Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-05-13
TOLD BY THE
PINKERTONS
Detective Agency Talks Of the Great
Chase After the Curry Gang
Of Thieves.
BUT TWO ARE STILL AT LARGE
Men Of Many Aliases and Identified
With Long List Of Robberies
and Murders.

In the annual report OF the Pinker-
ton Detective agency to the American
Bankers association is given an in
teresting account of the passing Of
what was probably the greatest gang
of hold-up artists that has thrived
since the famous James and Young
er gangs were hunted to earth. The
gang was known throughout. the west
as the wild Bunch" and its opera
tions were continued up TO within
a very short time ago. In speaking
Of the bunch, the Pinkerton report
says:
September 10, 1905, the First Ma.
tional bank Of Winnemucca, New,
was robbed of s3,46O by desperadoes,
who entered the bank at the noon
hour and held up the officials. Our
investigation determined that this rob-
berry was committed by an organized
gang Of hold-up robbers. known in the
far west as the Wild Bunch These
highwaymen had been for years, by
the same methods, robbing banks and
express trains in Texas, Arizona, New
Mexico, Colorado, Nevada. Wyoming.
Montana and Idaho, committing muir.
ders, robberies and other depradations
at will, then escaping to the sparsely
aattlAA rnA.ntatpnst nm re- nf tho nntin.
try. where their capture was almost
impossible. A persistent and organic
ed effort had never been made to ap.
prehend or dispense them. Among
their robberies in recent years we're:
Butte County bank. Belle Fourche,
s. d., June 2S. 1897; Union Pacific
express train, Wilcox, Wyo.. August
20, 1900; Great Northern express
train, Wagner, Mont, July 3. 1901.
For your association, the Union
Pacific railroad and the Great North
ern express company, We have been
actively engaged in hunting down this
band and, after careful investigation
and effort, we finally determined the
identity of their members and sue
ceeded in obtaining minute descrip
lions of all and photographs Of some
OF them. Circulars bearing photo,
graphs, true names and aliases oil
these suspects. and also giving de
scriptions, general Information as Il
their associates, haunts, crimes ant
manner OF escape after perpetratint
their crimes, were prepared by us ant
sent to the police authorities, sheriffs
marshals and constables Throughout
the United States. and to the United
States ministers and %consuls, ant
chiefs OF police in the principal CAPT
tails and seaports OF the world, al
some OF these criminals, after com
hitting a robbery, would for a TIM
take refuge in foreign countries
| These circulars also contained com
| plete descriptions OF the new unsign
| ed bank notes stolen by several o
these highwaymen from the Grea
I Northern express train at Wagner
Mont. Acting with and through tn
cooperation of the various police do
partments and sheriffs of the Unite
| States and the United States secre
service department, the following
members of this hold-up band hav,
been arrested or were killed, resist
ing arrest:
Ben Fitzpatrick, alias John Arnold
alias The Tall Texan arrested II
| st. Louis, Mo-, November s. 1901, b.
the police, and a number OF unsigned
bills. stolen in the Wagner, Mont.
train robbery, were found In his pos
session. On December 10. 1901, XII
patrick pleaded guilty at st. Louis o
violating a United States statute ant
was sentenced to fifteen years In thu
Columbus, O., penitentiary. Kilpat
rick is a native OF Concho county
Texas. is of fine physiquqe, and haI
been a murderer, highwayman, cattl'
rustler and outlaw for years.
Laura Bullion, alias Laura Rose
OF Knickerbocker, Texas, companion
OF Ben Fitzpatrick, arrested at 81
Louis. Mo-, November 5, 1901. AM
sentenced to five years In the Jeffei
son City. Mo-, penitentiary. The 81
Louis police detectives, who arreste'
Fitzpatrick, found In his possession
key to a room in the Laclede hote'
where, investigation developed. he ha,
been stopping with a woman. As sh
was leaving the hotel the detective
arrested her, finding in a satchel sh
was carrying a number Of the unsigr
ed bills stolen In the Wagner rot
berry.
Harvey Curry, alias Harvey Logar
alias Kid Curry, arrested e a Kno,
vile, Tenn. December Is, 1901, |
now in Jail at Knoxville, waiting tria
by the United States court. Ate
the hanging OF Black Jack Ketchur
by the authorities In New Mexico. an
the killing of Will Carver by a she
iff's posse in Texas, Curry becam
the leader OF the wild bunch ID
cember IL, 1901. Curry, who was the
hiding in Knoxville, had an alterc,
ton in a saloon with two habltue
OF the place, which attracted the a