The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-12

Stronghold I'm blue Mountains
to Be Surrounded.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March
1.-THE legislature eff the state of
Utah has determined that the famous
Tom Mccarthy gang ofsbandits and
cattle thieves must be broken up. A
bill providing an appropriation for the
purpose Of hunting the men down sets
aside the sum Of SIS, 900 to either capture
OF destroy the band of murderers and
cutthroats who have held portions Of
three states in terror for three years
and whose agents are scattered the
length and breadth Of the land.
1t is acknowledged the ordinary
methods Of procedure will not do with
the men in the heart of the Blue noun
tains or Roam Ridge. They are not
inclined to submit to the law and would
probably die fighting rather than be
taken.
There Is movement on foot in Utah
to organize posses Of men to, undertake
the work of subduing. this band. The
undertaking means certain death to at
least part of the men who will go
on the warpath against the robber
chief and his followers.
Already there is a leader for the
forces and he is a man Of long ex-
perience on the mountain and plain
and possessed of all the qualities Of
leadership
The story of this leader, whose name
is kept secret to guard his life, and
the cause for his desire to see the end
of the notorious gang more resembles
a tale of fiction than plain fact. He
Is prominent resident Of Utah and
once lived in Denver. 1t is probable
he will be made marshal and chief of
the tight against the gang
1t had been decided by the admins
tration of Utah that soldiers are not
the agent which can combat and over
come the Mccarthy brigands or make
the attempt with the best chance Of
success. The movement of a body of
troops and their campaign would be too
much like an open Book for the eyes
of the vigilance of this band, which
has long ago taken precautions against
just such MEASURE =.
DETERMINED MEN.
The people have come to the con-
clusion that the only way to deal with
the gang is by their, own methods. The
posse which will be sent against them
will be composed Of old frontiersmen.
cowboys, and hunters, all men picked
for their courage and.-theira experience.
These men will not 1besfege the rocks
which hold the gang, but sthey will de-
pend more upon killing. the members
one by one as they venture out for sup
plies. ST..
They may invest the place and starve
out the outlaws. They may be success
full, but it will not be. done, according
to the judgment of people who know,
in few days or weeks.
Tom Mccarthy. the leader of the
Blue Mountain robbers. orr the Hole
in the Wall society, is of doubtful
origin, but it is known that he is want
ed in several parts Of the country for
crimes of unusual atrocity.f ~ 81
He has been known to visit Denver
and the East, but not since his neto-
rlety has grown to- an uncomfortable
degree. But he never appears in. Salt
Lake City, where he would be easily
recognized.
Mccarthy, with a. small following,
perpetrated several mail and express
robber1eS number of years ago ON
stage coaches over the Utah desert and
in the mountains. It was his first an
pearance in the country in this role,
and before long his exploits gathered
about him a choice company Of Grim
inals from the ighb0fing states and
territories. The band settled in GER
tain point of the Blue Mountains. on
the line between Colorado and Utah.
LOCALITY UNKNOWN.
The exact locality Of the retreat of
Mccarthy and his men is not known.
though there are persons who could
guide party within three or four
miles of it. The path runs through a
narrow canon and leaves it at par
ticularly wild place for serpentine
| trail, running a mile or more up and
| down the heights. Again at the end of
| this trail there is passageway blasted
| and cut through solid rock. The term
| ination of this shorter pathway is at
| the entrance of the gathering place,
which is great cave or amphitheater,
| in the center Of the rock. From this
| there run in all directions tunnels,
| with their openings artfully concealed
| A feature boosted IF by more than
! one of the gang is that the cave pos
| sesses an excellent electric motor and
| dynamo, taken there by pieces on
! horseback. eli
| The robbers have told that wires run
| from the den of the chief to all the ap-
| proaches Of the fortress and commu-
| n1eate with charges of dynamite.
There is perfect system of outposts
| and guardians, maintained by Nc
Carthy in military manner. and the
robbers have passwords and signs to
| admit them or let them out.
! Lie pldCc 10 dDOUC Ulle0U lilies ITOT
| a settlement on the edge Of the desert
| called Courthouse. It is about thirty
| miles east and north of the county sea-
| of Grand Moab, and from this place
| the band gets all of it's supplies. II
| fact, the town is almost owned by
them, and none of the inhabitants is
Of sufficient courage to inform against
them.
AS the country gradually fills up
the robbers are leaving their practice
OF holding up trains and travellers and
are combining their depredations tc
nerds of cattle and sheep. They are
said to operate extensive grazing pas
lures in the heart of the Blue or Book
mountains.
They are experts in rebranding cat
tie and make speciality of gathering
up stray mavericks. It has been
known for years that they have agents
at different points
|. The police believe the band has a
representative at Salt Lake city, at
cheyenne, and even in Denver, while
there are whole firms in collision with
the gang in Eastern markets
Mccarthy ships his cattle East, where
they are sold, and he receives the
checks in return. These checks are
eashed almost daily in Western banks,
though always through third party.
REWARDS. FOR CAPTURES.
For some time there has been a
standing reward of $500 from the gov
ernor of Utah for certain notorious
members of the gang, dead or alive.
Several of the outlaws .sdlave been
tried for murders committed In the
county and in the town of Moab itself.
But the jury invariably acquitted the