The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-07
BANDIT SAM BASS LAST FIGHT.
now The Texas Highwayman Met His
Fate In 1879

rate In 1878.
From the Washington Post.
In the little town of Round Rock,
IN Williamson county Texas, not more
than 80 miles distant from Austin, re-
pose the remains of one of the most
desperate train robbers and all-round
nlshWaymen that ever operated in
our section said I. N. Crocker of the
lone star state al the Riggs.
1T was in the spring of 1873 that Sam
Sass met his fate in this sleepy little
town, and when he died with his boots
on the southwest was rid of Grim
mai who was easily the peer of Jesse
James, though he hadn't quite as long
run as that noted outlaw Bass was
a product of Michigan; at least, his
soster, a gentle girl, came down from
some town in that state to see that
his body was decently inferred. He had
collected about him a company of as
hardened thieves as ever engineered
hold-up The gang had robbed a num-
Der OF trains in Missouri and Arkan-
sas and concluded they would make
one more good haul in Texas before
riding across the border into Mexico
where they proposed to stay in retire
ment for season.
Bass had planned the looting of
the only bank at Round Rock as an
easier job and doubtless a better pay
ing one than tackling train, which
feat had been performed too often to
be thoroughly safe. BY changing his
programme to raidine a villige bank
there might be more lucre and less
risk. So on that lovely morning in May
when he and his fellow thieves rode
into the unsuspicious town they chuck
led to think what an easy job it would
be to transfer the banks cash to their
pockets. So thoroughly certain were
they of getting off with the plumber
that they We're in haste about the mat
ter. One wanted to get shave, an
| other went into a restaurant and so
| they scattered singly over the place.
to the time of attack rendezvous
| was fixed upon.
Meanwhile, unknown to the bandits.
a spad of mounted Texas rangers had
| been pressing hard upon the trail of the
| bad men and within an houra fter the
| Bass outfit entered Round Rock Ser
geant Dick Ware. with eight or 10 ran
gers, also reached the scene. He wasn't
aware of the presence of the robbers.
nor did they dream f. e officers of
the law We're in that vicinity Neither
did any citizen of the town have the
remotest idea of the identity of certain
| gh-looking men strangers in the
place. But they might be cowboys
| from some distant west Texas cattle
ranch, for the presence of such was
too common to occasion notice.
Q
One of the ruf1ians who had sauntered
into a store to make a few purchases,
in reaching for his purse to make pay
ment, disclosed BIZ Colts revolver.
The Texas law against carrying guns
was strict and it so happened that the
man who saw the weapon was none
| other than the town marshal as brave
a fellow as ever lived. He walked UP
to the desperate and said quite coute-
ously. My friend. I'll have to relieve
you of that siX-shooter.' I'll give it
| to YOU them said the robber with an
oath. and in a second had drawn his
his weapon and fired upon the mar
shall. who fell dead at the report.
Upon this the robber rushed out of
the store and Immediately his com
rades came running to the spot, but
no faster than did the rangers with
their Winchesters, ready for action.
In a second. it seemed as if both sides
had the situation revealed, and the
robbers turned to run to where then
horses stood tied, block from where
the murder of the marshal occurred
Before he had run so yards Dick Ware
had sent a bullet into the head OF
Barnes. Bass lieutenant, which laid
the highwayman low. Bass, mortally
wounded. managed to get upon his
horse, which he. urged tobreakneck
speed. The animal ran fort about
three miles, till he reached the oper
parrie. and stopped to Craze. AS he die
So his rider unable to sit longer in the
saddle from loss of blood, fell to the
ground.
when they found him a few hours
later he was dying. He recognized Ser.
geant Ware as the man who had killed
him and said he wanted Ware to nave
his horse. He regretted their procrasti
nation in robbing the bank For i
they ahd only known the rangers were
so near they could have finished th'
lob and escaped"