The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-31
Sherifrs Posse Captures Members Of
Robbers Roost Gang.
WERE STEALING HORSES
Are All Hard Cases, But Two Belong
to Highly Respected Families
Stolen Animals Secured and Re-
turned to Their 0wners-More
Bandits In That Country.
Especial 10 The Herald0

Price, Utah, Dec. 30.-For two months
or more it has been known to the offl-
GERS of the several eastern Utah coun-
ties that some eight or ten of the noto-
rious Robbers BOOSTERS gang had re-
turned to their old haunt and were
doing business at and around the Ole
stand. Yesterday three OF them were
caught at Ferron while making re-
treat. and they.are now in the county
Jail at Castle Dale, Emery county, and
will have to answer to the charge OF
horse stealing and perhaps other things
by the time the grand jury meets Inc
men captured yesterday are Joe Swa-
sey, Lee Mcdonald and p p (Pete)
Mickle All are bad men and have been
wanted for some time.
For Several months past horses and
cattle belonging to ranchmen, farmers
and stockmen have been missing from
the range, and the sheriffs of Carbon,
Emery and Grand counties have spent
considerable time in trying TO run
down the thieves with poor success un-
til Tuesday last. when they got a clue
which resulted in the arrests made yes
terday, and which will no doubt re-
suit in breaking up the gang for the
time being.
Last Tuesday prominent business
man of Price received a check from a
leading institution at Castle Dale ION
something like $500, with the request
that the currency be shipped to Mickle
at Green River station on the Rio
Grande Western railway, as the latter
wanted to prepay the freight on two
carloads of horses that were to be
shipped east, and that the stock was
being held, there until the money ar
rived. The check, of course, was
cashed, and the money sent as request
ed, but in the meantime Sheriff Alfred
was notified and he left with lobe
Whitmore for Green River on the same
train the money went out on.
After the Bandits.
Whitmore has been a heavy losel
from the rustlers, and his purpose in
going there was to see if any of his
stock was in the bunch. In the mean
time Sheriff Leamaster of Emery coun-.
ty was notified and ne went to the
scene on horseback across the coun-
try.
Arriving at Green River the party To-
Gated the horses in a wooded grove
near the town. Whitmore looked the
bunch over, but he found nothing with
his brand upon 1t and returned home.
The thieves got wind Of the presence of
the officers and instead of shipping the
stuff out as had been intended struck
out across the country on their best
horses for the rendezvous of the
Boosters in the San Rafael hills.
Sheriff Leamaster telegraphed the facts
to Price and the message was trans
mitted by telephone to his deputy. ex-
Sheriff futile, who had an idea of
about the course they would take. That
he was right and showed good judg-
ment is proven by the fact that he with
other deputies caught the three men
at Ferron, in the lower end of Emery
county They were taken under strong
guard to the county seat, where they
now languish in the county jail
Members of the Posse.
Ex-Sheriff futile is the sergeant-at-
arms of the lower house of the Utah
legislature, and has served two terms
as sheriff of Emery county, being de-
feated at the last election by the pres
ent incumbent. John Eeamaster. Be
cause of his efficiency and his knowl-
edge of the criminal classes of this sec
ton of the country, he has been re-
tanned by the present sheriff. In the
fight which citizens posse and the
officers of two or three counties had
with the gang about two years ago
Mr.. futile was shot and badly wound
ed in the thigh. This was at the time
when two of the gang, Walker and
"Cassaday," were. killed in the Little
Book Cliff mountains. lobe Whitmore
was also in that posse
ice Swasey, the leader of the gang
run down by these officers, and now in
JAIL is a brother of the notorious Sid
Swasey, who is wanted for various and
sundry acts of grand larceny. and who
is supposed to be at the present time
in Canada to avoid arrest. Another
brother who bears a very unenviable
so lie is stated by the Off
GERS. is Charley The boys are all the
sons of Rodney Swasey, who was at
one time a well known banker at
Provo, and himself most honorable
man.
Reward For Mickle.
Pete Mickle is a brother of the outlaw
who, about four years ago, killed Sher-
if Burns of Sanpete county. and upon
whose head there is a standing reward
offered by Governor Heber NJ. Wells.
Pete is described by the sheriffs here
abouts as bad man.
Lee Mcdonald comes from a good
family at Molen in Emery county his
father being a Scotchman and a highly
citizen wherever he has lived.
The father is a miner and prospector,
and is we'll known in all the camps of
this state. Nevada, Idaho and Mon
tana- Young Mcdonald. it. is said. has
not been with the gang long
The stolen horses were driven back
by Sheriff Leamaster to Emery county,
and as the stock has been identified,
were turned over to the owners They
had been picked up one or two in
place from the range and out of the
two carloads, some seyenty-five head,
but one of the animals belonged to
the thieves this animal being the
property of Swasey. In the bunch
there were two animals belonging to
a poor farmer named Olsen. who re-
sides just out from Castledale- They
were all the man had and without
these he could do nothing on his farm
Looking For Others.
The officers have others under sur
veillance ard if these arrests do not
scare the others off. more arrests are
likely to follow, as it is positively
known that there are other members
IF the Robbers BOOSTERS gang in the
southern part of Emery county and
also in Grand county. where stock is
also miesing, and included in this is
punch of some 200 head of cattle that
we're driven off a few weeks ago in the
direction of the Colorado river. where
hoy will undoubtedly be held until
next spring and then shipped out from
;omc Colorado station. where the |
:harces of detection are not so great
An officer of this part of the state
fNore;nred IN Paoa9 ~