The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-06-17
LOCAL NAN IS IMPLICATED IN
COLORADO ROBBERY
Desperate Criminals Made Their Es-
cape From BlackfOOt Jail and
Are Recaptured

c. E. Arney, who is more famiia
: with this part of the state than an.
man living here now and who writes
interestingly to the Salt Lake Trib
une, which paper he represents il
Idaho contributed an interesting ar
ticle recently to his paper under the
date line of Heise's Springs where
he has been spending some time, or
some of the early criminal history OF
this section and an exciting man
chase in which a number of present
day Idaho Falls citizens took a prom
inent part. Mr.. Arney says.
The Denver papers some days ago
were full of the details of story of
a middle aged man and his wife rob-
bling his mother of $40. 900. culminat.
ing in Cannon City penitentiary
sentence of ten years for him and of
from one to six years for his wife.
The Tribune readers of all of
southern Idaho will be interested in
the knowledge that this man was Ed.
Harrington Trafton, who a year ago
sold his Milk Creek ranch at Oasis,
D miles above here, and at the close
OF an interesting and picturesque ca
reer, shook the dust of Idaho from
his feet, and with his wife, went to
| Denver to meet again his mother
whom he had not seen or known for
more than a quarter of a century.
1t was in the early spring of 1887
that federal grand jury at Black
foot, then the seat of Bingham coun-
ty, which at that time emgraced all
of the northern territory, including
Teton Basin, indicted Ed. Harrington
for completely with Lem Nickerson in
stealing horses, more through reputa-
ton than any positive proof of his
criminality.
Ed knew he was not guilty of the
charge, hence he rode all the way
from Jackson's Hole to ReXburg,
where he appeared before Justice of
the Peace A. NJ. Carter, who as
committing MAGISTRATE bound him
over to the United States court on a
bond of $4,000. There was no man
in this country then who could Justify
on bond for such an amount. so to
jail at Blackfoot went Ed. Harring-
ton AT this early day he was not
taken as Trafton. but as Harrington. |
The federal judge at this time was
Judge James A. Hayes, now deceased |
and his son Sam, now of Boise. was
his clerk. James H. Hawlev of Boise
was the United States prosecuting at
torney. Sam F. Taylor now of Gus
ter county was the sheriff of Bingham
county and his under sheriff was Rob-
ert j. Hayes Of Pocatello. His two
guards were William J. Dineen of
this place and William High, now at
Lewiston.
Wife Betrayed Confidence
Nickerson had a wife and three
children, and the sheriff had given
instructions to his office force to per-
nit them to see the husband and
father once each week. At one of
these periodical visits she betrayed
the confidence reposed bv the officials
and slipped long six-shooter in the
pocket of her spouse. who returned
to the jail with it unknown to the
1t was soon after noon on Sunday.
The 22th day of June in 1887, when
Guard High was entering the county
Jail that he looked down the chamber
Of large As caliber held firmly in
he hand of Lem Nickerson, the des- {
oerate horsethief. and heard the
luiet but firm command to throw
Up your hands and deliver me the
Keys to this jail or down and out you
co."
Quietly but determinedly Nicker-
'on and Harrington mounted the
iingy stairway and at the point of
he same gun held up Bob Hayes.
ook his gun from him and returned ,
With him to the Jail, where they Sc
'urely locked the two officers in
ell with the remainder of the 20
prisoners, excepting only Williams,
from Caribou; Woods,
olored murderer from Pocatello. and
hughes an associate charged with
A leisurelv research of the county
'ffices was then made by these dar- 7
ng, desperate men and such promin-
mt men as Charley Bunting, Harry Il
Bennett and later the other guard. q
erry Dineen. were led down the r
tairway to the dark county bastile. p
Nickerson quietly walked over to j
he house of his family, where he got t
orses left for him by his brother v
Bog" and with horse taken from n
he stables of Under Sheriff Hayes. L
eturned to the rear of the court c
ouse preparatory to the flight
Left Letter for Judge u
In the meantime Ed. Harrington v
ad observed the stationery in the q
esk of the sheriff's office, and seat O
lg himself opened correspondence h
18th Judge Hayes in lines correspond c,
Ugly as follows: cl
1--WE are off for the hills and the fl
fountains which we love so dearly. "
We are familiar with the mountain CT
rails and the officers cannot catch us, HI
Or we are we'll mounted and we'll Il
rmed. You cannot get crack at W
le this time and when I meet you IL
gain it will be in hell" B
1t was near the dusk Of the even Il
lg when their plans were complete, a,
nd while Woods went to the brush
n the Blackfoot river, Harrington, CT
ickerson, Williams and Hughes rode tt