The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-05
HoLE-rN-rHE-wALl GANG.
Men Driven to outlawry by Big Cat
the Outfits
tRed Lodge CAIoatl Pickett
4 era l. n rn,ar. II. AI.n,,aa - !.

ton of the famous Hole-in- the-Wan
country or tell a better story of the
history of the organized band of
thleNeS who infest that section and
nave so long defied the officers of the
law in their secure retreat than For
mer Sherlm John Dunn of Carbon cOun-
" he IS not a large man physically,
neither is he boastful, but he is as
courageous as lion The voters OF
this county took him from his ranch
and made him sheriff for two consecu-
tive terms. Official preferment didn't
spoil him. like IL does some people ana
he is the same modest, unassuming.
rCugh-and-ready man as ever 1t was
during his incumbency OF the office of
sheriff that he formed the acquaintance
OF the Hole-in-the-Wau gang and
caused these modern daredevils and
cut-throats both to fear and respect
him.
During his first term as sheriff Mr..
Dunn led the posse which performed
the dangerous feat OK running to earth
this same gang of reckless desperadOes,
which are now being hunted for the re-
cent daring daylight hOld-up of the
Great Northern. In that historical
chase of 1887 Sheriff Dunn and posse
captured the escaping members of the
Hole-in-the-Wall outlaws following the
daylight robbery of the bank of Belle
Fouche, and turned them over to the
officers of South Dakota.
Later. when the Roberts boys es-
capped from the DeadWoOd jail and held
up the Union Pacific train at Rock
springs: Wyo., and after they had
Killed Sheriff HaZen Of Natrona county
Sherin Dunn started on the trail and
Iearlessly went right into their own
country, among their sympathizers, and
would doubtless have effected their
capture again If his services had been
called into requisition early enough in
the chase As it was he made them
hunt their holes and they remained
comparatively quiet until the recent
Malta spectacular extravaganza
g 8 @
This famous rendezvous of the orig
inal Currie gang. now nearly extinct"
said Mn Dunn, els much more extern
sive in area than is generally supposed.
1t is situated in the geographical cen
Ter OF Wyoming, in the Businesses of
the mountains, and is accessible only
Dy TWO passes or breaks in the range of
mountains by which it is formed 1t
lies about 100 miles due south of Ruf-
falo, Wyo-, about the same distance
north of Rawlins, on the Union Pa
cine, and some eighty miles southeast
or Thermopolis. 1t is in the northern
part OF Natrona county and comprises
an area of about 80 square miles, hav-
ing length east and west of sixteen
miles and a width through the center
of some eight miles
Taken as a whole, il forms one of
LIZ AAAACoN LDLALGSSCS IN the world ~
pletely encircled by froWning perpen-
dlcular walls of solid rock, which rise
70 an average height of several hum
Of ed feet, with only two breaks. one ar
the eastern extremity and the other
near the western end These enrrancas
lead through narrow canyons. several
miles in length, and a handful of men.
properly stationed and supplied with
plehIy OF ammunition, could eXterni-
nate an army of soldiers
This n II
Veritable Garden of Eden. Within this
walled fortress lies one of the most
charnlngly picturesque and fertile val
leys OF the west Through the center
uHs a sllYery stream with numerous
branches, along which are situated some
very fine ranches. The valley of the
Wall contains a population
OF probably some fifty souls. The men
residing there, some Of whom are mar
rled and have families took refuge
therein at the time of the rustler war,
and while they have never done any-
thlng worse than to steal cattle. they
are IN active sympathy with the Currie
gang, and would fight for them at the
crop OF the hat and drop the hat them
serves Some of them are well fixed and
nave large herds of cattle
II is less than fifteen years since the
Hole-in- the-Wan first attracted public
attention and it was not until the ia
nous ruStler war of wyoming that if
and brigands and the abiding habitat
or some of their sympathizers This
war started in 1890. being the hottest
around Buffalo, Wyo.. and was pre-
cipitated by the big cattIemen them
selves. 1t is related that the big ONT
fits. in their annual roundups. were in
the habit Of gathering in everything
they came across and that the small
outfits found it impossible to get a fair
snake. Then began systematic sys-
tenn of thieving and finally the tough
est or those who had gotten their start
with a good bull and hot branding iron
organized and broke into the roundup
took their brands therefrom and drove
off the mavericks.
8 q
Then the rustler war began in earn
est. The large outfits blackIisted the
small owners and made it impossible
for them to dispose Of their cattle on
the beef market The blackIisted men.
some of whom had been working as
cowpunchers for the big outfits,
couldn't get employment any more and
Dig thievlns took the place of petty
larceny Thus were men made outlaws
through force Of circumstances.
The leaders Of this war on the part
OF the coWpuncherS and small owners
were George Currie and a companion
named Bell. These we're ably assisted
~ OOAAAc Two DIOIueTS ana the Rob
erts boys, Frank and Tom, said to be
brothers and also cousins of the Cur
RE boys They subsequently adopted
the aliases of Jones and are now more
generally known as Kid Currie and
Lonebaugh. and these five. together
with Tom O'Day and Walter Putnev
formed the original HoIe-in-the-WaI
gang, they being subsequently rein
forced by other but less dangerous
cOwpunchers.
The gang, upon the breaking out Of
the rustler war, captured a Hotchkiss
gun in 1891 from g company Of soldiers
near Buffalo, Wyo., and retreated with
the cannon into the Hole-in-the-VV Wall
where they planted it in the mountains
overlooking the eastern entrance to
the natural rendezvous, and it is the
general impression that this huge piece
Of artillery is still kept in constant
readiness in case Of emergency
The gang found cattle and horse
stealing a rather tame pastime and
they gradually graduated into thor
oughbred bandits, fearless for them
selves and careless alike of other HUI
man life Their first exploit in the
way of bank robbery found it consun-
nation in the little town OF Belle
Fourche, s. D. This affair took place
in 1897, and was participated in by
Tom O'Day, Walter Putney and the
two Roberts boys. 1t was a daylight
robbery and resulted in the loss to the
bank Of several thousand dollars and
the immediate capture of Tom O'Day.
The other three robbers got ayyay