The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-04-26

of the long distance telephone to the
ranch lands. followed hard upon the
heels of the settlement of the COW
country, was the first set back to the
flourishing industry Now the Union
Pacific Railroad has put another STUN
bling block In the way of the outlaw.
IL was not enough that the where
abouts Of the escaping desperadoes
could be telephoned from point to
point ahead Of them, which necessi-
tated their confinlng operations to
the wilder parts of the country. The
Union Pacific had a plan to put them
out of business altogether. and the fiat
has gone forth from headquarters that
the organized bands of train robbers
which have been operating in the "ban-
dit belts" are to be exterminated.
The territory of the different ban
dit belts" throughout the western half
of the United States has for long time
been clearly defined. One stretches
across Texas to Arizona. along the
Southern Pacific line; another zigzags
through the Colorado Mountains to
bers' Roost. A third-and the most dan
gerous of all-belts Wyoming in the
rough cow district, where lies the no.
torlous Hole-in-the-Wal country. Here,
among the Teton Mountains. far from
the reach Of the long arm Of the law.
there lurked for many years no.
madic population composed of cattle
rustlers. highwaymen and fugitives
from justice. The district was a nat
ual fertilization, and every settler in
it had grudge against the law. Here
desperadoes were safe from n sheriffs
posse; the wings of the wind whis-
pered the approach of officers, and
long before the emissaries of justice
had reached the spot their quarry had
fed.
The Hole-in-the- Wall is a valley sit
uated in the Western part of Natrona
County. Wyoming. 1t lies among the
foothills southeast of the Big Horn
Mountains. The nearest railroad
point is more than a hundred miles
away. Casper. Cody and Rawlins are
the nearest towns, and these are about
one hundred and fifty miles distant.
Circled by inaccessible mountains, in
habited by desperate cut-throats. and
situate beyond the utmost rim of civ
ilization, for long the Hole-in-the-W Wall
was a safe haven for the hotsam and
Jetsam of Western crime.
1t was from this place that the ia
nous Butch" Cassidy gang sailed
forth at intervals to hold up trains,
dynamite banks and rob stages. After
each lawless outrage the desperadoes,
hOtly pursued by posses of officials,
dashed back toward their mountain
Businesses. Here. once hidden in the
impenetrabe caves they were secure
from arrest
This gang formed n veritable trust
in outlawry, but slowly and surely
the forces Of the law have exacted
payment from them for their mlsdeeds.
Out Of all the desperate dozen of fear
less men who made mp the band but
two are at liberty. They are Butch"
Cassidy himself and Harry Long
baugh, "The Sun-Dance Kid" and
both Of these have been forced TO leave
the country The others are either
dead or in prison.
The well-known Black Jack" Ket-
chum and his brother Sam. both as
desperate ruflians ms ever existed;
handsome Ben Fitzpatrick, whose dash
ing ways and beautiful eyes made
him a favorite with women; the Cur
ry brothers, fearless men and lawless.
both Of them; Matt Warner, Tom
O'Day, David Lentz, Eliza Say, Bill
Carver and Others belonged to this
redoubtable band of robbers. Each
Of them was a dead shot and ever
ready to shoot. 1t naturally followed
that every railroad within reach was
held up by this precious gang.
At Wilcox, Wyoming, on June %,
1899. a Union Pacific train was stoned
by a half dozen armed men. They
forced the engineer and train crew TO
uncouple the engine and express car
from the train. Then they ran the
locomotive down the line for mile
blew up the express car and looted
It, Their haul was only three thou
sand dollars.
Immediately on hearing Of the rob
berry Sheriff Hazen. Of Converse Coun-
ty, set out in pursuit. 1t was believed
that the robbers would be headed off
by the Platte River, which was in the
flood, but they succeeded In swimming
it on stolen horses. Where they went
Sheriff Hazen could go, and his posse
took the water as well. 1t was a
close race, but Hazen won.
The flying robbers were forced to
turn and fight at Elk Mountain. 1t
was rough and broken country, and
the outlaws had the advantage OF
knowing every inch of It, From be-
hind boulders and brushwood they
held OF the posse-tive men against
two hundred. Hazen exposed himself
and next moment reeled back with a
bullet through his heart. Darkness
fell and the gang slipped away across
the mountains into the Hole-in-the-
Wall. George Curry, Harvey Logan
and Bob Lee were all known to be In
this affair
Then came another daring train rob
berry on the Union Pacific line. At
Tipton. Wyoming, ON August Goth,
1900 Harvey Logan. George Kllpat.
rick and "Bilr Cruzan headed the
masked hold-ups who stopped a pass
enger train. Again the mail and ex-
press car was uncoupled. run I'D the