Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-05-16
ARIZONA RANGER TO
BECOME AN OFFICER
Captain Harry Wheeler Has
Had Wide Experience With
Outlaws.

Tombstone, Ariz. Two silver bar,
ON his shoulder straps will add nothin.
to Harry Wheeler's title in Cochisa
county and Arizona for he has been
known as Captain Wheeler since the
DAYS he rode the lonesome trail along
the border AS captain OF the Arizona
territorial anger orce
AT present Wheeler is sheriff OF this
county. but liz expected to resign to ac-
cept Il commission as captain in the
United states cavalry. "a branch of the
service in which he SAW service as an
enlisted man i'm the days when the
Apaches and not Francisco Villa We're
making IL necessary To keep a force of
troops along the frontier. He was dis
charged from the cavalry because of
injuries received when his cavalry
horse kicked him. He located IN
souther Arizona and soon joined the
territorial rangers which were orme
to protect the border from the raids
OF indians and laWlcSs elements on
both sides OF the international line.
AS captain OF these rangers Sheriff
Wheeler established his reputation us
81 peace officer. lie arrested many out
laws. tracked them to their hiding
places In the mountains and fought
many battles with bandits i'm the Hua-
chuca, the Whctstones and the Chiri-
chua mountains. We was wounded
several times I'm these engagements and
these POUNDS caused him to be re-
.lected by medical officers when he APP
piled for enlistment as u private SOL
der at the outbreak of the war.
One of Captain Wheeler's most fla
nous feats was The killing of Il man on
the station platform at Benson. Ariz.,
after he had been shot and was on
the ground. Wheeler went to the train
to arrest the man who was wanted by
the ranger captain on "A criminal
charge. AS soon as the wanted man
saw Wheeler he started firing and shot
the ranger through the body. Raising
himself from the platform on his ell
bow, Wheeler shot the man three
times, killing him almost instantly.
Sheriff Wheeler's most recent ex-
perience was In rounding up and de-
porting 1,2O0 miners from Bisbee ON
July IL, 1917. This deportation Gre
ated a sensation throughput The coun-
try and was the cause OF calling the
attention of he east to the 1. w. w.
mi In the west and southwest.
Sheriff Wheeler transferred his office
temporarily to T3isbee. where he or
ganizcd the roundup of the men listed
as undesirables by the committee in
charge of the deportation. On the
morning OF July IL the deputized citi-
zens started rounding up the men on
these lists. They were loaded into
cattle cars and sent TO Columbus, N.
NJ, where they were held in camp for
several weeks.
But two men We're killed during this
roundup although ii was expected thar
at least 100 would be killed during
the day, Sheriff Wheeler said. An in
v~estigation was made of his part in the
affair but no legal action was ever
taken. After the deportation the
sheriff established picket amps and
had all of the roads entering Bisbee
patrOlled to prevent any of the unde-
sirables returning. Those who did re-
turn were given IL hours to leave
camp and all complied with this order.
More recently Sheriff Wheeler lead
the man hunt after the Powers Sis
Aon gang of outlaws who killed the
sheriff II two deputy sheriffs in Gra-
ham county and started for Mexico.
Wheeler rode the trails in the noun
tains night and day and finally To-
Gated the trail which lead to Mexico.
where the three outlaws We're captured
by United States cavalry troops
Wheeler Is n small man with a soft
voice n a quick trigger finger. He
was a Canadian and has made re-
DeAted efforts to enlist in the Canadian
regiments going to France. Through
his friends he succeeded in obtaining q
commission al captain of cavalry and
will join his command at Douglas,
Arix.. which II near the scene Of so
many Of his border adventures.