Milford chronicle., 1908-04-03
FAMOUS EXPRESS RIDER.
Now a Judge of the Superior Court
Bench In Washington.

Bench In Washington.
From express rider in the sagebrush
and bunch grass country of northwest
srn Oregon to the superior court bench
of Wallawalla county, Wash, is the
rise of Thomas E. Brentz. 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 afterward
abandoned because Of the lack of wa
ter. He established the Brentz & Mel.
son express line, carrying letters and
parcels between Canyon City and The
Dalles, 225 miles, and holds the record,
having covered the distance in twenty
eight hours.
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 it required more than three weeks
to 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 ut 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 |
not long ago and told some of his ex |
periences. lie got 20 cents for carry |
ing letter and sold California news
papers at 80 cents a copy. express par
cells netting him from 81 to SO. &C
cording to weight. He also carried GOLD
dust from the mining districts to the
repositories.
'The express line had been estab-
lished about a year when the road
agents became a menace" Judge
Brentz said, land many persons were
murdered for their money. One Of the
most notorious bad men was Berry
May, an escaped convict from SAM
Quentin, who came TO Oregon in 1856:
and for time kept band of horses
Being located on the line of my route
l frequently made changes of horses al
his place and thus became casually &C
quainted with the noted outlaw. Later
he took to the road.
"Once on my way TO The Dalles from
Canyon City / encountered his band as :
they We're going into ca mp for the
night, and us my horse was heavily
laden and nearly exhausted there was
left but TO turn in with them
had my canteens we'll filed with golC
dust, which would have made a profit
able haul
i came upon the party, consisting OF
Berry May, his wife and Jim Partin. a
he foot of Rocky Canyon. Berry asked
ne If l hadn't better stop with then /
ior the night, and accepted the invi
alton. Taking off my saddle with the
gold dust, threw It carelessly on the
srass and thus disarmed the desper
dos suspicious.
He asked me If did not carry con
siderable gold dust on my trips from p
he mining regions. replied, Yes
ometimes, but on this trip l am car
wing chains for a pack train and an
ot taking any gold dust Knowing
Ne as he did, he believed / was tellng
be truth, but slept with my head OF
~ saddle, with one eye upon the rob
ers and my gun ready for action. u
Il passed sleepless night but my
orses were rested, and the next morn
lg l resumed my journey. l had gon,
short distance when met the sheriff CI
nd his posse from pendletOn. who ask
! me if l had seen anything of Berr,
lay and his party. replied, Yes,
aged with them last night
" 'The mischief you did, came tn
nick reply We are after them 70.
urder. They shot ami Killed mar III
imed Gallagher as he lay sleeping
I'd we found the trail where they
jagged the body and the place wher,
ey washed the bloody blankets unde
hich the man was sleeping
Berry and his party were captured
fore reaching Canyon City and were
MINED in an old shack of a jail, from
lich lie made his escape and went t,
Use. where he was afterward cap
red and brought back to Canyon Cit!
d again locked up. The Jail was sur
1nded by a self constituted viglanc,
which took him from til,
] and hanged him from the limb of
e on the hill. Partin was neve