The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-24

berries We're perpetrated between 10
creek and Big John, it is more than
probable that the gang having their
headquarters on the Dragon was re-
| sponsible for the unlawful depreda-
tons
Several expeditions were sent out
| from Fort Leavenworth during the
years 1912 and 1S43, with the object in
view of melting out deserved punish
ment to the daring outlaws. but these
efforts by the military were barren Of
results. By the time a runner could
make the trip to Fort IAeayenWOrth and
return with a troop of cavalry, the rob
bers would be scattered to the winds,
and not until another raid had been
| planned and executed would their
Wherea bouts be known or suspected
In the spring of 1914 q mule train 0f
43 wagons, owned by an American, but
manned by Mexican drivers while en-
| caTnped 200 yards west of Log Chain
creek near the WabaunSee county line,
was surprised at night and of the 46
men, 81 were killed, and the mules, 500
| in number, run off by the outlaws. I'M
| doubtedly the gang having their head
| quarters within one mile of the present
site of Harveyville.
In one of the wagons was an iron box
18xlzxS inches containing $780, GOO in gold.
This treasure box was taken and with
! the 500 mules represented fortune
! lost fortune to the owner of the train,
who succeeded in getting safely away.
Within As hours he had ridden to
| LeaVenWorth and with a company Of
cavalry was on the way to the scene
of the terrible massacre. But the wagons
and harness We're all that was left Of
the splendid outfit. After burying the
| dead Mexican trainmen the troops at
tempted to follow the trail of the rob-
bers with the hope of returning to the
owner the treasure box and the mules
that he might continue his journey to
the states. But the herd had been di-
vided and driven in different directions
and after xraf m,
robbers the captain with his little band
struck westward.
At the Little Arkansas an old trapper
and Dlainsman by the name of H. B.
Hobbs offering the most reasonable So
luton of the problem that perplexed the
captain his services were secured to
trail the robbers.
Hobbs reasoned that the outlaws
would not dare to take the mules either
to the states or to Mexico but to the
only place they could find a safe market
that, in his opinion, was Oregon TAX
ing a northeast direction the trail of the
robbers with the mules was struck on
the Smoky Hill. Following this until
nearly the head of the stream was
reached the troops encountered 10 of the
men in charge of the herd of mules.
In the hard fight that followed Il of
the 10 robbers were killed The other
five were taken to Fort J-eavenWorth
tried. and sentenced to the penitentiary
at Alton, ILL.,, for life. The mules We're
turned over to the owner but the treas
ure box was missing. As two of the n
outlaws comprising the gang We're IN
accounted for it was supposed that to
them had been entrusted the keeping of
the golden treasure Diligent search
was made in the vicinity of the robbery
for the iron box but the result was a
grievous disappointment both to the of
hcer in command of the troops and the
unfortunate proprietor Of the train.
In 1857, just Is years after the train
settled on the claim on which is located
the mound used by the train robbers as
their point of observation. At that time
there were still evidence of white men
having lived north of the Dragon and
east of Bachelors Branch. The ashes
of a log house 14x16 We're plainly visible
and for years the outlines of the build
ing were plainly marked. There was an
old wagon road that crossed the creek
north of the graveyard, extending down
the creek on the south side.
This was an old road when the first
settlers came into the neighborhood.
Neither Henry, George or Sam Harvey
could give any further information as
to the old road than that ii was there
before them. They said that white men
had lived there u or Is years before but
who they We're they didn't know That
they were white men there was no QueS-
ton. Twenty five or 30 big oak trees
had been cut down for honey-the bees
wax still adhering to the trees when the
Harveys came. In telling a tree white
man cuts on both sides. an Indian but
one. In every case the trees had been
cut on both sides.
In a tree cut for a house log by Mr.
Allen Hodgson in 1857 a half-inch chisel
was found driven through the center of
the tree. The number of circles of
growth outside of the chisel indicated
that fully 10 years had elapsed since the
chisel had been driven into the tree.
We are informed by Mr.. Ira Hodgson
~, .-7rT.t I.
teresting information that while cross
ing the plains in 1851 he became ac-
Quainted with old plainsman by the
name Of Tom Fulton who had crossed
the Great American Desert every
year for 20 years or more When IRA
spoke of the old landmarks Fulton said
that was where the train robbers had
their headquarters-on the Dragon,
above the Leavenworth and Santa Fe
roads. Fulton said that point was cho-
sen because of the proximity to the
junction of the two great thorOughfares
for one thing and that Tor several other
good reasons it was the best place for
their business-it was too far west for
white men to modest them and not far
enough west for the Indians to interfere
with their nefarious work.
Fulton told how the robbers laid their
plans-by sending out scouts who pre-
tended to be looking for mules or oxen
strayed or stampeded from their train.
Then they would ask permission to
travel with their tram Till their own
camp was reached. taking advantage of
the opportunity to inform themselves as
to the number of men. their arms. the
location and probable amount of treas
ure, etc. OF course on the information
obtained depended the fate of the train
as far as the work of the train robbers
was concerned.
In 1859 to 1861 there was much talk
among the employees of the Overland
Mail company about buried treasure
somewhere between 40 and Big John
enough. the boys said to make them all
rich. They looked for it some but found
nothing
In 1867 a man came out from Alton,
ILL.,. and spent the whole summer looking
for this same iron box filed with gold