Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-11
Freight paid 100 miles.

camp. From the bush he witnessed the en-
tire transaction of dividing the plumber into
six equal parts. The men laughed and joked
as they did so and congratulated each other
on their success. Collins, the leader. de-
clared that there was absolutely no chance
of detection, but as they talked this matter
over they became more serious, and then
Collins administered a solemn oath to each
that they should never betray each other,
no matter how dire their straits, and an
other oath that they should die with their
boots on" or in other words, that they
should never be taken alive by the officers
of the law.
The next day they separated and each
party of two took up its own direction.
Leech was still waiting for the sheriff's
posse to come up, but concluded that the
best thing for him to do was to follow one
of the parties. For som distance he fol-
lowed a pair, of which Berry was one.
Collins, H~efYridEe and Berry Killed.
Collins and Heffridge, in making their way
southwark toward Texas, stopped at a small
station on the Kansas Pacific named Buff
falo. AT this place there was not only a
sheriff's posse, but also a detachment OF SOL
diers, for Superintendent Clark of the
Union Pacific, through General Williams,
adjutant general of the Department of the
Platte, had secured the cooperation of the
military in patrolling the country which the
fugitives were thought likely to traverse.
Collins and Heffridge rode calmly into the
little water-tank town and stopped at a
store for provisions. They said they were
Texas cowboys on their way home, and no
one thought at first of doubling their word.
Then the station agent, who had been read
ing the description of the robbers, which lad
been scattered broadcast all over the coun-
| try fannInH thpt hn coz W q pnn,r,I1n,an la
the men to the outlaws described. Watching
them narrowly, he vas startled by seeing on
an envelope which accidentally dropped
from the pocket of one of the men the name
Joel Collins He engaged Collins in con-
versation and then remarked carelessly:
isn't your name Joel Collins"
yes" replied Collins, who as yet had no
idea that he was suspected of the robbery.
He left the store and rode away with
Heffridge,
The station agent at once notified the sol
diers and the sheriff. They rode after the
two cowboys, who made no effort to escape,
halted them, and told them plainly their
suspicious. The two robbers, protesting
their innocence, complied with the direction
to turn their horses and ride back to Buff
falo, When they had gone a little ways, the
soldiers behind them and watching them
like hawks, they made concerted movements
to draw their revolvers. Before they had
succeeded, a volley from the posse had
taken both lives.
Their bodies were taken to Ellis, Kan,
for burial. Leech, the man who had made
the recovery Of a third of the lost money
possible, gave up the chase after his two
men temporarily and went to Buffalo.
Berry, another of the gang, made a bold
visit to his old home In Mexico, Mo. He
deposited a part OF his money there, and
converting the rest into currency, went on
a wild spree. Later, warned by a friend
that people were beginning to suspect the
source Of his wealth, he took to the woods
but Leech and other officers of the law
among them Sheriff Glassaock, gradually
drew the lines about him At last he was
shot and MORALLY wounded by Sheriff Glass
cock. He made a full confession, but would
not say that he was sorry FIR his deeds.