The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-30

Francis Reno. who has written these
"reminiscences of his early experiences III
the West, comes OF a famliy % Ti . Pio'r.u,o pore
of Custer Massacre fame. Ills Garner
years were spent In the turnloii oil IRON s
tier life in Arizona, where ne VIZ ,tv ,p
some time deputy sheriff and later deputy
United States marshal At Tucson, fis
efforts In enforcing tho Chinese exclusion
act on the Mexican border nave hsv"
highly commended by the Washington au-
thorlties, and recognized by inc n,ieu-
binders who placed a price ~ S2uoo on
his head. which stands today, vi III III
wears he has held a highly responsiple
position with ono OF the largest nank pro-
tective associations in the United States'
and as superintendent OF It's secret se'S
ice has established an enViaole TccorG -, VI
success In running down bank ouTgisIs.
These stories are confined 10 ms carrier
experiences in the West. tho scenes Oh
ico near the Mexican border-The Last
Frontier which until recent years was
wild and lawless, and where the t4P,cai
had man Of pioneer days mace ms ''''
stand.
About ten years ago, when the ter
ritorv Of Arizona numbered among us
inhabitants generous supply OF bad
men, of the trne western outlaw type,
the mcrc mention of Bull Grierson $
name was sufficient to make any of
ficer OF the Law within hearing look
serious and indulge in a few nncom-
plimentary remarks testfylng TO the
skill of that notorious bandit In clud-
ing capture, The man was genuine
dare devil and nature had fitted h,m
out with physical qualifications emil
nently suited to the kind of life he
had elected to lead. Six feet four IN
his socks. with The shoulders and
reach of an African gorilla, active rs
a panther. his burly frame presented
combination of strength and achTlty
no ordinary man would care TO tackle,
Also. in n section of the country where
good shots arc the rule rather tnan
the exception, he was noted for MS
quickuess on tho trigger. and 10 at
tempt an exchange of bullets with HIM
meant almost sure disaster 10 tho
party of the second part. as many an
unfortunate individual had discovered
when too late TO regret his boldness.
Twice he had fallen into the hands
of the law. On the first occasion he
was arrested for the killing OF man
named Henry Patterson, and although
there is little doub, that the crime was
premeditated and not, as Grierson g
LAWYER claimed, an act of self defense
on his client s part, ne was acquitted
by a jury composed largely OF hls
friends. Those that did not belong
in the latter category were probably
influenced by their colleagues and
not unnatural fear of vengeance to
come should they fail TO vote for
Grierson s freedom.
Again he was ,apprehended for being
concerned in a train hold-up which re-
suited in the looting Of the express
car and woundlng OF the messenger
This time. with outside aid, he man
aged to break Jail and crossed the in
tcrna tional boundary safely ahead of
the posse that followed at his heels.
Here the deputies gave up the chase
and returned home to await the aus
picious day when Bull Grierson would
again tempt fate by making another
raid into Uncle Sam s territory. Sooner
or later this was bound to occur. for
Gricrson was Just ihe sort of fellow
10 lake desperate chances. and even If
he could manage TO hold his lawless
tendencies in check while under the
wing OF the Mexican government, he
was TOO thoroughly an American TO
continue 10 reside indefinitely among
the Greasers. for whom he was known
To entertain p hearty dislike.
Three months had passed since the
fitting of the "Bull' - 10 Mexico when
l. stood upon the platform of the lit
the railroad station at Phoenix. Ariz.
awaiting the arrival of one John B.
Sberclffc Of New York ] was not at
that time III the federal service, but
interested IN the fortunes OF the Big
Scmbro mine, and the superintendent
Bill Haines, had asked me to meet
this youth. Shercliffe was the son
of Wall street broker, who, himself
an old western man. had decided that
taste of roughing ii in Arizona was
whit the Youngster needed 10 mold
nam INTO shape. with which object he
had consigned him TO the tender mer.
eles of llalnes, with instructions TO put
HIM 10 work and keep him there for A
wear
When the train rolled in and John 3.
Sherclific stepped off a Pullman | was
rather agreeably impressed with his
appearance. He was tall. well-setup
young fellow, with n frank open
countenance and devoid of that air
of superiority TO all things not truly
eastern that too often characterizcs
the cultured tenderfoot new 10 the
WAYS of the west. On closer ac
qualniancc he turned out 10 be a very
decent sort of chap and accepted with
perfect good humor the jcsts perpe
loving gang at the Big Sembro
There were two things greatly il
ShcrciIf'e s favor that helped nightly
toward lifting him into the groove oi
his new life. 4 lover Of horscflesh
he could ride well, and his shooting
was FAR above the average OF most new
arrivals. Consequently il was not lons
before he became lone OF the BOYS, :
and the icnderfooi varniSh wore of
him with wonderful rapidity. 1t wa
NOT long after his arrival that new
of Bull Gricrsou 8 return 10 AriZon;
reached us. lie had been seen an,
recognized in a town about sixty mile
from Phoenix, and as there was re
ward of $1,000 offered by the expires
company for the capture Of the outlaw
HI: probable movements formed an IN
;rrC.'lng topic az conversation amon
The Rest TOaS1