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The quiet little city of
Springville, Utah county, was the scene of the
greatest excitement and sensation in its history
today. The commotion was caused by the robbing of
the Springville bank by two alleged members of the
Butch Cassidy Robbers’ Roost, Hole-in-the-Wall gang,
and the subsequent capture of one of them and the
killing of the other. The men were both desperadoes
of the most dangerous and daring character, and at
least one of them, I. Maxwell, had a price of $500
upon his head, placed there by Governor Wells
recently, when the executive offered rewards for a
dozen outlaws who have been preying upon the people
of southeastern Utah for the past few years.
The particulars of today’s bank
raid and tragedy are briefly as follows, as told to
the “News” over the telephone by Mr. A.O. Packard,
the bank clerk who was held up by the highwaymen:
“The bank was opened promptly at 10 o’clock for
business. About that time a boy named Thomas
Kearswell, from Mapleton, came into the bank and
attempted to cash an order for $2, which he said had
been given to him early this morning by two men in
payment for their having stopped with his folks
during last night. I told him it was not good: that
it could not be honored. He went away and soon
afterwards two men came into the bank. Cashier
Cummings having gone out in the meantime. They
immediately engaged me in conversation regarding the
order presented by the boy, saying it was all right;
that they were representing a well-to-do sheep man
named Carter at Vernal and that he intended making a
deposit there today. I told them that when Mr.
Carter made a deposit and drew a check for any sum
or sums within the amount to his credit it would be
all right, otherwise not. My attention was drawn
aside for just a moment and when I looked around
again I found two formidable revolvers in my face. I
was a good deal surprised and knew I was in for it.
One of the men kept me covered with his revolver
while the came around behind the counter, scooped
$2,800, mostly in gold into a big stout pocket,
backed out on to the landing and started for the
door which was held open by the chap who kept his
gun on me and who had also backed to the door. They
were down off the steps in an instant and in a buggy
which they had ready near-by. An instant more and
they had started from the town at a tremendous gait
going towards the mountains.
“I gave the alarm as quickly as
possible,” continued Mr. Packard, “and inside of ten
minutes fifteen or twenty men were in pursuit of the
robbers who were closely pressed to the mouth of the
canyon, where they abandoned the horse and buggy and
took to the brush. In a short time a big crown,
probably one hundred men and boys, many of them
heavily armed, were in the vicinity. The robbers
were out of sight and a careful hunt was begun,
Sheriff Storrs and men participating.
“One of the robbers was very
neatly nabbed by George Packard who is, by the way,
a cousin of mine. Mr. Packard was armed with a
double-barrelled shotgun and was crawling stealthily
through the brush when just before him he came
squarely upon one of the desperadoes. His gun was
upon the bandit like a flash and was brought to a
full aim ready to fire. The fellow had been dropped
upon completely and when commanded to throw up his
hands and surrendered he did so without hesitation.
It was the only thing for him to do. To have
resisted would have meant death. He was taken out to
where the others of the posses were and on being
reached $2,000 if the missing money was found on his
person.
“In the meantime the search was
going on for the other robber. He was found and when
found instantly showed fight and opened fire upon
the posse wounding William Allen, a blacksmith,
completely shattering his leg between the knee and
hip. As Allen fell he returned the fire and brought
down the bandit who also received a shot from Dan
Crandell’s gun. He was shot three times, the last
time fatally. His dead body and the still animate
one of his companion in crime was taken down to
Springville, the former to the morgue and the latter
to jail. Maxwell, the man who was killed, is said to
have lived at Rock’s Ranch near Ashley Brown’s Park.
He has long been known as a hard man.”
Should the dead desperado
really prove to be the Maxwell on whose head
Governor Wells fixed a prize of $500, that amount
will be paid the men who brought him down. He was
about 32 years of age and is said to have been one
of the best horsemen in America. Concerning the
operations of the men in Utah county, the “News”
Provo correspondent says:
Sunday evening two men on
horseback came to James Meldrum’s place south of the
city, and asked to remain there for a till they
heard from their “boss,” who they said was a large
sheep owner from Wyoming, and who had sheep in this
valley. (They told this same story to different
parties in Provo, sometimes giving the name of the
boss as Fletcher and other times as Carter, and
locating the sheep at one time at the mouth of Provo
canyon and another south of Provo.)
Mr. Meldrum gave them
permission to stay; they then informed him that they
wanted to buy some saddle horses and three animals
were bargained for and taken to Mr. Meldrum’s place,
to be paid for when the strangers received money
from the “boss.” Thursday they obtained a horse and
buggy from Mr. Lewis’s livery stable (having
previously obtained one on Wednesday, which they
returned) leaving two gray horses on which they
first came to Provo, for security. Yesterday morning
they had not returned the horse and buggy, and when
Mr. Lewis began to inquire into matters the above
circumstances were brought to light. One of the men
is very dark, about 45 years of age with a small
dark mustache, weighs about 145 pounds and is about
5 feet nine in height. He gave his name at the
stable as Fletcher. The other gave the name as Peter
Nielsen; he is about 30 years of age, 6 feet in
height, smooth faced and has a light mustache, wears
boots and dirty overalls. Mr. Lewis heard of a dark
man driving into Pleasant Grove Thursday afternoon
with a horse and buggy answering the description of
the one he hired the strangers. They left some
bedding, two Winchester rifled and two saddles at
Mr. Meldrum’s and it was thought they might come
back last night for them and the horses they had
arranged to buy. The sheriff’s office had the matter
in hand yesterday and telegraphed descriptions of
the men to officers, and last night an officer went
up to Mr. Meldrum’s farm to help deliver the horses
and property in case the men came back for them, but
they never came back.
This morning Sheriff Storrs
received word that the Lewis horse and buggy were
seen last evening coming this way from Pleasant
Grove. He and Lewis went north to investigate.
Shortly after 10 o’clock word was received that the
Springville bank had been robbed by two men
answering the description of the men who hired the
buggy, and who came to Springville in the rig. They
entered the bank as Cashier Cummings opened at 10
o’clock, and at the point of pistols relived him of
$800, after which they hurriedly left.
Deputy Sheriffs Henry and
Knowlden at once went over, and Sheriff Storrs was
stopped on his northward trip, and, with Mr. Lewis
also, went to Springville. At 11 o’clock word was
received here that the robbers were surrounded by a
Springville posse in Hobble Creek canyon. It now
appears that there were seven men in the gang, of
which Fletcher and Nielsen made themselves most
prominent around Provo. Where the other five have
gone, or if waiting to assist the men who committed
the Springville robbery is not known.
Another report is current to
the effect that E.L. Carpenter told certain parties
some days ago in this city that Butch Cassidy and
his gang would soon make a raid on some central Utah
Bank, presumably Nephi. The correctness of this
cannot be verified. If true, it is not known how Mr.
Carpenter received the information.
Provo. Utah, May 28—At 1
o’clock this afternoon a telephone message from
Springville says that both robbers have been caught
and all of the money recovered. One robber was
killed and one member of the posse, Joseph Allen was
wounded from being shot in the leg. |
