The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-27
Territories Set $1,000 on a
Bandits Head.
HAS A Lone RECORD OF CRIME
His Real Name IL Jacob Emmons, and He
Was Formerly Scout In the L. :. Gov
ernment service-A Born Tough He
Snon Got Into Trouble and Took to the
Road-For Three Years He Has Terror
lied Arizona and New Mexico.

or alive, Of a numbering bandit known as
;;.lack laKe' along the frontier OF the
southwest viii get $3.50 cash and earn
the thanks OF many people and corpo-
rations in the Territories of New Mexico
ard Arizona
For two years and a half a. band OF
outlaws known as the BLACK Jake" gang
has robbed, narauded. and murdered al
Intervals OF a few months in widely sep
arated and different parts of these South
[ western Territories. The Southern Pa
I c.fic Railroad Company has brought its
/ most expert bandit catchers 10 this re-
/ giOn from Texas. California, and the Ter
ritOries. and has spent a gOod-sized for
tune in trying 10 lay hold OF the out
/ laws
The Santa Fe Railroad Company has
had four different sets of cowboys and
plain detectives each employed for a
month at a time in pursuing BLACK
Jake" and his gang on dozen different
/ ciews. M6r.haIs OF Arizona and New
Mexico have been equally vigilant and
Z have been active in sending sagacious
peace officers of the plains to catch the
bandits. and the United States troops
have galloped here and there along the
frontier in vain quests of Black Jake"
and his followers A reward OF $500 is
offered Jointly by the Executives OF the
Territories for the capture of Black
Jake" dead or alive. and even now a score
or tive of men are searching over the
wild, dreary, and uninhabited mountain
chain which stands on the border between
Mexico and the United States. in the hope
of earning the tempting reward offered
for the taking of the outlaws.
Former U. >. scout.
The rise of the notorious gang dates
from The early days of August, 1856.
Black Jake is the frontier name for
former United States scout named Jacob
Emmons He enlisted in the military serv-
ice at Fort Whipple, near Prescott, AriZ-,
after ne had been a cowboy III the Terrific
ries for eleven years. He came originally
f~om he vicinity of Vineland, y. j., ana
the cowboys and his comrades at the gar
rison say he had an unusual education.
But he vas a born tough He shot and
killed a barkeepcr at Williams, Ariz., when
he was but twenty, and narrowly escaped
hanging. As a scout he was = failure, D.
cause no one had confidence in him He
was left 81, 500 by a New Jersey relative IN
1893 and when he got out Of the service
he spent all the money in a month in
Phoenix and Yuma. Then he drifted down
10 Sonora, Mexico, and the few people
who remembered him thought he was
probably dead down there until the news
came that he was the head of a reckless
band of bandits who were after gold coin
at the sacrifice of any life that bafiled
their efforts.
RobbiDg Mine Stores.
On or about August s, 1896, several men
employed in the general merchandise store
Of the Hualapi Mining Company, two
miles north of Kingman, Ariz., were
reused from their MONDAY siestas behind
the counters one hot blistering day, by
four cowboys who walked in and asked TO
see some saddles. One of the store men
started to go upstairs to show the strang-
ers his stock of saddles. The others were
too warm and sleepy to move, but the mo-
ment they saw each of the supposed pur-
chasers whip out two long, rnurderOus Ie-
Volvers at full cock they were instantly
very much awake.
When each of the store men l1Oked into
the muZzle of a pistol as if into the mouth
of a railroad tunnel, he knew tha- he and
his store companions We're in the hands OF
bandits While one bandit, q tai. dark
complexiOned fellow, with deep set eyes
and mammoth tattooed stars on ms
hands went about the store seeking
money and transportabie valuabies, the
store men were kept looking at very close
range into the muZZles OF cJcke1 reVOi-
vers In ten minutes, pernaDS, some Sl,4jJ
in coin was taken, for there is not the
convenience of bank deposits in icOnier
settlements.
Then the storekeepers were bound and
gagged. One of them, John A. Bishop, &c
sisted, and in the scrimmase was stabbed
TO death The bandits bound the othe"
men tighter, and, Fastening out, were
soon on their broncOs outside. Before
anv of the men in the store could get
loose and give the alarm the bandits We're
miles away on the alkali desert. where no
one but a few poor starved Hua!api In
dians I've in territory Oh aooG- .U
square miles.
seek the bandits than the information
came that the office force of the R5suluJe
Mining Company, fifty miles over toward
Ash Fork, had been held up. bound and
gagged by the same gang on the day pre-
Vious to the robbery and murder at King
man. Some thirty ounces OF gold and
com to the amount Of 800 lad been stolen
from the safe.
Raid OH a Bank.
In the latter part Of the following month
Black Jake" and his gang robbed the
bank at the rich cattle and mining town
OF Nsgales, AriZ. II was a very bold deed.
Three entered the bank. One covered the
President, who was outside the raj ing:
another stepped TO the window and CO He'd
the teller who was sitting at some dis
tance, and ordered him TO hold up his
hands The teller promptly Obeyed, and
started TO walk 10 the window, but was
stopped before he could get there. The
third man went down 10 the end Of the
railing TO get behind it and at the cash.
At the end he saw an open door leading
into a room where several men were plan
ming an irrigation scheme He promptly
held them up. Each man was thus busy
holding some person with his six-shooter
ana there was TO one left TO shovel the
money into TIE bag.
Realizing that something must be done
10 change the combination, the man who
had the irrigation convention AT bay
promptly shut the door on IT. The slam
ming OF the door attracted the attention
OF the gentleman a. the tellers window,
and he turned 10 see what the trouble
was The instant the rObBer turned The
teller made d jump for his wOndow, un-
deFneath which, on a shelI, reposed the
bank siX-shOOter, which he grabbed and
began shooting
over 100 shots were fired inside Of three
minutes Every man who could get a gun
and a horse took the trail A skiFmish en-
sued among the rocks IL the Las Animas
CauVOu Black Jake" lost his horse but
got the one ridden by the Sheriff Of Pima
County and escaped into Sonora Mexico
Three months passed and the Arizona |
people began 10 hope and then ia think |
that the Black Jake band had decided 10
remain permanently ia the republic OF |
Mexico. Late one night in January. 1897 /
when the air was little chilly in the !
seml-tTOpic regions. i've men in masks /
walked IN upon faro game at Demins !
New Mexico. While four Of the masked |
men covered the eleven gamblers and kent
their hands away above their heads. the !
tallest OF the masked men gave his whole
attention 10 the cashier OF the layour /
That Official reached for his pistol hui /
he was too slow He was shot in the face /
and he dropped forward on the green t.
BILE The robbers were gone IN q tHink-
ling
Long Record Of Crime.
Three murders were added In 1898 10 n. |
catalogue Of crimes attributed 10 the no. |
tOriOus band. One Vas the shooting OF 4 |
passenger on the stage from Tombstone
10 Graat Springs, in Arizona. when that
vehicle was held up. and the passengers
piled their watches, purses, and other |
val b1-z In