150 Years 1872-1886 The Dalles THE DECADES OF HISTORY March 30, 2007 PART TWO OF THE DALLES CHRONICLE'S TEN-PART SERIES. STAGE COACH ROBBERY SOLVED THE STAGE ROBBERY - As the robbery of the U.S. mail, which took place on Friday evening at about 7 o'clock of July 12, 1872, at Antelope Canyon, in this county, has again been revived by the arrest of T.D. Phelps, commonly called Doc Phelps, of Dayton, W.T., [Washington Territory] as one of the number who committed the robbery, and as this matter has become of great interest to many of our readers, we have taken some pains to gather the following information in relation to the case. For some two years past J.M. Boyd, sheriff of Baker county, and H.C. Paige, Wells, Fargo & Co's Treasury Agent, were satisfied in their own minds who the parties were, but as they had no positive evidence they could only wait for something further to turn up. Some two months ago Sheriff Boyd succeeded in getting the missing links. While at the penitentiary on business some two months ago, a prisoner from Baker county by the name of Hank Johnson, in consideration for some service which had been rendered to Johnson's family by the Sheriff, voluntarily came forward and told the whole story of the robbery and by whom it was committed. Johnson was a member of the gang but was not one of this party-owing to his wife making objections to his going, and threatening to tell on him if he did. So the party was composed of Shepardson alias Homily, Charles Darnell and T.D. Phelps. On the 5th instant Sheriff Boyd assisted by Jack Vincent, Deputy Sheriff, arrested Phelps at his home, in Dayton, Walla Walla county, and brought him down this way en route for Portland. When arrested he denied that he had had anything to do with robbery, but while riding in the stage between the Deschutes and this city, he made a clean breast of the whole transaction. When they arrived at Portland, Phelps was taken before U.S. Commissioner Wilcox, to whom he made a sworn statement and was bound over to appear at court. The bail was procured and Phelps came back to this city and is now stopping at the Umatilla House. We understand that he intends going out with parties to the scene of the robbery and showing them where they hid the mail sacks, and also where they burned the mail matter, tin cans, etc. This affair is now being rapidly developed, and we expect in a few days to know positively, beyond a doubt, if these persons above named are the real robbers or not. The public as a general thing, had long since come to the conclusion that the men now in the penitentiary were the parties who committed this crime, and now is slow to be convinced to the contrary, not withstanding this man's confession. January 22, 1876. Incoming and Outgoing messages protected by Trend Micro PC-cillin program