Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-02-21
MAD CAREER OF "sLAcK BART"
Famous Bandit of Wisconsin and
Michiuan Chanaed BY Operation.

Famous Bandit of Wisconsin and
Michigan Changed BY Operation.
Governor Warner has commuted the
sentence of BLACK Bart" Holzhey, who
has been in Marquette (Mich.) penl-
| tentiary since 1889 under a life sem
tence, to 40 years. This brings Hol-
zhey under the scope of the pardon
board and he was released on parole
on New Years Day.
Can a skillful operation transform a
man from an unruly, murderous ruff
fan to a quiet, gentlemanly fellow,
fond of books and the society Of refined
and educated men?
BLACK Bart Holzhey, former noto-
rious bandit and train robber, Is a liv-
ing example Of what may sometimes
be accomplished by a comparatively
simple surgical operation.
Holzhey was sent to prison twenty
one years ago for killing A. E. Fleisch-
bein, an Illinois banker In the hold-up
Of a stage coach near Lake Gogebic,
Mich. He was sullen and intractable
until an operation removed a bit Of
bone that was pressing on his brain,
and he became almost Immediately a
normal, law-abiding man with con-
suming thirst for knowledge. For
several years he has been in charge Of
the library in Marquette pen, and he
has made himself an expert photo
| grapher and a close student Of photo
graphy.
81 believe that the man Is now nor
NAL and ought to he given chance to
be a good citizen" said Governor War
ner. 1T Is evident to me that he COM
mitted his numerous crimes under ex-
traordinary, unnatural circumstances
from which he has completely recov-
cred"
Holzhey's story Is one Of the most
remarkable examples of daring crime
and surprising reformation In the an
nails Of criminology. 1t goes far to-
ward proving the theory Of many pris-
on experts that crime Is due in large
| measure to physical conditions. Hol-
zhey was a normal youth. At the age
Of % he experienced a sudden desire
to commit crime.
Reimund Holzhey was born in Thur
ingen, Germany, in 1866. He came to
| the United States at the age Of is.
He worked in the woods Of Wisconsin
and northern Michigan. He was an
ordinary lumberjack for years.
Suddenly, without giving any evident
sign of a change in his disposition, he
flashed into publicity as the most bold
and ingenious criminal of his genera
ton. His exploits rivaled those Of
Jesse James. From April until Au-
gust, 1889, his name alone was enough
to terrify travellers in the north
woods, and his exploits were for
months the subject Of comment and
embroidered narration. He became
known as BLACK Bart" owing to his
swarthy appearance, and under that
sobriquet became notorious as the
most picturesque criminal in the his
tories of Wisconsin and Michigan, the
terror Of two states.
First, there were a series Of house
| robberies. A score Of houses in the
towns of the lumber district were en-
tered and rifled by some man who
left no evidence. Late In April the
stage between Amigo and Shawano,
Wis, was stopped as 1t passed through
the woods. Holzhey covered the driv-
er with his revolver while he cut open
the mail sacks and took all the val
liable packages. This time he was rec
ognized.
Many and many a stage which made
daily and triweekly trips between the
lumber camps and the town was stop
ped in a piece of thick woodland, its
passengers robbed and it's mail pouch
es opened Northern Wisconsin was
in a state of terror. No driver left
town without companion heavily
armed.
Finding the robbery of stages too
hot work Holzhey changed his ground.
On May 9, when the Milwaukee and
Northern train stopped at Pike, BLACK
Bart" with a bristling mustache,
climbed aboard. He gave his ticket
to the conductor and watched him en-
ter the baggage car. Then he went to
the end of the last coach, where the
brakeman was standing, whipped out a
revolver and told the brake to walk
in front of him, stopping at each seat
The brake obeyed orders. At every
seat Holzhey stopped and took toll
watches, money, whatever he could get
He complained because he could not
stop and search those who refused to
give as much as he thought they
ought. Then, as the train slowed down
at Ellis Junction, he swung off and
disappeared in the woods.
Large rewards were offered for Hol-
zhey's capture by the government and
the railroad. Scores Of detectives we're
allured by the big total and came to
the north woods. Holzhey found the
country untenable. So he disappeared.
He was next heard of at Rhinelander,
100 miles away. He had walked the
entire distance through the woods.
In that district lies the town "f
Sherwood. A Hebrew merchant was
counting his cash there one noon while
his clerks were at lunch. In walked
Holzhey. Approaching the merchant
he stuck a revolver in his face and
told him to fork over. The men
chant gave him several hundred dol
lars. Holzhey stepped into the alley
behind the store. The victim gave the
alarm, but the robber had disappeared.
The depredations continued. On All
gust I Holzhey stopped a train on the
Wisconsin Central railway, boarded the
Milwaukee coach, stepped up to the
sleeping conductor and took his watch,
took s1O0 in cash and several watches
from those in the berths, pulled the
bellrope as the train neared Cadott
and jumped off.
The rewards for HolZhey's capture,
dead or alive, now aggregated more