THE ST. JOHNS HERALD THIEVES CAPTURED March 21, 1896

Ike Aldridge and Bill Johnson
Landed in the Bastile

Last Tuesday afternoon, James D. Murray, Ed Sherlock and William Johnson came in from Springerville, having in custody two prisoners named Ike Aldridge and Bill Johnson, who were committed to the county jail from Justice Long's court, on a charge of grand larceny.  On the night of the 5th inst, eight horses and two mules were stolen from Becker's pasture, at Springerville.  Ed Sherlock and William Johnson took the trail on the 10th, five days after, and followed it until they finally overtook the thieves on Eagle Creek, in Graham County, and succeeded in capturing them without any great trouble.  The horses had been cached to a canyon in the mountains, and only one of the mules was found in their possession.  Aldridge and Johnson confessed, however, to having stolen the horses, and told where they had hidden them.  Johnson plead guilty in the justice court, and both are held to await the action of the next term of the district court, and were committed in default of hail to the amount of 1.000 each.  It is suspected that these men are wanted in other parts, and their photographs and descriptions have been taken for future reference.


THE ST. JOHNS HERALD LOCAL NEWS

October 3, 1896

Our esteemed young friend, Ed. Beeler, of Springerville, was married at Nutrioso, on Sunday, the 27th ult. to Miss Mary Hamblin of that place.

THE ST. JOHNS HERALD                       December 12, 1896

CLEVER CAPTURE

A Brace of Tough Citizens Taken Into Custody.

On Saturday of last week, Sam Love's ranch, just above Nutrioso, this county, was raided, and almost everything that would be of any value to a camper was taken.  The trespassers took the entire stock of provisions, together with a quantity of bedding and a number of tarpaulins, wagon covers, etc.  Mr. Love, with his neighbors, Pollard Pearson and W.T. Maxwell, took the trail of the thieves shortly after the robbery, and followed it until Thursday of this week, they located their men in the ranch house belonging to St. George Creaghe, situated on the Coyote.  After satisfying themselves that the men had made camp for the night, Pearson and his companions went to Springerville and made a complaint before Anthony Long, Justice of the Peace, who placed a warrant in the hands of J.D. Murray, Constable.  The party being further reinforced by ST. George Creaghe and Hank Sharp, immediately proceeded to the ranch for the purpose of making the arrests.  The posse arrived at the robbers' camp about daylight on Friday morning; affected an entrance into the house without alarming the men, and placed them under arrest.  One of the prisoners, who gives his name as Allen Martin, had to be ordered two or three times to throw up his hands before he complied.  The prisoners evidently had intended never to be taken alive, but being surprised and disarmed, resistance was useless.  They were taken before Justice Long, of Springerville, who held a preliminary examination.  After the hearing, they were remanded to the custody of the officers to await the action of the Grand Jury.  In default of bail, they were brought to St. Johns and placed in jail, last Friday.  The man who gives his name as Allen Martin is evidently a desperate character. His resistance to surrender under circumstances that a refusal meant suicide, would seem to indicate that he is no ordinary capture.  Nobody with simply the charge of looting a camp would make the movements he did.  While in Springerville, and just after having been committed, he made another attempt to escape.  While unarmed and surrounded by armed men, he made a break and reached a horse, mounted it and tried to gain his liberty.  Constable Murray fired four shots after him, and St. George Creaghe one.  Mr. Creaghe being mounted on a very good horse, followed the fugitive, and soon overtook him and brought him back.  The other prisoner, who gave his name as James Gatlin, seems to be only a common, ordinary hard character, and did not give the officers any serious trouble. We hope the report of his capture may be circulated by the papers of this territory and that of New Mexico and the State of California, to the end that the identity of these two men may he ascertained.  Mr. Creaghe, who has had a great deal of experience during his long residence in this country, besides having served a term as Sheriff, feels almost certain that he has caught a brace of rare birds.


From the files of Jack A. Becker, local historian.