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The Gadshill Robbers
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Their Crimes and the
Efforts to Arrest Them
Reported Desperate Fight
.....While the Post Office Department and the express company's detectives were
working up the case (for the Gads Hill, Missouri, train robbery, Jan.
31,1874) the Governor of Missouri offered (a) $10,000 reward, the
Governor of Arkansas $2,500, and the Post Office Department $5,000, a
total of $17,500 for the capture of the robbers, dead or alive. This
was such an incentive that probably a hundred amateurs in the detective
business started for various parts of Western and Southwestern
Missouri in search of those whom they supposed capable of committing
the robbery. (James) Whicher, who was shot near Independence, Mo., a
few days ago, while in search of the James brothers of Clay County,
belonged to this class. A few of these amateurs succeeded in finding
the trail westward from Shannon County, and kept close on after the
robbers, thus doing good pioneer work for the regular detectives from
Little Rock, St. Louis, and Chicago. The robbers were cornered about
two weeks ago, and went into ambush in the ravines of Rush Mountain, in
St. Clair County, about 200 miles west of Gadshill.
A special detective employed by the Iron Mountain Railroad
Company visited the locality, and met with rough treatment. He
found that the gang had hidden in the woods, and on approaching near
the place a sentinel halted him, presenting a couple of revolvers,
and then disarmed him of his rifle and revolver, and examined him
thoroughly, in order to find out his business, but luckily for him
these was no evidence upon him, of a detective nature. After the search
he was ordered to leave the vicinity by a certain road or be shot.
Several of the settlers near the hiding place reported to him that this
gang would not allow any one to go through the woods and ravine where
they were.
Yesterday, President Allen, of the Iron Mountain Railroad,
received a telegram from Osceola, Mo., to the effect that on last
Monday a couple of detectives made a forced march on the place where
the robbers were secreted, and got into a desperate fight, which lasted
several hours. In the fight two detectives were killed and one severely
wounded, but no names were given. One of the gang was killed, namely
John Younger, one of the famous Younger brothers, who have been daring
bushwhackers in Missouri for several years, and are supposed to have
been implicated in the Iowa train robbery last September. John was
about twenty-eight years of age, five feet ten inches high, weight
nearly 200 pounds, and was of a repulsive appearance. He was born in
Cass County, Mo., and during the late civil war was in the Southern
militia of Missouri, then in Quantrell's (sic) band, and afterward
served under Gen. Shelby. His home was always in the woods, and he was
thoroughly posted in the details of the country south of the Missouri
River.....
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