The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-05-22
MURDER OF
BILL MOVES
j. w. POWELL RELATES THE
BOLD, COLD FLOODED MURD-
Err OF PROMINENT CHARACTER
OF LOST RIVER IN THE EARLY
EIGHTIES.

l first knew Bill Moves in the year
of 1880, when he came from Boise
to Arco. He formed a partnership
with a Frenchman by the name OF
Champaign and started a stage sta
ton and hotel on a little stream
which at that time was known as
Fifteen Mile Water but the name
of the creek was afterward changed
to Champaign creek in honor of the
Frenchman who first located on its
banks.
Fifteen miles east of Champaign
creek was the little burg of Arco,
consisting of the stage barn, the
hotel, the stage company's store and
one dwelling house, that of G.. w.
Powell. The hotel at Arco was own
ed and run by Mrs. Darlington, a
widow. Now Bill Moves through it
would show big wide streak of bust
ness ability to consolidate the two
hotels, so in order to do this he
married Mrs. Darlington in 1881
and took her to his place on Cham
paign creek. Mrs. Darlington sold
her property in Arco to Mrs. Sarah
Jane Vance, widow, who at that
time was running hotel at the Big
Butte stage station.
Now there was bunch of would
be tough characters hanging
around Arco who made it their bust
ness to terrorize the community
whenever they felt like it and they
felt like it about once week.
At the same time Bill Noyes was
keeping Champaign station in hot
water, but when he wanted to have
an extra bang-up, high-lonesome
time, he would come over to Arco
and clean up the whole shebang.
Thereby arousing the jealousy of the
Arco bunch" which finally led to
his death.
On one of these trips he brought
his wife along with him, and as
usual he got blind staving drunk
and cleaned out the burg to a fare
and started home. His wife
was afraid to travel the fifteen miles
alone with him, so she asked the
stage company's blacksmith, Frank
Ayers, to accompany them home
He agreed to ride with them and try
to keep peace in the family. Every
thing went we'll until they were about
three miles from Champaign, when
Bill became unruly. In the scuff1e
that followed Frank Ayers was
knocked out of the wagon, in falling
his foot cought on the brake-shoe
and he was dragged, head down, for
several hundred feet. Bill whipping
the horses into run. Mrs. Moves
saved the life of Frank by grabbing
the lines and stopping the team,
whereupon, Moves struck her with
his fist, cutting a large cash over
Ter eye, making a scar that she car
RED to her grave.
After the scuffe was over, Mrs.
Noyes drove on home, but Bill re-
used to let Frank ride so he walked
he last three miles of the journey.
1t was here that Ayers swore on a
stack of bibles, a mile high, that he
would kill Bill Noyes on the first OPP
After returning to Arco, Ayers quit
work and lay around with Joe Green,
me of ARGOS woud-be tough charact-
RS, they formed a partnership and
greed to help each other murder
Bill Moves. They made no secret of
heir intentions, but Dragged openly
hat they would get him drunk and
perform the dastardy deed when he
vas asleep and unable to defend him
elf.
1t was several days before an OPP
ortunity offered, but they finally got
1ord that Bill was drunk. His part
er, Champaign, came over to Arco
nd from him they learned that Bill
vas in complete state of intoxica-
ion. When Champaign found out
hat they intended to kill Noyes he
vas scared stiff, and started to re-
urn to Champaign station but Ayers
nd Green were afraid he would in
orm Bill of their Intentions to ac-
omplish his destruction. They
therefore, decided that the meeting
hould not take place Ayers and
reen held a consultation and con-
luded to hold Champaign a prisoner
Arco until after the murder.
was in the store with Champaign
hen Frank and Joe entered. Ayers
arried a shot gun, he cooked both
arrels and showed the muzzle into
stomach and command
l him to throw up his hands. He
fought they were joking at first, but
tier he was forcibly convinced of
leir sincerity, he readily complied
ith thar uuinhnc WILL IA 20 hn n do