The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18
MAP SHOWING THE HoLE-IN-THE-wALL

a beautiful sight meets the eye of the
visitor. \ basin twenty miles square
spreads ont and is covered with luXuri-
ant growth of tender grasses. with here
and there u clump Of scrub pine and
Ereasewood. Directly in front of the
visitor after he makes his exit from the
narrow defile in the cliff Is the main
range of the Big Horn mountains, tower
ing above the fertile valley to height OF
12,000 feet. Along the face of this range
are numerous narrow and deep canyons
which lead to the rugged depths OF the
mountains. Numerous caves are here
found which afford excellent hiding
places for outlaws and murderers. And
IL is among these that the Currie gang
of bandits, or the Hole-in-the-Wan out
laws as they are more commonly called.
find refuge after one of their train rob
hing or bank robbing exploits 1t Is mere
that the band has found safety from All
pursuit for many years and II Is mere that
the outlaws viii make "A desperate stand
against the large number of oincerS and
state troops now hunting Them 10 the
death should the latter be successful IN
forcing The entrance of the Hole-ln-the
Wall This Hole-in-the-Wall basin Is Il
veIitable Switzerland. 80 far 'aS its de-
ferses are concerned. Within the limit
of The towering mountains of SOLID rock
the bandits have raised small gram, EeSe-
tables. etc; and at different times nave
run large herds of horses and cattle.
which had been stolen from ranches out
side of the Hole-in-the-Wall. on the
range.
Sale of Stolen Stock.
These herds after the brands and other
marks had been changed in a clever man
ner. would be driven from the robber
retreat to confederateS, who were en-
ployed on ranches near the Hole-in-the-
Wall country. and who would ship the
stock TO market. In returning these con-
fAderates would purchase arms, ammuni-
ton and such other necesSarles as were
ordered by the bandits These r@Sthods
would maintain only at such times as
the bandits were hard pre~se1 by Of
ficerS of the law. When the latter would
give up the hunt. and the outlaws were
always kept advised Of every move made
bN the officers. the bandits would then
come forth from their retreat and rob
and plumber until the officers again made
the country too warm 10 hold them. Dur
ing the past year or since, several post
offices and banks We're robbed. the ban
dts have been keeping themselves IN the
background and have been modesto ed very
little by officers who began TO think that
possibly the outlaws had left the coun-
1rv Emboldened by the inactivity on the
part of the law the Union Pacific train
robbery was planned by George Currie.
George and Tom Roberts and carried out
by themselves with the assistance. II
IS believed. of two or three other members
OF the Hole-in-the-Wall gang. The as
1oriShing holiness of the crime and the
successful escape shows the work was
that of old hands al the business.
Desperate Criminals.
In the matter Of the number Of crimes
committed the Hole-in-the-Wall band of
outlaws stands second to the old Jesse
lanes gang. For many years Currle and
his foliowefN have terrorizcd the states
az wyoming South Dakota. Montana ana
Utah Their bold and desperate crimes
have frequently startled the world and
ueoi.le have ndercd how such band
Of desDeradoes can go for years without
rsrying the penaTy for their crimes. me
secret Of the successes of the Hole-in-the-
Wall outlaws lies in the fact that they
Gro deSDerate and the same time cautious
and fearless. During the years 1867
these outlaws were especially active ard
in spite of the fact that several large
posses were in pursuit of them at differ
emf times and engaged in battle with
them they always escaped to their
rendezvous in the Big Horn mountains.
During the years mentioned the gang
robbed The postoflicc AT PowderVille.
Mont on the Powder river. shot Post
master Barnard: robbed the Butte coun-
~ bank Of Belle Fourche ). d: held up
Postmaster Carpenter Of Wolton- WVo-.
robbed the store OF the Woton CONNER
cal company Of which Carpenter was
manager. looted tho postoffice: robbed the
lostmaste- at Granger. IN the western
part of Wyoming: and tcrrorized citizens
Of Wyoming so that they were in con-
slant fear for the safety of their property
aS:d even OF their lives.
Belle Fourche Bank Robbery.
The Belle Fourche hank robbery en-
riched the gang very considerably and
had tendency 10 make the robbers care
Jess. As a result three members of the
gang were captured and confined in the
Belle Fourche jail but the place was not
strong enough to hold them and they
made their escape and Joined their com
rades. Soon after this the gang robbed
the postoffice at Big Piney in western
wyoming. Two days later a posse. head
ed by Sheriff Ward of Uintah county,