Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-03-21
MUSGRAVE BANDITS,
Three of the Outlaw Band Arrested
in Arizona.
TO BE BROUGHT TO NEW MEXICO.

A dispatch from Solomonville. Ariz.
says that Deputy U. s. Marshal Reno
and J. II. Campbell, assistant United
States attorney arrived here last night
from Tucson for the purpose of TAX
ing charge of Witt Neil. George
Cook and Joe Roberts, who were under
the charge of the county officers. and
securing their transfer to New Mexico.
The men refused to waive their right
to a hearing before Judge Doan at
Florence. Mr.. Campbell had hoped to
get them to do this, so hat they might
be held to the grand jury in New
Mexico by the court commissioner
here, saving the government the ex-
pense of the trip to Florence. Mr..
Campbell and Mr.. Reno, in charge Of
the outlaws, left this morning for
Florence, where the preliminary hear
ing will be held before Judge Doan.
These outlaws were arrested about
a week ago by a posse composed of Of
ficers of Graham county and Arizona
Rangers. The officers had beer in
formed that the New Mexico band OF
outlaws, known as the Musgrove gang,
had headed for Arizona. Several days
before the capture was made, Deputy
Sheriff John d. Parks, of Clifton. re-
ceived reliable information to the eff
feet that several heavily armed and
suspicious characters had been seen
in the vicinity of the mouth of the Blue
river above Clifton. This information
was at once transmitted to Sheriff
Parks at Solomonville and to Capt.
Bert Mossman, of the Arizona Rang
ers at Bisbee. On receiving the word
Captain Mossman proceeded to Solo
knoxville, where he and Sheriff Parks
held a council of war, after which both
went to Clifton and arranged for a pos
Sc to go on a raid after the men who
had been reported On the Blue.
The posse of officers left Clifton on
Monday, March 8. 1t consisted of De.
putty Sheriff John D.. Parks, of Clifton;
Gus Hobbs and H. d. Keppler, of Mo-
renci, and Frank Richardson, of Sol
omonville; Rangers Henry Gray, Fred
Barefoot and Pollard Pearson, and
Dick Boyle, Clyde Barber, Willie Will
lis, W. B. Trailer and Ed Mcbride, spe-
ciai officers.
On the first night Witt Neil, one of
the men the officers were after, was
gathered in at a house near the Blue.
Neil was in bed when the officers ap-
preached. In the bed with Neil was
a 30.40 Winchester, showing that he
was ready for business at a moments
notice.; but he was given no notice
at all. but was compelled to leave his
bride" in bed and surrender. He had
a double belt full of cartridges besides
forty or fifty more in his pockets. Neil
also goes by the name of Shorty" Dan
iels.
Three of the posse returned with
Neil to Clifton and the next day the
remainder of the posse caught a man
giving the name of Cook and Joe Rob.
erts. Roberts lives in the vicinity of
where the capture was made. Cook
and Roberts were rounding up horses
on the range and were driving a bunch
of about twenty-five when they were
discovered at some distance by the of.
icers. The officers divided into two
posses and had Cook and Roberts sur.
rounded and facing Winchesters be.
fore they knew Of their presence.
Cook carried a Winchester and a re.
volver and besides a double belt of
cartridges carried about a peck in
sacks. There is little doubt but that
Cook and Neil are members of the
George Musgrove desperate gang, and
they are believed to have ben impli-
Gated In a robbery of a store in New
Mexico and numbering it's owner. Both
these men were taken to the Solomon
vile Jail to await the coming of the
New Mexico officials. A third man. who
had been in The vicinity of where the
capture was made, was not seen and
probably quit the country in a hurry
after he learned OF the capture of his
companions.
p. Roberts answers the description
of a man who robbed the postofice at
Fort Sumner, N. NJ, on January 27 last
He held up several people and got
away with the postofice funds.