Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-01-15
Sam Hildebrand's Career and
Death.
Concluded from last week.

|
Williams and the little girl that were
in the house with Hildebrand were
both shot, but not seriously hurt. AT.
ter Hildebrand escaped the fire was
| put out and the posse entered the
house, and there they could view his
preparations for battle. He had pile6
all the furniture and things in the
house and fenced off one corner OF
the house with them, making a fort
within fort, and had the posse rush
ed the doors he no doubt could have
killed half of them before they got to
it. He had an old table in this corner
which he used for his guns, ammuni-
and other weapons-among them was
an old corn knife made from scythe,
which would have been bad weapon
in close quarters. This weapon and
old Kifl-Devil (his rifle) and his hat,
which was shot full of holes, were
taken to the rogue's gallery in St.
Louis, and presume are there now.
The rife barrel has sixteen notches
! filed on it, which was said to repre-
sent the number of men he had killed.
Hildebrand had no water in the house,
but he satisfied his thirst by sucking
raw eggs.
| After his escape from the house, he
went about two miles and laid in am
bush near the road, and waited for
some one to come along. About mid
night, Mr.. Aubuchon came along on
horseback, and Sam stopped him and
compelled him to let him get up be-
hind him, and take him to where a
sister of his lived, about ten miles
from there. Such was the fear OF
this man that Aubuchon did not tell
of this until after he was killed.
After this, the whole country was
aroused. A company of militia was
organized in St. Francois County
and Colonel W. D. Bowen, a captain
of st. Louis police, and five other
policemen, we're sent into the field tc
run him down. They stayed in the
field about three months, but never
did come up with him. HildebranC
stayed at his sisters few days, anc
finally made his way to cave in the
bluffs Of Big River, which was one o.
| his safe retreats during the war time
Col. Bowen learned of it by one of the
Igrape vine routes and took his posse
and went there. On our arrival at the
mouth of the cave we found frest
tracks in the mud and his cane will
fresh mud on the end of it, an(
thought sure we had our man, but
then it was about dark, and Col
Bowen. concluded to wait until morn
ing before making the attack. VIZ
built up bon fire at the mouth O
| the cave and kept it up all night. Tht
next morning Bowen called fol
volunteers to enter the cave, bu
. stated that somebody no doubt wal
going to be hurt, and that if ther'
we're any of them that didn't wish II
60, he wouldn't force them. Not
man finched. We then entered th,
cave with Bowen at our head, ant
explored it thoroughly, but no San
there. The bird had again flown. AM
it was good thing for us that he did
for the conditions showed that h
could have killed every one of us be
fore we could have gotten to him. W
afterwards learned that he left th
cave about an hour before we arrived
He went to a mans house about
mile from there. The family was eat
ing supper at the time. He Wake
into the house before they knew h
/. was there, and took his seat at tn
!: table and ate his supper. After cal
: ing, he got up and took the man
!: rifle and what ammunition he ha
= saying that he would have to borro
!: it, saying they had gotten his gun u
|: at the fight at John Williams. Fl
]: took little boy with him that wa
!: there and went into the woods, ar
!: made the boy sit up all night an
/: watch for him while he slept. III
]: next morning he brought the be
!: back in sight of home and told him
/. go home. This was the last authent
= information that we had of his wher'
ahouts. We afterward learned tn
he made his way to Texas, and later {
his family was sent to him. There al
70 many incidents of this so called Hid
J. brand Raid which have omitted. B
ID want to pay tribute to Col. Bowe
and the men that were with him. N
braver set of men ever lived.
le Now as to the end of the career {
N this desperate man. About two yea
=, y after the battle at John William
= Hildebrand drifted back to Pinkne
70 vile, ILL.,, bringing his children wi
> him. His wife having in the pea
I time died in Texas. They secured
vacant house in Pinkneyville and
le day or two afterwards went out in
the country and rented farm.
the evening he returned and we
into saloon and began drinking
a. something he was never known to
of beforehand got into a difficulty wi
to the saloon keeper. Following his c
.sI' tactics, he walked out OF the door al
= around to window and was just
IS the act Of shooting the saloon keep