The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-02-22
The EXPLOITS OF
A FAMOUS BANDIT
Ham White, Who Committed Many
Hold Ups in the West and
Southwest, Is Dead.
SERVED TIME IN MANY PRISONS
scores of Stages Held Up In Texas, Color.
ado and Elsewhere by Means Of
Dummy Aids--Some of His
Exploits.


Exploits.
Austin. Tex. special: The recent
death on the state penitentiary convict
farin Of Ham White, one of the most
notorious stage robbers who ever oper-
ated In the west and southwest. calls
to mind some of his daring exploits.
He was born and raised on o farm
near Austin and is well remembered by
many of the older residents OF this
section. His father was well known
and respected citizen and was murder
ed while Ham was mere youth The
latter made an open vow that he
would avenge this murder OF his
father when he grew to be a man.
Whether he kept this vow or not no
enc can say. but it is well known
fact that the assassin of his father
vas shot and killed few years later
and that Ham was tried and acquitted
of the crime. 1t WIS., shortly after this
that young White entered upon his
long and thrilling career of holding up
stages and robbing passengers ana tho
United States mail.
One OF His First Robberies.
The first OF these stage robberies
committed by White occurred in the
late '70's near Manchaca Springs.
SWCASC SOulA sOl AuSLlU. Inc
stage. en- route from Austin to San An
tonic, had reached a point near Man
chaca Springs just as day was break
Ing. When White stepped into some
bushes and with drawn pistol COM
manded the driver to stop and throw
up his hands. White had trimmed up
and dressed half dozen or more live
oak saplings and placed wooden sticks
IN the bands OF these dummies and the
friRnfened ma Of
whom there were a number, took the
dummies to be confederates and
Whites demand for money and valu-s
bles was readily complied with.
White, in order successfully to carry
out the deception, kept cautioning the
frightened passengers that II one OF
them made hostile move they would
all be shot down like dogs by his men,
who were standing ready to shoot on
instant notice. In the gray light OF
the early morning the dummies were
easily mistaken tor real men, and 1t
was not until some time after the rob-
berry that the discovery made made of
the bogus confederates of the lone
robber.
Committed Many Hold-Ups.
White committed many other stage
holdups in quick succession following
his first experience, but he was finally
captured and upon trial he was con-
victed and given long term in the
penitentiary. Through the influence OF
his family he was pardoned after he
fsed served a few years. After being
released from the penitentiary White
did not return to, his old home and
scene of his former operations In Tex
as, but went to Colorado where he was
for a time employed in different mining
camps. He worked in saloon at
Leadville for several months. He new
er stirred up any trouble during his
residence In Leadville and other min
ing camps. He was looked up as
luiet. peaceable young man who cared
very little for excitement of any kind.
In the spring of 1882 he left Leadville
and shortly thereafter the country was
startled by the exploits Of bold high
wayman who held up the Lake City
stage near Del Norte, Colo. The rob-
berry occurred, as did the one commits
tea near Manchaca Springs, Tex. Just
as dawn was breaking. The lone rob
Der fooled the driver and passengers.
MS he had done in Texas by arranging
wooden sticks resembling guns. Tho
passengers numbered twelve men and
one woman. White had them get out
OF the stage and line up in a row. He
placed small cotton sack over the
head OF each passenger and then pro-
ceeded to relieve them Of their money
and yaluables. When this was done
he rifled the mail sacks and mounted
his horse and rode off. He beat the
stage into Del Norte and took break
fast with the people he had robbed O
short time before and listened atten-
lively to their wild stories of the af-G
;; fair.
Long List of Crimes.
While residing in Hays county White
would absent himself from home for
days at time, and during these peri
DDS several holdups Of the Dripping
Springs and Blanco stage occurred.
The robber in each instance was tall
| man fully masked but resembling
White very closely in general appear
ance. He was finally arrested and
again convicted on the charge of stage
robbery and sentenced to a term in the
state penitentiary. He served several
years and was released about three
years ago. Shortly after he gained his
liberty he held up and robbed two
travelling men near Llano, Tex. He
was captured few days later and
was again given a long term in the
penitentiary. He was serving this last
term when he died.
He was never regarded as q des-
perado In the sense that that word IL
generally used. He was never a blood.
thirsty man, and he frequently said
that an unloaded pistol was az good
| as a loaded one In holding up q stage.
He was q cripple. which affiiction was
caused by q white swelling In one 81
his legs when boy. +. q