friends and partners are men who hold
responsible positions and are in posi-
tons to know of the movements of the
state and federal authorities in time
TO warn their friends that they may
make their escape.
Mr.. Waterbury has just returned
from an extended trip through Utah in
company with Inspector Sutton. and
while he was away he learned cOnsid-
cradle of the gang and its mode of
operations. as one of their cOnfederates
is in the employ of the government as
postmaster in Utah.
While speaking of the gang and his
trip through Utah and Routt county,
Mr.. Waterbury said:
When the three governors met in
Salt Lake not long ago to devise means
OF exterminating the Robbers Roost
gang they made a great mistake in
making some of their meetings public.
They talked of their plans in public
and5let others know what mode they
intended to follow 10 catch the gang.
Every word they uttered was taken
right to the gang, who were ready to
clear the country before the governors
had time to carry their plans into exc
cution. 1t was like fighting Indians
with brass band.
While over in that section of the
country we found postmaster who. is
a partner of Maxwell. one of the gang.
Maxwell is a well-known cattle thief.
The postmaster keeps him we'll in
formed Of what goes on, and Maxwell
tells the other members of the gang
what is told him. The result is that
no one can make a move against the
gang but they know of it in time to
so as not to be found where they are
supposed to be.
This postmaster keeps his eye on
the movement of the cattle in that
section of the country, and let's Max
well know when there are any herds
in that vicinity. AS soon as bunch
of cattle is driven into that section of
Maxwell, and it drives away and di-
vides the money that is realized from
the sale of them
The gang has friends all over that
section of the country. 1t has friends
among the freighters and even among
the cowboys. An officer cannot leave
Vernal, the county seat of Carbon
county. in Utah. but the gang is at
once notified. Those people are more of
a class of cattle thieves than despera-
does. They have no particular bravery,
as they will run before they will fight
Like rat, they will fight, however,
when you get them cOrnered.
The only way these people can be
apprehended is to place a reward on
the head of each of them. dead or
alive. They will be brought in dead.
as there are many people over there
who will go after them and kill them
for the reward. Outside of the killing
of Hoy in Browns park, the number
of so-called crimes laid at their door
is greatly exaggerated. They have
been accused of more crimes of every
known character than they ever
thought of committing.
The people are very bitter against
Liant and Tracy. the two men now I'M
der arrest at Hahns Peak. for being
implicated in the murder of Hoy. The
feeling is so strong against these two
men in Routt county that the men
could never be taken from the county
TO serve out their unexpired terms in
the Utah penitentiary near Salt Lake
CITY. Before the people over there
would allow those men to be taken |
from the state. they would be lynched.'' /