Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-20
Terrified TRAVELLERS
BAD BILL BRAZLETON. THE BOLD
ARIZONA BANDIT.
Remarkable Story of the Tucson Des-
~peradO-Chief Actor In Many Raids
Made Arizona Dreaded by Trav.
elers-Decoyed and Shot.
From the Washington Post.

From the Washington Post.
1.-The most thoroughly remorseless out
law, Indifferent to his own fate, that 1
ever knew in the territories during my
%thirty-seven years on the border" said
ex-SheriH Rosemead at Phoenix. A. T.,
the other day. was Bill Brazleton. He
stands prominently among the horde of
cool. sanguinary dare-deviLs on the plains
from 1865 to 1883. because uf his holiness,
his carelessness Of what might befall him.
and. at the same time. his astuteness as
a bandit. single-handed and alone. He was
the originator of several schemes in stage
coach rGbbing hat have since become
common Ell over the West.
Where Bill Rrazleton was and what he
did between the day he quit work for the
Union Pacific Railroad Company. at about
$780, continued the ex-sheriff. until 1877,
when he appeared in the southwestern
territories. none OF us old-timers ever
satisfactorily knew. We a reason to
believe, however. that Bill was living I'M
der some assumed name in the Indian
Territory, and We a heard that a man
Of his description clearing the name of
Henderson, served a term at Fort Smith
prison. in Arkansas. for the murder OF n
soldier.
I'm May. 1877. two unusually bold rob-
berries of the Florence and Yuma stage
were Smmltte by VA: q lone mi.hW way mar.
utlo CuNh kAAiiS NAS ktehk ." A'">
than $1,000. The gold mines at Globe and
Esperanza were paying big in those days.
and the stage coaches carried small tor.
stage was robbed by a lone h~ighwaynan
near Deming.. n. NJ. and two gold bricks
We're taken from the express company
h~ighwayman. whom we subsequently
found was none other than Bill Erazleton.
committed crimes the bOldest and the
most daring over recorded. and during
those two years all efforts to detect him,
arrest him. or shoot him proved unavail-
ing. To appreciate the peculiar condition
of things, you must recOllect what Ari-
IONA and New Mexico were during those
years. There We're no railroads in this ter
ritory; there were very few railroads in
New Mexico.
Held Up the stages.
"All the treasure. both of the territory
the individuals. was carried by. stage.
There Were troops at Fort Lowell. Fort
Grant. Fort Whipple. Fort Mcdowell. and
at Fort Yuma. Consequently there was a
large amount of money being sent i'll mere
by the United States government. The
military and the Apaches were striving for
the possession OF the territory. There was
tai. The territory was a region of desc
lation. a land OF rkness 1t was the
e eaan1e IF , psfaa ST Thsrs we're pr enly 4
Yuma. and Florence, the two last named
being nothing more than villages There
m maS; ! s sav the sp psl q Z s aatfe amount amd o,ilce qf
and for quartermaster' supplies. being
sent in here. and this. as well as every
thing for the few merchants. was ear
ried by stage Here and there. at points
distant about twenty-five miles. We're
small stations. at which passengers could
get something to eat and some liquor 10
| drink. Every man carried his rife: it Was
whisky. In a word, civilization had not
made much advance and the Gpportnni-
We're many, and. II his operations We're
successfully carried out. Yielded a rich
harvest; But the danger :rss Of the opera,
you may anticipate, always well guarded.
The drivers were armed to the teeth; SO
was every passenger. Moreover. the In
and as the lone highwayman had to seek
protection in seclusion far from the haunts
Of the bid;ng citizens he carried his
life in his hands. even while Snatching a
few hours rest.
1t was during this time that every lit
tie while the people OF our territory were
| been held up. and that money. mail. and
other yaluables had been taken. A few
weeks later the story would come that
leo. and 4 little later the same story
came from some point in colorado. Noth-
ing more would ne heard al Tor , perhaps six
pie would again hear that the stage had
been held up at the old spot. In every
| Instance the story was tne same as 10 de-
tails. TIE rcbberies were committed by
the one man. the lone highwayman. as he
| was called.
The Lone HiShwayman.
..He was a magnificent specimen OF
| manhood physically. He stood six feet
in his stockings: was handsome In the ex-
IRENE. His eyes were bright. his counte-
| nance was open. his manner relined. His
method pursued was always the same,
He was eushion-footed moved like q cat.
| never failed TO get his booty. He rode a
beautiful American horse. II was q brown
I arched neck, the swiftness of foot OF an
| Arab steed. He always carried a brace
| of revoivsrs and a long-ranged rife, Rest
trigger, of his rife. was placed one of the
| revolvers. SO that in case the Cartridges
in the rifle became exhausted the revolt
yer was Immediately brought INFO NAV.
He could tire with either hand or with