Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-02-02
WAITING FOR DEATH.
A NOTED OUTLAW SERVING A
LIFE SENTENCE.
Desperate Fight on Train-shackisd
to Another, He Shot q United States
Marshal and Freed Himself by Cut
ting on Compsnion's Hand. q

Calmly awaiting death in the peni-
tertiary at Chester, ILL.,, is Robert
Yerger, one Of the most noted outlaws
of the West, who is serving life SEN
tence. Yerger belonged to what was
known as the Robbers Cave gang"
of seven members, whose robberies be-
came so frequent and bold in the vi
cinity of Austin Texas, in 1884 that
a force of United States deputy mar
shals started out with a determination
Of rounding them up. They met Jim
McDaniels, one of the leaders of the
gang, on country road near New
Braumfels, and pitched battle took
place without any parleying by either
the desperate or the officers. Nc
Daniels body was riddled with bullets,
but he did not quit shooting until he
had seriously wounded two Of the dep
uty marshals. A short time after Nc
Daniels tragic death Yerger and Ezra
Pitts, another member of the robber
band, were captured by deputy mar
shals. Both were given life sentences
in the Chester, ILL.,, penitentiary. 1t
was few days after their conviction
that the two prisoners made one of the
most desperate attempts to escape
known in the criminal annals Of Tex
as. Henry L. Gosling was United
States marshal for the western district
Of Texas, which embraces all Of that
territory located west of the Colorado
river, at that time, and he went to
Austin to convey the two desperate
prisoners to San Antonio, where the
Jail was more secure, pending their re-
moval to the penitentiary. He was a
fearless officer and so careless in pres
ence Of danger that he did not take the
precaution of shackle the two pris-
oners to the car seats, though they
were fastened together when he placed
them on the train to take them to San
Antonio.
Deputy Marshals Manning and Lang
accompanied Gosling, and they were.
in active charge of the prisoners.
Gosling took seat three seats for
ward of the prisoners, his seat COM
panion being H. S. Garfield, formerly
Texas ranger, but for several years
past. resident of Chicago A num-
Der of relatives Of the prisoners were
on the train, but were not allowed in
the same car with the latter. Shortly
after the train pulled out of the depot
Mrs. Pitts, the pretty wife Of one of
the prisoners, came to Costing and
pleaded to be allowed to sit by the side
of her husband. She also asked that
Rose Yerger, sister of the other pris-
oner, be allowed the same privilege.
Tears coursed down the face of the
woman as she asked this favor, and
Gosling granted her request. Two
seats were thrown together, and Rose
Yerger sat facing her brother and Mrs.
Pitts faced her husband. The train
about o'clock when New Braumfels
was reached. The two women had
spent the time sobbing on the Shout
ders of the prisoners, and Gosling ani
his two deputies had no thought of the
plot that was being arranged. Shortly
after the train had pulled out of New
Braumfels Pitts slyly reached his
shackled hands under the folds of his
wife's dress and secured a six-shooter
which had been concealed there. YER
ger did likewise, and drew forth six
shooter from his sisters dress. The
two prisoners then sprung into tae
center of the car and began firing at
Gosling and the two deputy marshals
simultaneously. The first two shots
came together, and both bullets struck
the brave United States marshal
squarely in the back, and he pitched
forward on his face. Deputies Man
ming and Lang were quick to get into
The fray. The cylinder of Lang's pistol
would not revolve, and he was power
less to render any assistance to Man.
ming, who stood up fearlessly before
the rain of bullets that was being
showered at him by the prisoners.
Manning emptied the chambers of his
siy-shooters at Yerger and Pitts as
they slowly backed toward the door of
the coach. The car was filled with
smoke, and 1t was only by the flash of
the pistols that the positions of the
combatants could be distinguished
Manning was shot through the left
side, through the left arm and through
the fleshy part Of the neck. Although
the blood was pouring from these
wounds he kept up the fight and did
not seem to know the meaning of
fear.
AS he followed the prisoners toward
the car door his cartridges were ex-
Sausted and the ejector stuck. He
coolly stopped down beside Garfield,
grabbed a leadpencil from his upper
vest pocket and punched the empty
shells out of the chambers, reloaded
and resumed firing. Pitts and Yerger
gained the platform of the car and
shouted defiance at Manning. They
then jumped off of the train, which
was still running at good rate of
speed. The coach slowly cleared Of
smoke, and the interior looked like
slaughter pen. The floor was reeking
with blood, many panes Of glass were
broken, and groans were coming from