The Cairo bulletin., 1912-08-24
DETECTIVES RAID
YEcC'SNOUHAN
LOG STRONGHOLD
Eighteen Safcblowers, Terror OF
Many States, Had Haven Of
Safety


| foothills OF the Ozark mountains, 70
| m lies north OF Russellville, Pinker-
! ton detectives dseorered the rem
/ devious of yeggmen and bank rob-
beers who have been robbing banks
and stores throughout Arkansas and
| adjoining states. There they sought
refuge after successive forays. They
| kept hlooded stock aud always seem
ed to have plenty of money, although
engaged in no apparent ganful oc-
! equations. As many as Is are knlMn
| to have congregated there at one
| time.
The old farmer who was paid a
| salary as caretaker knew as little
about them as his neighbors, al
| though he thought that they acted
suspiciously at times. and their
goings out and comings back were
mysterious.
In a large clearing, with a free
vision for 500 yards either way wa7
located their stockade. with con-
| yenient portfolios for defense, where
they had an uninterrupted view o.
any approaching party in ample
time 10 protect themselves against
arrest and hold back any ordinary
posse that might attempt to rush
| their fortress
II is a heavy log house built and
equipped to withstand a siege, and
an object of mystery to the country
side. It was discovered by NJ. l..
| Washer, assistant superintendent Of
the Pinkerton agency at st. Louis,
after the arrest of several men who
are supposed to have made it their
rendezvous, and he has recovered
from the stockade and from house
in the neighborhood where they
lived a quantity of burglar tools of
the finest make. many weapons and a
large supply of ammunition.
| Charged With Many Crimes.
| William Howard and James Mon
roe, who have been bound over to
the grand jury at Huntsville on the
charge of being implicated in the
robbery of the First National Bank
of Huntsville, June IS, Of s11 .004.-
| so, are supposed to have been rue'n.
bers Of the mountain gang. It's
habitues are supposed also to have
been the perpetrators of various rob
berries and safe-blowings that have
occurred during the last year ir.
Western Arkansas, most Of which
have remained a profound mystery
and the identity of the robbers I'M
solved.
| The most important catch in the
breaking up of the rendezvous was
the arrest by Little Rock police of
three men giving their names as
| George w Bates, Frank Miller and
Arthur Fry. The Immediate charge
against them was the robbery of w.
A. Weilemeyer's store in this CITY
last February. but they were suspect
ed of other and more serious crimes,
which developments have corrobo-
rated They were flashing big rolls
of money in a saloon when they were
taken into custody The money
they had in their possession, amount
ing to $1,48G,15, is held by the pc
| lice subject to orders of court
| The Huntsville bank suspected
that the money was part of the
booty secured from that institution
| and brought suit for attachment.
| which has not been disposed of,
| Aided by Friends.
| Sheriff ~ A, Beller says that
some of Miller's and Bates friends
are in Little Rock, and have been
trying to aid. them in escaping from
jail. For a week before their re-
moval someone had daily been send
ing them watermelons ana canta.
loupes and the sheriff had given or
ders that these be cut into thin
| slices before they were sent to the
prisoners to prevent the smuggling
of saws into their cells
The information which led to the
arrest of Miller, Bates, and Fry was
furnished by Peg Baker. a crinoie
to Constable Frank Stewart and Pine
Bluff, Baker had been sent to the
State Farm for burglary and grand
larceny at Sheridan, and was willno.
to do anything to obtain a pardon
He confessed to Stewart that he had
been operating with a successfri
band of yeggmen who had a farm in
the mountains of Pope county, and
| he gave a complete description Of the
men. Stewart sent the information
TO Masher, who raided the farm and
procured much evidence which has
not been made public,