By ALFRED BURKHOLDER.
The burial at Chadron, Nebraska, on May 12th last, of George Currie, as daring a bandit as ever operated in Western America since the days of the famous Jesse and Frank James, was the closing chapter in a career of crime which typifies the now well known motto of THE WIDE WORLD MAGAZINE that "Truth is stranger than fiction."
For six or eight years Currie and his band of desperadoes terrorized the law abiding people of Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Western South Dakota. During that period their operations were not confined to anyone line of depredations. Ten years ago Currie was a cowboy in the employ of a large cattle company whose range was near the eastern border of Wyoming. He was respected by his comrades, and soon gained the reputation of being one of the most experienced cattle " punchers" on the Western plains.
Seeing an opportunity to make money more easily and rapidly, he and a few chosen and trusted companions soon began to engage in "rustling" or stealing cattle from adjacent owners, the brands of which were changed, and the proceeds of the sale of the animals converted to their own use. Then, the better to carry on their raids against the herds of the cattlemen and cattle companies, and to have a place of refuge when pursued by officers of the law, they established their headquarters in what is known as the "Hole-in-the-Wall," in Wyoming, where Currie soon surrounded himself with as desperate a band of scoundrels as could be found in the West.
Their rendezvous was a natural fortress, and from its name Currie and his fellow bandits became known as the "Hole-in-the-Wall Gang." The Hole-in-the-Wall is situated in the Big Horn Mountains, about eighty miles northwest of Casper, Wyoming, and about fifty miles due south of Buffalo, in the same State. The Hole-in-the-Wall country is a basin between a spur and the main range of the mountains. A huge cliff extends along the eastern side of the mountains in a north and south direction for a distance of about thirty miles.
This cliff is perpendicular and between 400 ft. and 500 ft. in height. Save for one small break in its towering sides the wall is impassable. The break, which is a narrow gorge cut through the solid rock by the action of the waters of Red Fork, Middle Fork, and Buffalo creeks, which join and form Powder River, just inside of the cliff - this break, I say, is the Hole-in-the-Wall. The gorge is almost impassable, being so narrow in places that horses are ridden with great difficulty. Owing to its character a few men could wall up the entrance to this gorge, or the Hole-in-the-Wall, as it is always called, and prevent a small army from entering.
Once inside the high cliff a beautiful sight meets the eye of the visitor. A basin twenty miles square spreads out, and is covered in summer with a luxuriant growth of tender grasses, with here and there a clump of scrub pine and grease wood. Directly in front of the visitor, after he makes his exit from the narrow defile in the cliffs, is the main range of the Big Horn Mountains, towering above the fertile valley to a height of 12,000 ft. Along the face of this range are numerous narrow and deep canyons, which lead to the rugged depths of the mountains.
Numerous caves are here found, which afford excellent hiding places for outlaws and murderers. It is here that the Currie gang found safety for many years. Within the limits of the towering mountains of solid rock the bandits have raised small grain, vegetables, etc., and at different times have run large herds of horses and cattle, which had been stolen from ranches outside the Hole-in-the-Wall, on the range. These herds, after the brands and other marks had been removed or changed in a clever manner, would be driven from the robber retreat to confederates, who were employed on ranches near the Hole-in-the-Wall country, and who would ship the stolen stock to market.
In returning, these confederates would purchase arms, ammunition, and such other necessaries as were ordered by the bandits. These methods, however, were adopted only at such times as the bandits were hard pressed by officers of the law. When the latter would give up the hunt for the outlaws, after they had committed one of their numerous crimes, they would come forth from their retreat and rob and plunder until the officers again made the surrounding region too warm to hold them. It was not long before Currie and his comrades found cattle and horse stealing too tame for them, and they then extended their operations to the robbery of post offices and stores at isolated points throughout the four States in which they carried on their depredations.
Their bold and desperate crimes have frequently startled the world, and people wondered how such a band of desperadoes could possibly go on for years without paying the penalty for their crimes. The secret of the long years of success achieved by the bandits was due to the fact that, while they were desperate, they were also cautious and shrewd, and had friends throughout the region in which they operated, who would warn them of the approach of officers and frequently assist them in making their escape.
During the years 1896 and 1897 these outlaws were especially active, and in spite of the fact that several large posses of officers were in pursuit of them at different times, and engaged in battle with them, they always escaped to their rendezvous in the Big Horn Mountains. During the years mentioned the gang robbed the post office at Powderville, Montana, and shot Postmaster Barnard. They robbed the Butte County Bank, of Belle Fourche, in South Dakota; held up Postmaster Carpenter, of Wolton, Wyo.; robbed the store of the Wolton Commercial Company, of which Postmaster Carpenter was manager; looted the post office at Granger, Wyo.; and generally terrorized the citizens of Wyoming, so that they were in constant fear for the safety of their property and even of their lives.
The Belle Fourche bank robbery enriched the gang considerably, and had a tendency to make the bandits careless. As a result three members of the band were captured and confined in the Belle Foarche jail, but the place was not strong enough to hold them, and they made their escape and joined their comrades. Soon after the Belle Fourche affair the band robbed the post office at Big Piney, in Western Wyoming. Two days later a posse headed by Sheriff Ward, of Unita County, Wyo., followed the gang up Green River, through the mountains to the head of the river, and on to the head waters of the Gros Ventre River.
In a narrow defile of the mountains, when the party was temporarily divided, a portion of the sheriff's posse was ambushed. Several members of the posse were badly wounded, and the robbers made their escape for the time being. A few days later the marauders were again located, and driven in a north easterly direction. This time they were followed to a point on the Shoshone Indian reservation, where, however, all trace of them was lost. The United States authorities at Washington, having now become thoroughly aroused, issued instructions to spare neither time nor money in hunting the robbers down.
A searching investigation was made, and it was discovered that the bandits had been seen crossing Big Wind River, thirty-five miles above Fort Washakie, Wyo. Five days later they crossed the Belle Fourche River near the Missouri Buttes and the Devil's Tower, in the extreme eastern portion of the State. The journey to the eastern edge of Wyoming required a trip of 400 miles, and was accomplished in four days. Inquiry showed that one stretch of 150 miles was covered by the bandits in twenty-four hours.
Having been so remarkably successful so far in their operations of different grades, the outlaws next turned their attention to the" holding up" and robbing of railroad trains. Their most noted crime of this kind was committed on June 2nd of last year, when they "held-up" the first section of the Union Pacific fast mail, known as the" Overland Flyer," at Wilcox Siding, fifty-eight miles west of Laramie, Wyo. The" hold - up" occurred at 2:15 o'clock on the morning of the date stated. Six masked men, of whom the leader was afterwards ascertained to be George Currie, were concerned in the robbery.
Originally published in The Wide World Magazine, September 1900.