Show Gun un Battle With Outlaws in Browns Brown's s Park in ira Late Nineties Hanging of f Jack Bennett and Capture of Johnston Tracy and Lant by Utah Colorado and Wyoming Wyoming Posses Posses Related by Pioneer By APrON AFTON B HARRISON The following interesting nar narrative related by Pete Dillman a fornier fanner resident of ot Vernal Is La taken from Issues of the Roosevelt Stan Standard Standard dard lard during April U 1936 1930 Drown Browns s Park In oz Colorado and northeastern Utah which Peter Dillman visited often onen Jn in the early days when he carried the mall had become a veritable table robbers roost It v was as Infested by bythe bythe bythe the Powder Springs gang and as v n a stopping place for organized bands of c crooks crook and murderers as the plied their nefarious traci thru Montana Colorado Wyoming New M Mexico ico and nd Utah Butch Ca s i WHet wild rIders and the hole In wall gand Lant and Tricy and all aH other outlaws who went ent on the trail stepped at fome some time or orather other ather at Hron Browns s Park The TIle region lent Itself well wen to the p of men hiding from front th the law It ls LI mountainous and deniel dencel densely cOvered In cedars making it easy to evade pursuit The Tho capture of or Tracy Lant Den Ben nett and Johnston In Browns Brown 8 Park In the Ule early spring of 1898 the murder of or Valentine Valentino Hoy by those outlaws while we e e wa was a n dep deputy uty sheriff the Ule lynching o of Den Ben Ben i 1 dt tho h 1 t dMn ln j e es- es capo cape OJ Lan and anCl Tracy acy from rom the thel Routt county counts Jail and later the county Jill hU where here they were taken for safe keeping and the Conviction of Johnston Is h one of most thrilling p gea In the history of 01 northwestern Colorado and aJ aLso o had ohad a bearing aring on th the lives of the people o of eastern Utah rn In Inthe the posse searching for Johnston Lant and Tracy were ere several Vor- Vor Vcr Ver Vernal nal nai men among them Peter Dill man Colorado Officers Set Out for I Outlaws Outlaw In February 1898 warrants ere ere l issued erel In Brown Browns s Park for the thel arrest of one Johnston and Ben Ben- Bennett Bennett nett accused of or killing cattle and disposIng of the meat to per persons operating a n copper mine and Ef milter on Do vla las l that vicinity t In Ji i V w Neiman I county hid ll heard rd f Ie IC men and knew them theta to be Taking ro chances chance he cent ent to Craig where Ethin Fornham his assistant sheriff Joined him and they proceeded to Bro Bron Browns n s a Pork Park picking up on the wa way Vahn who believed Johnston hid h stolen tolen several head of his Ills cattle The headquarters for or the expedition st for lor Johnston and lIen Ben Den Bennett I iii I nett was vas to be the Basset ranch fI at t the lower end of or Bro Browns Bron n s Park I When Neiman Nelman and his Ills two t corn com pinions corn were ere within about ten tenI I miles mUl's of the Basset ranch they pUd 1 three men on horseback 81 a a great distance ahead of DC them Th Themen The 1 men mn sere Mere armed had pick p horses nn showed no desire to be over over- overtake take When jt it bec apparent i to them that the they were ere ere being fol- fol fol Col followed lowed oed oved they left the rod roid and struck out across a high bluff blurt to Douglas rn It va was as lt late In U the e even- even and although NeUman felt Celt sure sure 5 these thes were ere s outlaws he decided tot to II I 1 die gise up the chase for the night i continue on oti to Bassets Basset 5 to take up the trail at dawn F i w Outlaws at Distance Tho The three men nn w v s t a Q Ph m mI I Tracy David Lant Lanb and P L L Johnston John John- Johnston ston the latter being one of or the themen themen t men for whom the sheriff she had n a warrant The other oilier two men he head had ad never bear herd heard of or Ilant and Tracy had served a prison son son- tenet sen-tenet tenet at the Utah state prison and haul had In the fall of or 1897 They y ma-de ma made their way say to Ita Vernal then to Powder Springs and on onto to td Browns Brown's Park v where here they met Be Bennett nett and Johnston v well known well ell known rustlers rustler and killers kUlers who pointed out hiding places to them Bennett was known arnon among the as Judge Bennett Dennett for his t In the follo following lag Incident Outlaws Terrorize Town of Bagg Baggs l t i V During the previous pre winter inter one 1 of or the men had taken ill with Iud nd ud a messenger as was I I tnt ent to the town of Baggs for a alector octor Answering th summons b t doctor returned to the hideout and fid nd all aU he could for the sick man manI I t to no avail The outlaw died AI A t Ume tIme later the gang Known the Springs Powder gang pang made raid madea fald a faid on the town of Baggs ruled filled filled Cp I tP on whisker and terrorized the Z village mage shooting and threatening tl tI the citizens t ne suggested I th the doctor who aim v ho attended their dead companion be hanged and he v was cas as immediately brought forth and I told Ito to prepare for death de-ath A drunk drunk- drunken en lJ gunman suggested giving the doctor a trial so a n court Vas v-na set up at which Bennett presided as judge Before Before- the execution took place 11 t some other escapade esc v was sas as underway and the doctor was forgotten But Bennett had d A nickname ic c T Vr left him f Johnston Kilts Kills strang It ft sas as after dark when shea Neiman I Vaughn and Fornham arrived cd at JJ et 8 ranch The They found there Mr Basset an old trapper and a fello fellow felIo b by the name of ofte al te Strang Supper was as prepared for forr forthe forthe IV r- r p the visitors and no questions ere ere asked In the land of outlaws no noe f e resident eit either eIter er asks for tor or gives gies in- in information information In Information formation During the meal the of- of officers officers of officers were given an account of an event that had b been n causing con con- considerable considerable excitement In the park Johnston had brutally murdered Will Strang a brother o of oc the boy at atthe atthe I the Basset ranch The killing took I I lA DILLMA pla place e atthe alth north end of the park rn 10 the Wyoming side or of the bOrder Since that time a posse pesse of W Wo- Wo Wyo Wyoming o ming sheriffs had been huning the Ule COds for tor the murderer with no They had lost track of him it t Powder Po Springs Springe and some of hem hid h gone back home Outlaws Trapped by Green The Tue more moro Neiman Nelman heard the themore themore themore more he believed one of the three men he ho had seen Slen was Johnston Ire told young oung Strang of the men and together they rounded up sev- sev sevel sev el ezal al more men to begin the chase the follo following ing morning Among them were Longhorn Thompson n i Jim WilHam William Pigeon Ab Bassett and Valentine Hoy This posse took to the trail at day day- daylight dav light and by noon ran across tracks of the fugitives Everything E show show- showed showed showed ed the outlaws outlaw had made i t hast departure Ic leaving horses and camp supplies They had seen the officer approaching and had hurried to safety ab es- es ev everything but a little flour lour which one of th m had taken 1 camp camo was at the foot of Douglas Douclas mountain and directly above as wasa as asa n a craggy cliff filled with caves and k k It was an admirable place for defense almost impregnable shen hen held b by armed men Eu Bu Buthe the were ital R n g fe s fc gal Wl nt B they knew me their their their-ay without food or blank blank- blankets lets blank ry Ary ry was ves eta ets or horses and their escape pe from the country was Impossible h When night fall came the officers tOOK the outlaw s g horses blankets and nd provisions and vent sent ent bick ck to the ranch The gunmen not Bs B's kno Ing v what shat t hl to do and becom becom- becomIng becoming cold und mid hungry made their ing lag In- In Into into In Into descending say ay to Green Rh River Riser er to the gorge at Ladore Jut but the west sest est walls of the Ule slope slops were so 0 precipitous they thes could not scale followed ed cd down thE thetis so W the they folIos Ice After Arter miles mlles of riser on the tr traveling they came to where the the gorge narrowed ed forcing current Into a boiling cataract pre pre- preventing pre preventing venting Ice from forming The fug fult fugitives They t tI trapped were sere I get through and there was nothing left to do but retrace their steps return return- returned returned and face the officers They I held the they had ed ld to the cave cae before but changed their minds day struck boldly day broke and when hen up the mountain Trapped Criminals Shoot Hoy noy officers arriving that morn morn-i The O AI-O L ort off nM the tha trail morning were thrOn n until seeing tracks leading to mom the riser er and followed them to the cat cat- cataract cataract cat cataract had before they realized they doubled back bacle When returned to the fresh tracKs leading up the hilt the ascent was vas as too steep for horses borres Vaughn and Bassett v ere left as a lookout guard and a couple more to watch the horses hUe Neiman McKnIght Ho Hoy and Pigeon Pigeon Pigeon on started up the slope TIle The men spoke only hi LU whispers and had their guns cocked for Instant use uso They TI sere v ere follo ing the tracks up a narro narrow gulch and present camel came cameto cameto t to a n great rock which would hase hae barred further progress along the path they the were sere traveling had It not been en split rt ap leaving a crevice crevice ice just v wide enough for a no man to lice crassi through Heie Heze tracks scat scat- scattered scattered scat scat-i 1 and a little ire lre to one side showed hoed ho ed them where here here U the e criminals I nals were sere hiding Neiman Nelman who sho had heIn been n nIn In the lead stopped to Inspect the Ule nt t camp camp and Valentine Ho Hov walked ahead to the crevice In iii the rock It Immedi- Immedi some ome twenty t feet away assay a ably ly two to boomed out and lt and Iio Ho Hoy crumpled on the snow which rapidly turned tume-d crimson with Ith his iI life life s blood The curling smoke from 4 t behind the rock showed allowed l that the hunted men had been driven to bay there and with vv every eer t all ho sere ere Intent on murdering ad ads 10 Forced to lo t The rest of the rt p p being ec- ec cx posed to full run gun si sight ht ducked be- be behind behind be hind trees treM and rocks reeks and there H waited 0 over oser er an Hour nour racing lacing me tao en en- en enen i iem em en hidden Finally Finall realizing the Ule loS sere er once again food and shelter sil the men slIpped from their hiding p one b I ono one and made their the way a back to the others who scho v ho had gone on and not waited Rea Realizing it was as as certain II tain death to scale the cU cliffs In pursuit 01 or or inese menno men sno no cotua sooner or later be out or of hidIng Nelman elman decided to given gisen up the cha chase e for the tho night Bennett Uennett Captured bv by Trick Returning Rl to Bassett s a ranch the met Vaughn coming in iii search of them He lie told of further devel el developments He and Bassett had been left on a high look out point to tov v satch atch over oer 0 11 the countryside The I spied a rider coming toward to ard the I foot of the mountains and as he hei i neared he lie fired tired three quick shots and waited for an answer Receiving I lug lag no reply he ha repeated the zig- zig signal zigI sig signal I nal nal and Vaughn and Bassett Dassett rode p ip to him He Ire was Judge Bennett f vho sho had been sent by the other three tInee for lor supplies Vaughn and Dassett Bassett decided to dupe him and Vaughn posed as a puncher co md Bassett whom he hIm to spend the evening at the ranch Bennett was without sus- sus suspicion sus suspicion and returned to the ranch Bassett But Vaughn presumably ably went In another direction I I about his business He hastened to toI the dt detective and warned him and hurried with ith him to Bassett Bassetts s ranch ahead of B Bassett ett and Ben Ben- Bennett Bennett nett nelt Two men were sere stationed Just Inside the door and when Bennett stepped Inside they thoy V were sere ere oo banide him At a sharp command Bennett Dennett threw brew up his hands he was shack shack- shackled shackled shackled led and made a prisoner Send Scud to Vernal Venial for tor Help Neiman Nelman was now confident that the men he had been pursuing were Johnson and the t two to 0 pris- pris prisoners pris pris- prisoners prisoners from the Utah penitentiary lIe therefore sent word to Vernal Q p the he sheriff of f Uintah county I William Pigeon on made the ninety mile trip to Vernal traveling all night If tob b II Ilg's Bennett Early the next morning In Brown Bmw s a Park ParI the lie hunt was re- re re Id I'd was left In the bunk house at the ranch to JUdge Bennett the prisoner who as 13 lying Iving ing shacked 10 tO the flood load Ii H Iia Has a as reading a book to pass the tIme away and about noon looked up Into the faces of two tao masked pressing guns against him Si- Si Silently Si Silently one covered the officer shile the theother other slipped a burlap bag ov- ov ar r the Ule heid he of Bennett ennett Other mask mask- masked masked ed men appeared and unloosed the Prisoner oner carrying him out After Arter about ten minutes the man holding the gun on Fornham backed out and nd disappeared Fornham I some little time then walked v to the door and looked out It was wasa wasa wasa a quiet peaceful day not a soul v sas as In sight and not a sound could be heard lo 10 the high crossbar above the gate Bennett s body as hanging oh on the rope his face cov- cov ered with the burlap bag The law cf the frontier had been meted I out to tills this ler H l lU u I his nis hurt hurr when Ie le recognized h his for he knew he hae ha to keep a sharp eye on Thorn Thom Thornas Thomas Thornas as as well as keeping his e ees eves es peel peeled peeled peeled ed more notorious fugitives at meeting Thomas on the trail Pete asked Are you go- go go going ing on the manhunt Yes led drawled Thomas and I J have never hated to do anything o 0 much In all m mv life Mv pals will certainly have It In for me but the sheriff ordered me to make tle trip You help catch these men and andoU oU ot n II have hae more friends In Vernal Ver Vel Vernal nal than oil OU ever er hid irid In sour our me life Pete consoled On the high divide between Ash Ashley Icy and Brush Cr Creek k Pete and Jack overtook o the main party and I there It was decided to send some ome of the men to the mouth of Green River gorge above Jensen in casel case Tracy or Lant Lent should attempt oming down the rh river riser er on the Ice Pete Peta welcomed his separation ton from Jack Jark Thomas who ho went sent with the group to the gorge four f bet eft of Snow On I Diamond Mountain The rest of the party part on over the trail Reaching Diana Diana- Diamond Ind ond mountain t they y fou found d fo four I J I reet leet of snow which which delayed delayed el I It was sas 1 I 00 a m when the reached reach I ed cd Diamond Springs the half way I er But anxious to reach Brown a s Park they continued on their way over after alter a short rest It was just when the they emerged from the snow sno Into Sear Sears s canon about eight miles mUes from thel the pai k Joe er took them down Charlie Grouses Crouse s place In Brown Browns tOil s sPark Park for breakfast after arter which for Bassett s pt ett er i Cro Croue e was to follow endl with a load of provisions On the journey across acro s the park they heard kr i t- t tiit Lassett Ranch nanch in En Broun Park w where here Bennett Bennettas sas as Hung Ilung b Mob I ermil P Posse l Organized I When Tom McNeil called it t the home of Peter Dillman one Feb February I and told I- I riLar morning |