Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-04-09
EXPRESS RIDER TO JUDGE.
Thomas Brentz of Washington, Tells
Some Early Experiences.

Thomas Brentz of Washington, Tell'
Some Early Experiences.
From express rider in the sage
brush and bunch grass country OF
northwestern Oregon to the superior
court bench Of Walla Walla county
Wash, south Of Spokane, is the rise
of Thomas E. Brentz, says Spokane
letter. He left the east shortly before
the outbreak of the civil war. arriving
at what is now Canyon city, Ore, In
the fall of 1861. He was the first to
discover gold in the district, locating
a rich placer claim, which was after
ward abandoned because Of the lack
Of water. He established the Brent2
& Nelson express line, carrying letters
and parcels between Canyon City and
The Dalles, 225 miles, and holds the
record, covering the distance in twen-
ty-eight hours with frequent change
of horses.
In the first winter the line was IN
operation many horses were spirited
away by Indians and later the road
agents became troublesome. Once
Judge Brentz was caught In a blizzard
and 1t required more than three weeks
ITO do the trip. He encountered snow
fields ten feet deep and was forced to
walk at the head of his horse nearly
all the way. On his arrival at Canyon
| City there was a demonstration. Bon
fires were built and the hills echoed
with gunshots and powder blasts.
Judge Brentz talked of the early
days with the writer not long ago and
told some Of his experiences. He got
SO cents for carrying a letter and sold
California newspapers at so cents a
copy, express parcels netting him 81
to $40 according to weight. He also
carried gold dust from the mining
district to the depositaries.
1.-The express line had been estab-
lished about a year when the road
agents became a menace" Judge
Brentz said. "and many persons were
murdered for their money. One of
i
ry May, an escaped convict from San
Quentin, who came to Oregon in 1862,
and for a time kept band of horses.
Being located on the line Of my route,
frequently made changes Of horses
at his place, and thus became casually
acquainted with the noted outlaw.
Later he took to the road.
| "Once on my way to The Dalles
from Canv,r City 1 encountered his
band as t..ey were going into camp
for the night, and as my horses were
heavily laden and nearly exhausted
there was nothing left but to turn in
with them. I had my canteens we'll
filled with gold dust, which would
have made a profitable haul for those
days.
II came upon the party, consisting
Of Berry May, his wife and Jim Partin
at the foot Of Rocky Canon. Berry
asked me if hadn't better stop with
them for the night, and 1 accepted
the invitation. Taking off my saddle
with the gold dust. threw it careless
ly on the ground and thus at once dis
armed the desperado's suspicious.
He asked me If did not carry con-
siderable gold dust on my trips from
the mining regions. / replied! Yes,
sometimes, but on this trip 1 am car
rying chains for pack train and am
not taking any gold dust. Knowing
me as he did, he believed 1 was tell
ing the truth; but I slept with my
head on my saddle, with one eye upon
the robbers and my gun ready for
quick action.
| II passed a sleepless night, but my
horses were rested and the next morn
ing I resumed my journey. I had
gone a short distance when l met the
sheriff and his posse from Pendleton,
who asked me if I had seen anything
of Berry May and his party. 1 replied,
Yes, I stayed with them last night
1.-The hell. you did! came the quick
reply. 1--WE are after them for MUIR
der. They shot and killed a man
named Gallagher as he lay sleeping,
and we found the trail where they
dragged the body and the place where
they washed the bloody blankets un-
der which the man was sleeping
Berry and his party were captured
before reaching Canyon City and were
confire ed in an old shack Of Jail, from
which he made his escape and went
to Boise where he was afterwards
captured and brought back to Canyon
City and again locked up. The Jail
was surrounded by a self-constituted
vigilance committee. which took him
from the Jail and hanged him from
the limb of a tree on the hill. Partin
was never heard of again."
On another occasion Judge Brentz
escaped by a ruse from the clutches of
Jim Romaine, a noted outlaw, who
l.had murdered several men at Oregon
City. Brentz was told by resident of
a settlement on his route that Jim Ro-
maine and Howard had been there a
made inquiry for the express rider.
He went on, however, and after going
ten or fifteen miles descended, as 1t
was getting dusk. into hollow, when
he heard the sound of horses hoofs
in the distance.
| Looking back he saw the figures of
two men coming on a gallop over the
brow of the hill and he was not long
in fixing in his mind the identity of
the pursuers and their purpose. AS he
came to a spring surrounded by a
thick underground near the bottom of
the hill he reined his horse to one
side and, quickly dismounting. COM
menced to jerk his horse by the bits
to prevent it from whinnying as the
outlaws approached. They dashed by
him at full speed and were soon lost
to view in the distance. Later he saw
their campfire and took a circuitous
route and went on, arriving at The
Dalles several hours ahead of them.