Amador ledger., 1905-04-14
GATES BROTHERS KILLED
Outlaws Run Down in New Mexico, and
Shot to Death.

The short though bloody and ex-
citing criminal career of the Gates
boys, George and Edward Vernon
Gates, was brought to close on the
18th of last month, according to a
press dispatch, near a small station
on the line of the Southern Pacific
railroad called Separ, in New Mexico.
The news was sent froW Lordsburg,
N. NJ, to Wells Fargo Express Com
pany by detective Thacher, who had
long been on the trail of these noted
desperadoes. The dispatch is as fol-
lows:
''Just returned from Perral, Mex
leo. find that George Gates and
Edward Gates held up a saloon in
Lordsburg, N. NJ, OH the 14th of
March, and we're followed to Separ,
N. NJ, by Sheriff McGrath and posse,
and we're killed while resisting ar
rest. They recovered the six-sbooters
and all the money which was taken
from the saloon. They we're brought
back here (Lordsburg) and buried.
There is no question as to the identi-
ty of the men, so you can notify the
father, who lives in Alameda, Cal,
They we're photographed after they
we're killed, and | will send in photo
graphs as soon as l can get them.
am thoroughly satisfied, because l
have seen some OF the proofs. George
had snotgnn wounds as described in
circular. -
George Gates was 26 years of age,
and his brother Vernon %. Both
we're brought up in this county, the
home of the family being for num-
ber of years at Kennedy fat, where
the father was proprietor of the tail
ings plant erected to catch the truant
sulphurets that escaped from the mill.
He followed this business up to about
five years ago. when he moved his
family to Alameda county, where
they are now living. The two sons
spent most of their boyhood days in
this county, and received their educa
tiou in the jackson public school.
George made his debut in crime
about four years ago in this town,
after his parents had moved to Ala
media. One night lone man, mask
ed, stepped into Piccardo's saloon on
the jackson Gate road, and command
ed the occupants to bold up their
hands, using an ugly looking re-
volver as a peIsuader. He took the
change in the saloon till, and not sat-
isfied with this, he demanded that
the iron safe in a rear room be opened
and its contents handed over to him.
This no one present was able to do.
The robber backed toward the trout
door, and as he was passing out, one
of the Piccardo boys seized shotgun
and fred at the robber as he disap-
peared through the doorway He was
hit, as shown by bloody clothing and
the pistol found atterward not far
from the scene. The pistol was taken
from an Office room in jackson. 1t
was known three or four days after
wards that the daring bandit was
George Gates. He went to Sutter
Creek, where he remained at the hotel
and was nursed and doctored. AS
soon as the officers we're on his trail
he left the county, passing through
Jackson on his way to Valley
Springs. He eluded all efforts of
the officials looking to his capture.
While this was the first criminal ven
ture that can be positively traced to
him, it is believed that he had fig
ured in other exploits that occurred
in this vicinity just previous to this
hold-up. This hnld=up, however,
fastened upon him by conclusive Cir
cumstantial evidence, made him an
outcast, and henceforth he devoted
himself to crime as business. After
taking part with two others in train
robbery in Colorado, where one of his
companions was killed, he returned
to California, and enticed his broth
er Vernon to join him. On the 31st
of March the Oregon express south
bound, was held up at Copeley sta
tion in Shasta county, and the ex-
press messenger, W. ]. O'Neil, shot
and killed. The two Gates boys and
James Arnet are credited with this
crime, which did not add one dollar
to their benefit. Big rewards were
thereafter offered for their capture,
and they were hunted from the Can
adian to the Mexican border, and fin
ally brought to their violent and
tragic end in the desert of New
Mexico.
The Identification is not very sat
isfactory, and it seems strange that
nearly month should elapse after
the killing ere the fact that the vic
tins were the notorious Gates broth
ers should be made known. The re-
wards offered, however, will no doubt
secure full and satisfactory identi-
fication of the bandits.
1t is reported that George Gates,
the father, has gone to Lordsburg,
for the purpose of bringing the re-
majnc Of hic uauuord oono cho,ld Il