Arrest of the entire male population of Carson, by officers from Denver.
When these men were removed from Carson to West Las Animas, the county seat of Bent county, in which the stealing was conducted, there were but two men left at the station to take care of the horde of women and children who cried after them as they moved away in their shackles.
One more arrest made in Denver completes the list. While the posse was down the road Col. C. W. Fisher, division superintendent, telegraphed to Gen. Cook to arrest a brakeman named Adam Ehls, for complicity with the gang. He was discovered late in the evening at 520 Arapahoe street, in full dress for an engineers’ ball. But the appearance of Detective Arnold convinced him that a change of programme was unavoidable, and that Turner hall must dispense with his presence. When informed that Col. Fisher had ordered his arrest, he seemed to perfectly comprehend the whole affair. The officer accompanied him to his own house, where were found a trunk and valise containing a large quantity of fancy goods, ladies’ shoes, silver plated pistols, and several boxes of cheap jewelry. Forty pocket knives had been placed on sale at Tierney’s hardware store, but were recovered several days before.
Thus was this well organized and extensive gang of thieves brought to justice in a way so effective that the road never since had a trouble of this kind of half so extensive a scale to deal with.
The association received, as it certainly deserved, the warmest thanks from the railroad company, as well as liberal pay for their services.
At the preliminary examination of this band of thieves, which was held at West Las Animas soon after their capture, several of the men were released upon bail, in sums ranging between $1,000 and $5,000 bail each. Shanley’s bail was fixed at $5,000, Keene’s at $2,500, and Ehl’s at $1,000. Three of the men were sent to the penitentiary for long terms, and the other four escaped upon technicalities. Shanley, Keene and Ehls forfeited their bonds and disappeared from the state, never having been seen in Colorado since.
The town of Kit Carson was broken up by the raid, and is now little more than a water tank on the Kansas Pacific.