As George and Aurilla became established members of the
community, George was very active in public service. He had no large cattle
herd, no flock of sheep or large crazing allotment – no, George, like most who
came and stayed in Wayne County then and to this day – worked a variety of jobs
in varied areas of employment. One of these was Wayne County Sheriff, a
position he held for most of the 1890’s.
As early as the spring of 1892,
George was working as the Loa town constable. (1) In
addition to town constable, he was also the acting Wayne County Sherriff. The
court records of August 1892 referred to him as Sheriff George Chappell and for
his services to the court he was paid $35.40. (2) The court officially
identified George Chappell as Wayne County Sherriff in their March 6, 1893
meeting. (3) For unknown reasons, the
Wayne County commissioners appointed Wilber Wilson as County Sherriff in
February 1896.(4) It’s unclear when
Sherriff Chappell was relieved of his duties in that the County Sheriff is not
mentioned in the Wayne County Court records from March 6, 1893 until the new
appointment of Mr. Wilson in February of 1896.
Whatever the reason for this hiatus in law enforcement, come
the fall of 1896, George Armstrong Chappell was on the ballot, Democrat,
running for sheriff against Mr. Wilson. Carrying almost every town in the
county, he won handily by a vote of 315 to 166. (See Appendix A: Election results) It would
appear the people of Wayne County approved of the work he had done in the past
and provided him the opportunity to serve them again.
Wayne County Court House Commissioner minutes give us some
idea of the work of the local sheriff.
In August of 1892 we have the following:
Account of Justice
Court of Loa precinct received being the case of the people vs Neils Johnson
and John Johnson of Junction(Fruita), Gilbert Adams complaining witness. Complaint (charges) that on or about the 22nd
day of May, Defendants took the water from the complainant to his injury. Witness “used by both parties”. Les Holt and Elias Johnson, a jury called. Attorney for Defendents Wm McCarty.
Country Attorney for
the people, M. W. Mansfield
Verdict of Jury Not
Guilty
The case was called by
the Sherriff, “G A Chappell”
The court considered
the case, and ordered that the following costs be allowed, as per bills
presented
To Allen Russell, for
expenses of Justice of the peace court, Loa
12.70
Geo A Chappell,
Sherriff 35.40
6 jurors, day
each 9.00
Witness Holt 7.00
Witness Elias
Johnson 11.00 (5)
In addition to water issues and minding the court, the
sheriff would have been involved with law enforcement topics common to humanity
such as petty theft, drunkenness, disorderly conduct, civil disputes, etc. Another problem of the day was the issue of
roads, private property, and individual vs community rights. A frequent problem noted in the
Commissioner’s notes was individuals closing “public” roads that crossed their
lands. Surely the sheriff would have
been involved in much of this.
While most of his work was likely routine and often mundane,
Wayne County, Utah, near the turn of the century was, unlike most of the West,
still very much untamed. The great
cattle drives out of Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma had ended over a decade
before. The wild west of Dodge City and
Tuscon had been replaced by a more gentile society where six shooters and
Winchesters were no longer a necessary part of a man’s outfit. Doc Holliday and Earps; the Clantons and
Mclaurys; were fanciful stories of an era now passed. While it would be another 40 years before the
image of the cowboy and the great America West would be immortalized on John
Ford’s epic film “Stagecoach” staring the young John Wayne, by the mid 1890’s
the legend of the western outlaw for most was just that – a romanticized past. But not in Wayne County, Utah.
Despite the changes elsewhere, the drama between the western
outlaw and the brave men wearing a badge continued to play out in the remote
regions of southern Wyoming, eastern Utah and western Colorado. As Sheriff
Chappell assumed office in late 1896, Wayne County, Utah was at the epicenter
of what remained of the old “Wild West”.
Seeking out the most remote and geographically isolated areas of the
United States, the cowboy-outlaws of the late nineteenth century continued
their dark trade in an area known as The Outlaw Trail. While this area extended from Canada in the
north and Mexico in the south and from Colorado to Nevada, the extreme
remoteness of central Wyoming, northeastern Colorado and eastern Utah provided
the sanctuary needed for men running from the law.
Initially a loose band of ruffians guilty of crimes ranging
from small scale cattle rustling to murder, by the mid 1890’s the activities of
the outlaws were coalescing around a handsome young man from southern Utah. Known as a creative and daring outlaw worthy
of emulation and respect from his peers, with each successful bank or train
robbery, Robert Leroy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy, was fast becoming the leader
of this “Wild Bunch”.
Sheriff Chappell and Butch Cassidy were similar in many
ways. Both were children of early Mormon pioneers, raised on the farm, and both
as teenagers set out to make a go of it – become their own man. But while George Chappell was busy working on
the railroad, freighting across the west desert, punching cows in the Tintic
mining district, marrying his sweet heart and beginning a family, Robert Leroy
Parker was pursuing a different course.
Influenced by a rough element living near his home in Circleville, Utah,
some 60 miles southwest of Rabbit Valley, young Parker pursued a seedier path
of thievery, gambling and, ultimately, robbery on a grand scale.
George Armstrong Chappell, Sheriff and family man,
contemporary and 13 years older than the brash young outlaw, would never be
celebrated in print or film. But like so
many other honest, hardworking folk, he was caught in the wake of events
surrounding this large group of cowboy-outlaws with whom they shared a
majestically remote and spectacularly difficult land.
By the summer of 1897 Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch had
reached a climax in their illegal activities. On Apri21, in the middle of the
day, the gang robbed the payroll of the Pleasant Valley Coal Company in Castle
Gate, Utah. The daring heist, considered
by many the most daring and spectacular job every pulled off in Utah quickly
made Butch Cassidy “the undisputed king of all bandits then on the Outlaw Trail”.
(6) With over $8000 in stolen gold, silver and receipts, the bandits made their
quick getaway. Splitting up, with at least two of the fugitives passing through
Torrey and Hanksville, (7) the group rendezvoused at Robbers Roost.
Robbers Roost, Brown’s Hole and Hole in the Wall were the
three principle hang outs of the bandits riding the Outlaw Trail. Robbers
Roost, in extreme eastern Wayne County, was the most southern of the three
principal hang outs. In extreme
northeastern Utah along the Green River near where Wyoming, Colorado and Utah
come together, Brown’s Hole was near the center of the outlaw trade. Its geographic isolation combined with its
proximity to three states, made this a favorite abode for those running from
the law. The third principal station,
Hole-in-the Wall, was in distant north-central Wyoming Big Horn Mountains.
Unlike the other two hideouts – located in river valleys -
Robber’s Roost was on the high plateau country. With only a scattering of
juniper and pinion across a relatively flat terrain, from this high country,
the rolling desert of scrub sage and stunted grass rolled off in all directions. To the north, some sixty miles away, the Book
Cliffs formed the skyline marking the location of Green River, the closest town
to the north. Far to the east, the peaks
of the LaSalle and Abajo mountains marked the edge of Utah and the eastern most
border of the rugged Colorado Plateau. To the southwest, the impressive
Henry Mountains rose abruptly from the desert. Hanksville, located near the junction of the
Muddy and Fremont Rivers, just a few miles north of the Henrys, was the closest
town to the Roost at some 40 miles away. Charles Kelly in his book, The Outlaw Trail,
sums it up nicely, “The view from the summit of the Roost Country is either
sublime or depressing, depending upon the amount of water in one’s canteen and
one’s knowledge of the waterholes.” (8)
One of the few springs in the Robbers Roost area
The wide open desert made it impossible for anyone to
approach the hide out without being found out hours before arrival. Making it even more difficult for the
traveler, the deceptively gentle terrain was carved and cut by deep red rock canyons that to the
uneducated could appear out of nowhere making it impossible to proceed. This geography combined with very few water
sources limited access points. “There are
only three trails into the Roost: one from Green River, one from Hanksville,
and one from Dandy Crossing” (near Hite on the Colorado River). “It has no timber except an occasional grove
of mountain cedars, and no vegetation other than stunted sagebrush and
scattered tufts of sand grass. Except
for three of four small springs, it is absolutely arid…It was difficult of approach
and more dangerous to enter than any other section of the state.”(9)
Following the Caste Gate robbery in the spring of 1897, it
was common knowledge the outlaws were hiking out at Robber’s Roost and the
citizens of the state wanted something done.
The Utonian, a newspaper in Beaver, Utah had the following in April,
1897:
“Something must be
done to break up the gang of robbers and murderers now ensconced in the San
Rafael mountains, and the state will have to do it…For many years it has been
known that if a desperado reached the mountain fastness in that region he had
entered the “City of Refuge”. No
officers have ever gone there, for the
reason that for a small company of officers to do so would simply be to go into
a trap where death would be as certain and swift as if they plunged into the
mouth of a volcano. Officers have
followed desperate fugitives to the canyons which are the gateways to the
Robber’s Roost, as that country has lately been called, and found that when
they arrived there all they could do was to become targets for the rifles of
the outlaws” (10)
Surrounded by the desolate safety of Robber’s Roost, Butch
Cassidy and his gang settled in. Rather
than holing up in the well-known caves or old cabins in the area, they prepared
a “deluxe” tent encampment in Horseshoe Canyon not far from original Roost
headquarters. They were well supplied
with food, drink and ammunition and spent their time in “eating, drinking, target practice, horse racing, and gambling,
principally the last. Everyone was
welcome to camp”. (11) With the help
of three ladies who had joined the “Wild Bunch” at the Roost, they resupplied
in Green River and Price. “In August they appeared in Price and bought
all the ammunition in town….These large purchases of ammunition served two
purposes: they helped the boys kill time
in target practice, and they served as a warning to all officers that they had
best keep away from the vicinity of Robber’s Roost.” (12) Butch Cassidy and
other residents of the Roost also made frequent trips into Hanksville creating
not a small amount of business for local merchants. (13)
Popular lore has Butch Cassidy as a western “Robin Hood” and
the “Wild Bunch” as his “Merry Men”, but to the majority of people in Wayne and
other surrounding counties, their presence was known and unsettling. That Butch Cassidy was a gentleman and friend
to the common man may or may not be true, but there is no doubt many of his
associates were not nice people. Travel through Rabbit Valley, down the Fremont
River and through its associated communities was a major route into the
Roost. Any stranger passing through,
especially with livestock, may well have been a dangerous man. The story of
Lizzie Golding, resident of Blue Valley is telling:
“When Lizzie Golding and
her mother heard the nighttime silence broken by the rumbling of hooves, they
‘would pull the organ across the doorway and hide in the closet until long
after the clatter of fleeing horses and their riders had died away.” (14)
While the Golding women of Blue Valley were never bothered,
the same cannot be said for Golding livestock. Sebron Johnson Golding had a
prize racing horse come up missing after he refused to sell the animal to Butch
Cassidy. He also lost a team of
horses. Local stock was constantly being
taken. Chapman Taylor Duncan’s herd was “decimated” by the Robbers Roost gang
after he moved from Fremont to Caineville in 1895. (15) The local people upon whom the outlaws preyed
were not large cattle barons. These were poor families, trying to make a go of
it in difficult circumstance made much worse by evil men. Ultimately, Governor
Heber M. Wells posted a $500 reward for the capture of any Robbers Roost
outlaw. (16)
As the conditions in the eastern part of the county
worsened, it became clear Sherriff Chappell needed more help. On February 7, 1897, minutes of the Wayne
County Court state the following: E.A.
Brown of Loa and John Cottrell of Hanksville were duly appointed deputy sheriffs
in and for Wayne County. (17) John Cottrell
was a very good choice for deputy in that he had lived at Robber’s Roost while
acting as foreman for J. B. Buhr and the 3B outfit. He built a home just above the Roost Spring
where he, his wife and three step-sons resided. Originally from Pennsylvania he
had worked for the circus until suffering a serious head injury from an
elephant. He was described by Pearl Baker
in her 1965 book, “The Wild Bunch at Rubber’s Roost” as: “big, dark
complexioned man, nice looking, with blue eyes, slightly curly dark brown hair
and a prominent nose.” (18) This is in startling contrast in how he is described
by Charles Kelly in his 1939 book. Mr.
Kelly says he came from Texas by way of southern Utah and describes him as “one
of the most successful cattle thieves in the Roost”. (19) Whatever his origins, it’s clear he had an
excellent knowledge of the land and the men who lived there.
$150.00 a year; $12.50 a month; Wayne County Sheriff salary
for 1897-98 as stated in the June 30, 1896 minutes of the Wayne County Court
Records.(20). Never intended to provide
a full time living, George A. Chappell was busy hauling manure and preparing to
plow as May, 1897, moved toward June. The nights were still frosty - as usual,
spring comes late to the upper valley of the Fremont - but summer would
eventually come and there was work to do. Ditches needed attention and
equipment repairs. He knew Butch Cassidy
and his gang was hiding out in his county, but he had a family to feed and he
couldn’t do it on Sheriff’s wages. While never having actually been in the
Roost, (Kelly, p.155 – quoting the Beaver Utopian that no officer had ever gone
there) he was familiar with his county’s high desert country and it’s almost
numberless locations for hiding and ambush. Just weeks before, Sheriff Tuttle
of Emery County had been shot in the leg while pursing outlaws into the San
Rafael Desert. (21) While brave, George
was not stupid. The forty-three year old
father of 6 had a family beholding to him.
Aurilla, expecting another child in August, wanted nothing of her
husband in harm’s way. A comment by
Pearl Baker in her book, The Wild Bunch at Robbers Roost, provides interesting
insight into the situation:
…posses had come and
gone, being careful not to get too close. Although they were a nuisance, the
boys didn’t pay much attention to them. (22)
In early June, Deputy U.S. Marshal Joe Bush, headquartered
in Salt Lake City, rode into town looking for Sherriff Chappell. Funded by the Ireland Cattle company of
Carbon County, Marshal Bush had been given the mission of cleaning out the
cattle thieves. He was putting together a posse to go into the Roost, making
final preparations in upper Wayne County. (23). Joe Bush, by all accounts, was
one tough character. Described as fearless, tough and hard-drinking, he armed
himself with a sawed-off shotgun and various other weapons. (24) Chappell family records relate that
Sherriff Chappell did go with Joe Bush into the Roost country in pursuit of the
outlaws, but it is hard to say if he joined him on this expedition. Kelly reports in his book that at the
conclusion of this expedition, Blue John, captured at Granite Ranch, was turned
over to Sherriff Chappell:
To the Sheriff of Wayne
County, Loa, Utah:
Dear Sir: This is a bad man. Better send him to Salt Lake City or Provo
for safekeeping. He is the one that
informs the entire Roost gang by carrying mail and other information. He has lots of backing on his line and may
get away from you or be taken from you. Better make sure and put him in a good
place.
John Cottrell, Deputy
Sheriff of Wayne County (25)
Blue John had been in the Roost country for many years
before being captured that summer of 1897 - a canyon at Robbers Roost still
bears his name. Originally John Griffith, Pearl Baker describes Blue John as
not much of a cowboy and one who preferred a team and a wagon to a saddle
horse. In addition to carrying mail and
information, he hauled supplies, cooked, ran errands and was a general handyman
around camp. (26) When Joe Bush’s posse had arrived in Hanksville, word was
that Blue John was working at Granite Ranch.
Led by John Cottrell, the ranch house was surrounded in the predawn
hours and the unlucky captive was taken when he come outside in the early
morning to relieve himself. (27) Not
having a facility in which to keep a prisoner (the year before, the Wayne
County Court had discussed the purchase of a jail cell, but to date one had not
been installed - Feb 10, 1896, p. 65, The
matter of purchasing a cell for criminals was discussed. The Clerk was ordered to send for a price
list of iron cages.) Blue John was sent on to Richfield for safe keeping. Expenses to Wayne County indicate Blue John
was kept in the Sevier County Jail for almost a year between 1897 and 1898. (28).
In June 1898, Sheriff Chappell traveled to Richfield and brought Blue John back
to Loa for court. His expenses were listed as follows:
$2.50 per day - $7.50;
7 meals @ .25 each – 1.75; Lodging 3 nights
@.25 - .75; Returning Blue John to Richfield – 1.50; Serving summons on 18
jurors @.10 – 1.80; Serving subpoenas on 8 witnesses @.10 - .80; Jacob Ostbert,
tending Lee – 1.00; Total - $15.00 (Signed, George Chappell) (29)
Other expenses listed in the county commissioner minutes in
September of 1897 were:
Sept 6, 1897, p.94
Bills allowed:
Bill $48.95 of Geo.
Chappell, Sherriff expenses, $41.55 allowed
Bill $47.00 of Deputy
Sherriff C. A. Brown, $42.00 allowed
Bill $18.00 of Wilford
Pace bailiff and Deputy Sherriff, $16.00 allowed
Bill $15.00 of Julette
Blackburn
Bill of $12.50 of WS.
Rush, for bringing Blue John to Loa. $10.00 allowed.
Bill of $16.75 of W.
E. Sandford for bringing Blue John to Loa, $14.25 allowed
That law enforcement was very active in 1897 is reflected in
additional bills submitted on December 6 of that year:
Dec 6, 1897, p. 99
Bills Allowed:
Claim $10.00 of John
Cottrell Deputy Sherriff, $6.00 allowed.
Claim $15.10 of Geo.
Chappell Sherriff
Claim $19.75 of C. A
Brown for services as Deputy Sherriff and Bailiff, $18. 75 allowed.
Claim $53.25 of J. W.
Coons of Sevier Co. for boarding Blue John in County Jail at Richfield.
Claim $35.00 of John
Cottrell Deputy Sherriff.
The summer of 1898 brought more of the same on the east
desert. Ultimately, Blue John had been
acquitted and was back at the Roost resuming his bad habits. Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch were still
free planning their next train robbery or bank job. Joe Bush had proven the Roost was not
impenetrable, or at least the surrounding hide outs were vulnerable but few
arrests had been made. Cattle rustling were up across the whole region and the
cattlemen were getting ancy. On March 6
the Denver News called for an all-out war against the outlaws.
“The gangs have almost
depopulated the ranges within 200 miles of their retreats, and travelers,
farmers and freight wagons have been robbed so frequently as to cause little
comment. Murder has been frequent. The large cattle companies have been almost
driven out of business…Thieves, murderers and burglars from all over the
country have joined the gangs and radical measures are needed to get them
out. Ordinary measure will not do and
much blood will undoubtedly be shed before the three states are rid of the
pests….(reports have indicated) a state of terror existed, the like of which
does not bear a parallel in western or eastern history.” (30)
Before a full scale military operation could be organized to
rid the country of the criminals, on April 25, 1898, war was declared on Spain. Soon the energy aimed at the Wild Bunch was
shifted toward the Spanish menace in the Caribbean. (31) All major operations were postponed and the
task of maintaining law in the region was again turned over to the local law
men.
In Wayne County, the citizens wanted something done and
Sherriff George Armstrong Chappell was the man responsible. While still making
just $150 a year as sheriff, the $500 reward for the capture of any Robbers
Roost outlaw posted by Governor Heber M. Wells did add some incentive. (32) In the early morning cool, Sherriff Chappell
secured his saddle straps, checked his pack horse, gave last minute
instructions to his teenage sons, kissed Aurilla and swung into the saddle. He
reined his horse to the south and gave a gentle nudge.
Heading south along the gentle slope of the western Thousand
Lake and on to Thurber he was well on his way by mid-morning. Joining him along
the way was his deputy, Charles Brown.
Chasing desperate men was a risky business best not taken on alone. They would be joined by others. Moving southeast the road brought him to the
Fremont River where it left behind the broad upper valleys and entered the
majestic red rock country. A nice place to rest a horse and get a drink, the
small party stopped for a bit. Moving
east along the river bottoms, red cliffs loomed to the north and black rock
hills rose to the south. Arriving at
Cigarette Hallow they turned briefly south and up a draw a bit before crossing
the small stream and east up a wash that led them up onto the gentle Teasdale
Bench. Flat topped and rugged, to the
south the mid-summer thunder clouds were building over the Boulder Mountain as
by early afternoon they approached Poverty Bench (Torrey).
Well supplied and wanting to get a good start on their
excursion, they moved on from Torrey.
Just east of town, the rode moved up an incline and topping out, the
vista before him was at the same time breath taking and sobering. Cliffs,
canyons, ridges, peaked mountains and varied colors of red, orange, pink and
grey spread out in every direction.
Looking to the south, the blue/green Boulder Mountain, imposing and
rugged, dominated the horizon flattening out at over 11000 feet. The pinion
covered rise of Miner’s Mountain softened the transition from alpine forests to
desert. The peaks of the Henry Mountains
in the distance formed the back drop to the magnificent formations of the Water
Pocket Fold and future Capital Reef National Park. The layered red rocks immediately ahead were
carved and cut into a myriad of washes and canyons of varying depth and
width. Further ahead the down sloping
terrain suddenly rose to vertical red rock cliffs several hundred feet high.
This ancient Wingate formation swung to the north then west climbing toward
Boulder’s little sister, Thousand Lake, burying itself into the mountain’s base.
Moving off the ridge, the riders moved down through the
scattered pinion and juniper. Mixed with the red shale and sand stone slab,
large black lava rocks lay scattered a long side the road. Originating in the Thousand Lake foothills to
the northwest, Sulfur Creek bubbled over the rocks in the narrow stream bed
below. Crossing Sulphur Creek the riders
followed the stream east past a small ranch until the valley began to narrow
and the road turned northeast away from the deepening gorge. Moving away from the docile brook, the
impressive canyon through which it flowed toward the Fremont betrayed the
water’s fits of angry flash floods suffered each summer in late July and
August. Turning up a dry wash the road moved toward the cliffs and then
southeast toward the formation known, for obvious reasons, as Chimney Rock.
The shadows in the desert were growing long as they made
their final descent down red clay ridges into Junction, the small village nestled
among the cliffs where Sulphur Creek joined the Fremont River. Known today as Fruita, the area was first
settled by ancients who had long since left their primitive irrigations works
noted by the first Anglos visitors who arrived in the 1870’s. Nels
Johnson was the first white man to homestead the area but was soon joined by
the Behunins, Sorensons, Holts and Pierces.
Some 2000 feet lower than Rabbit Valley, by 1898 orchards were abundant
as were nut trees and grapes. Several
homes were scattered among the small farms and a school house had been
constructed north of Sulphur Creek just above its confluence with the larger
Fremont River. (33) Ten years previous,
lawmen frequented the area looking for Mormon polygamists who were known to
hide in the area – hence Cohab Canyon – an almost invisible canyon just east of
town known to be a hiding place for the reluctant fugitives. In 1898, it was a
different kind of outlaw using the obscure side canyons.
It’s hard to say if the travelers would have found
accommodations among the locals – or if they would have made a bed among the
apple trees. The fact that George
Chappell did not receive a single vote from the citizens of Junction in the
November 1886 elections, would suggest it was the later. (Appendix A) The many
grapes grown in the area had given rise to a small but thriving bootlegging
business. (34) Perhaps Sherriff Chappell on a previous visit had created some
grief for the local entrepreneurs and had thus fallen from favor.
In any case, having cared for his animals, he settled in for
the evening. In the dancing fire light,
he cradled his rifle across his lap and inspected the fine piece. While
the county may not have been paying top wages, they had provided him with the
best rifle of the day. His Winchester
Model 1895 was different from previous Winchester models in that it contained a
box magazine under the action rather than the traditional tubular magazine
which had been standard on Winchester rifles since their inception in 1866. Designed by the legendary John Browning, this
lever action rifle was designed not only to safely chamber military and hunting
cartridges with spitzer (pointed) bullets, but also tolerated the increased
pressures generated by the more powerful smokeless powder cartridges entering
common use at the time of its introduction. (35)
Shooting the relatively new .30-.40 Krag cartridge, this
smokeless powder round not only delivered a larger bullet, it arrived 25%
faster than the more common black powder .32-40 commonly used with the 1884
Winchester. (36) It also had better range than the newly released smokeless
30-30. The better rifles carried by the
law men had already shown their advantage when the year before, in pursuing
Rooster resident Joe Walker in the desert east of Hanksville, the longer range
firing had convinced the outlaw to abandon the fight and instead ride away. (37)
In later years, former Wayne County
Attorney Joseph Eckersley related the following:
“Sheriff George
Chappell was a very brave and courageous man, who on several occasions invaded
their (Cassidy’s gang) hangout area. He had a gun issued him by the United
States Government, a 30 U.S., that would outshoot their 30-30 Winchester
rifles. The sheriff with this gun put
fear into the gangsters. Many left the
area.”(38)
Of interest, in later years this prize gun, having suffered
the effects of 2 decades of use and abuse was in a state of disrepair when
George’s son Lee returned from World War 1.
Having been instructed in the proper care and maintenance of fire arms
in the military, Lee took the old gun and returned it to its former self. Later, George gave the gun to Lee among whose
descendants it remains.
Leaving Junction the next day, the road turned south
paralleling the cliffs of the Water Pocket Fold. This impressive formation near
100 miles long extends from Thousand Lake Mountain to the North, to the
Colorado River in the south. Named after the many “water pockets” found in its
eroded sandstone, the “Reef” as it was known by early Mormon settlers, created
a formidable barrier to travel between western and eastern Wayne County. The “colorful cliffs, massive domes, soaring
spires, stark monoliths, twisting canyons, and graceful arches” (39) would
attract tens of thousands of tourists not many years hence, but before the days
of hydraulic drills, diesel engines and Caterpillar, getting from one side to
the other was a problem.
Passage through the Reef was possible only through one of
several canyons. Native Americans, on
foot or horse most commonly used trails through Spring Canyon on the north or
through Pleasant or Oak Creek to the south. Access to Spring Canyon was either
north of Torrey or over a ridge just north of Chimney Rock. The trail then
followed Spring Canyon east to the Fremont River and then on through the Reef. (40)
In 1882, Elias H. Blackburn, Mormon
bishop of the Fremont Valley Ward obtained a $1000 dollar grant for a road
between Loa and the Colorado River. (41) In March of that year he and several
others took a trip down the river in search of a rout suitable for a wagon
road. Looking for the most direct
route, following the Fremont through the Reef seemed to make the most sense,
but this would require crossing the large winding stream some 50 times. To the north the difficult access and narrow
width eliminated Spring Canyon as an option. Moving south, Grand Gulch passed
through a section of the Reef but then joined the Fremont River with its
associated drawbacks. Further south in
Capital Wash the party found a route that while passing through a very narrow
gorge, did provide a route amenable to wagons.
It was along this road pioneered some sixteen years previous
that the riders followed south out of Junction, the tall cliffs of the Reef to
the left and the gradual red rock incline of Miner’s Mountain to the
right. Along the way, they passed the
entrance to Grand Gulch, a sometimes hideout for those avoiding the law,(42)
but having no reason to expect anyone hiding in the rugged canyon, the party
continued on to Capital Wash, several miles south of Junction. As they approached the entrance to Capital
Wash, the riders studied the western horizon intently. Thunderstorms which built over the Boulder Mountain
were known to move east into the desert causing flash floods that could be
deadly to those passing through the 6 mile long canyon. While most commonly a risk to late summer
travelers, it was just second nature for those familiar with the desert to
always be aware of the weather. You didn’t
need to get rained on to be in trouble – you just needed to be downstream.
Emerging from the canyon, the riders passed the small
cluster of farms along Pleasant Creek known as Notom. Riding northeast they
followed Pleasant Creek to the town of Aldridge established where the stream
joined the Fremont River. From there,
the road took a more easterly direction into a completely different world than
the one they had left on the west side of the Reef. Red rock, cliffs and pinion pine were replaced
by barren rolling blue clay and flat topped grey mesas. Other than the plant
life along the streams, the terrain was so void of plant and animal life it
would be used in future movie sets to represent otherworldly places such as
Mars. While relatively easy to transverse
when dry, the clay could become so sticky when wet, that travel could be near
impossible. One particularly precarious location through the blue clay country
was Blue Dug Way. Carved in the side of
a steep formation, the ascent and descent were always an adventure and at times
a hazard depending on the moisture content of the clay road base.
Beyond the Blue Dug Way, the road settled alongside the
Fremont River where it would continue for most of the remainder of the trip to
Hanksville. Along the way, they passed the towns of Caineville, Elephant,
Giles, Blue Valley, and Clifton.(43) It’s likely Sherriff Chappell and his
companions would have spent their second night in one of these communities
along the river still west of Hanksville.
Unhappily within fifteen years, the only remaining towns east of the
Reef would be Notom, Caineville and Hanksville – all the others having been
abandoned when repeated heavy floods made continued irrigation of farms
impossible.
Arriving in Hanksville, the up-county lawmen were greeted by
their local counterpart, John Cottrell.
Experienced not only with the territory but pursuing the Wild Bunch, Deputy
Cottrell was an invaluable asset to Sherriff Chappell. His knowledge of trails, water holes and
likely patterns of movement among the outlaws was essential information for any
successful foray into the Roost country.
Unfortunately, information on the whereabouts and movements
of the desert fugitives from the community of Hanksville was hard to get. Many of the local residents and businessmen
had regular interaction with the cowboy outlaws and for most, the interactions
had been positive. Being the closest
community to the Roost, residents of Robber’s Roost regularly came to town,
bought supplies, exchanged pleasantries with the people and provided an added
economic boost to one of the most geographically and economically isolated
locations in the United States. (44)
South of Hanksville, the impressive Henry Mountains with peaks
rising to over 11,000 feet dominated the view.
(The fact that these somewhat mysterious mountains were the last
mountain range to be added to the map in the lower 48 states points out just
how wild this land was at the turn of the century. (45)) To the east, the land was
flat and rolling. Void of trees and with
only scattered vegetation, very few dominant landmarks defined the land. Far in
the distance, the La Sal Mountains directly east and the Abajo further south,
marked the eastern edge of the rugged canyon country of the Colorado. Somewhere out there, lost in this wild
country, rugged men who did not want to be found, lived among the deep canyons
and dry plateaus.
There were only three routes into Robber’s Roost. One from Green
River to the north, another from Dandy Crossing to the south (this crossing was
later named Hite, after Cass Hite, the prospector who established the ford of
the Colorado River here in 1880. (46) The third route was out of Hanksville and was
a relatively short, but rough and dangerous, forty-five miles to the Roost. (47) Traveling to the Roost from Hanksville, the
trip is initially across the sandy, relatively level terrain of the Burr Desert.
However, the Dirty Devil River – created from the combination of the Fremont
River and Muddy Creek at Hanksville - flows in a south, southeast direction
cutting a deep swath through an otherwise gentle landscape. The deeply carved sandstone canyon along with
its accompanied side canyons created a natural barrier crossable at only one
place. Traveling down Beaver Box Canyon a man on foot or horse could drop off
the canyon rim into a steep gravel drainage, cross a fairly level bench and descend
into a series of massive sandstone bowls before crossing the river and
ascending the other side along the Angle Trail and out onto the Roost country. The loose trail across mostly open sandstone
both down to the river and back out created a dangerous exposure problem for
anyone coming through who may have others wishing he wouldn’t.
As Sherriff Chappell and his small posse headed out of
Hanksville that day in 1898, we can only guess their destination, route and
encountered difficulties. His son,
George A. Chappell, in a 1953 interview, reported that his father was in
eastern Wayne County in 1898 and that he was on the trail of Butch Cassidy:
“Sherriff Chappell
told of the time in 1898 of having Butch Cassidy trapped on a narrow trail on a
ledge. The Colorado River was a hundred
feet below and the ledge was extended several feet above. The sheriff was well concealed and knew that
Cassidy had not seen him. After waiting
several minutes longer than it would have taken Butch to reach that spot,
Sheriff Chappell started to look for him and discovered that somehow Butch
Cassidy had lowered his horse into the river and was safely past. He never knew how Cassidy found out that he
was on the trail that night.” (48)
The description of this event would suggest the pursuit was
more likely in the area of Dandy Crossing than out on the Roost. A possible scenario is that upon arriving in
Hanksville, John Cottrell or some another informant, made the lawmen aware that
a group of outlaws, including Butch Cassidy, were planning to move a herd of stolen
cows or horses southeast to Colorado.
Rather than trying to move on the Roost directly, a very dangerous
proposition as has already been described, the posse would have headed directly
toward the Colorado River and the Dandy Crossing ford.
The many canyons, cuts and gorges of the Colorado River and
tributaries put all the advantage to those who wait. The near limitless
locations for ambush were ideal for the holed up robbers, but turning the
tables, lawmen could also use the topography to their advantage. Having what they thought was a good idea of
the trails the outlaws would use, the lawmen set their trap – a location in
which the ruffians would have to pass directly between them and the river
below. Without an escape route and with
their pursuers having the surprise, Butch Cassidy and his riders would have no
choice but to relinquish or face certain death from the guns of the well
concealed posse. Unfortunately, and consistent with the legend surrounding
Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, the dark riders of Robber’s Roost slipped by
and quietly evaporated into the night.
Returning home, the Wayne County posse had stories to tell,
but no criminals to prosecute. Resuming
the more routine duties of a small town sheriff - not to mention full time
farmer – George Armstrong Chappell was busy as fall elections approached. Whether
he knew it or not, support among the citizenry had slipped. Facing a tough challenge from J.D. Pace,
Sherriff Chappell won re-election by only 14 votes. Interestingly, support
among his former neighbors in Loa was weak in both the 1896 and 1898 elections.
Perhaps some were disappointed in his inability to bring more of the outlaw
element to justice. It’s hard to say. His support in the communities most affected
by the cowboy outlaws was mixed. While he gained more votes among the
communities east of the Reef than his challenger, the results varied widely
depending on the community. He won
Cainesville easily, but did not do well in Hanksville. Considering the fickle nature of politics
it’s hard to say what this means. But given the close association of the Wild
Bunch with the citizenry of Hanksville, loss of popularity may have been a good
thing for a lawman. (Appendix A)
In the spring of 1899, more than just the usual cold winds
of spring were blowing in the Roost country.
The law was on the move. Pursuing
Blue John and Silver Tip, Sherriff Jesse M. (Jack) Tyler of Moab along with
several deputies rode south out of Green River and into the Roost. It was early
March and several prize horses had come up missing in Moab. Blue John and Silver Tip had been seen in
town and they were assumed responsible for the missing mounts. One of his deputies was familiar with the
country and led the posse to the outlaw’s camp in Roost Canyon. In the early morning hours of March 5, 1899,
a gun battle ensured in which the lawmen had Blue John, Silver Tip, Indian Ed
and one other unnamed outlaw pinned down for a time. The battle of Roost
Canyon, as it was later called, was by all accounts an intense exchange of
gunfire that eventually resulted in a leg wound to Indian Ed, but no other
casualties. Depending on the reference,
the battle ended with the outlaws escaping out the other side of the canyon (49);
or the lawmen making a hasty retreat when the outlaws’ strategically placed
bullets began hitting a bit too close (50).
Regardless of the immediate outcome, the battle did demonstrate to the
desert refugees the Roost was no longer a safe haven. Leaving Robbers Roost for good the four
split up. Blue John was last seen at
Hite headed down the Colorado River in a boat. (51). Indian Ed spent some time with a sheep camp
outside of Hanksville until he was well enough to ride then left the country to
never return. (52). Silver Tip headed
south toward Arizona where his adventures with the lawmen continued.
Being considerably older than the rest of the Wild Bunch
riders, Silver Tip was near 50 years old when he left the Roost for the last
time. He had first become acquainted with the country when he was hired on as a
cow hand around 1890. Shortly after, he
had met Blue John and Indian Ed Newcomb with whom he had done most of his
outlawing. In the words of Pearl Baker, “The three, Blue John, Silver Tip and Indian
Ed, circulated with the Wild Bunch, lending a hand wherever it was needed,
whether in bank robbery, horse stealing or whatever was under way.” He had dark brown hair, blue eyes and
always wore a large mustache. The silver grey hair around his temples gave him
the name of Silver Tip. (53)
While Sherriff Tyler was coming from the north, the
irrepressible Joe Bush was in the west outfitting in Torrey for another push
into the desert hideout. While Kelly and Baker make no mention of Sheriff
Chappell joining the excursion, Chappell family history states that George A
Chappell did, indeed, join Marshall Bush in pursuing the outlaws and was
involved with Bush in the apprehension of both Blue John and Silver Tip. (54) Moving east the posse was joined by Ott
Thompson and Jack Contrell (55).
While stationed at Granit Ranch, the lawmen received word
that Silver Tip was headed south with a herd of stolen horses. Picking up the trail, the posse followed
Silver Tip across some of the most spectacular and rugged country on earth eventually
catching up with him on the Pariah River about 20 miles above Lee’s Ferry.
The Grand Valley Times, June 9, 1899, states:
Howells, alias
Hawkins, alias ‘Silver Tip’, one of the party that made the fight on Sheriff
Tyler and posse in the San Rafael country last March has been captured by Joe
Bush and posse about 40 miles north of Lee’s Ferry near the Colorado
River…Silver Tip had with him a .30-.30 Winchester believed to have formerly
belonged to Moab Parties. He had 10 head
of horses with him when captured. (56)
While the newspaper article provides the facts of the
apprehension, in his book, The Outlaw Trail, Charles Kelly provides a more
colorful account (albeit with some artistic liberty):
“The posse made a dry
camp and prepared for an early morning attack.
Silver Tip was camped in an abandoned cabin just above the Wash. Bush ordered two men to approach the front
and shout. He and Ott Thompson hid
themselves in a wash below. With guns
drawn, the first two men leisurely began closing in. At their shout, Silver Tip jumped out a back
window, lit out down the wash and ran plump into the arms of Joe Bush.
Bush had drawn his
six-shooter; but when he tried to cock it the hammer stuck, because of a
defective primer. Thompson, scared half out of his wits, was trembling like a
leaf. In his excitement he accidentally
discharged his gun, narrowly missing Bush.
Silver Tip was armed with a very fancy gun but did not have an opportunity
to use it. Bush stepped up and relieved
him of the weapon, then snapped on the handcuffs.” (57)
According to Charles Kelly, the posse returned to Wayne
County where Silver Tip was left in the care of the local Sheriff. In his book, he mistakenly names John Hancock
as sheriff of Wayne County, (58) but it would be another year and a half before
Sheriff Chappell would lose the election to Mr. Hancock. Chappell family history relates that Sheriff
Chappell kept Silver Tip at his home in Lyman for several days while awaiting
an officer to transport him to Provo. It’s said the prisoner resided in the
granary and that Aurilla put him to work peeling potatoes. This would seem to corroborate with Mr.
Kelly’s comments about Silver Tip being kept at the home of the local sheriff
for several days – and that he made no effort to escape. (59).
Wayne County Commissioner minutes from June 6, 1899 report
the following:
June 6, 1899, p.127
Sherriff George
Chappell bills 7.50, 4.00, 10.00, 125.00;
$146.50
While not itemized, the amount of money paid to Sheriff
Chappell (the largest single payment noted on the Commissioner’s minutes in the
several years he served) would indicate he had had a very busy spring and is
consistent with a prolonged excursion on the desert and extended care of a
prisoner.
Wayne County Commissioner minutes would suggest Silver Tip
was not the only prisoner Sheriff Chappell cared for. On October 2, 1899, George Chappell Sheriff, was
paid $47.00 for boarding a Peter Neilson. (60)
And again on March 5, 1900, he was paid $40.00 for care of a prisoner.
Interestingly, during this same March meeting of the county commissioners, the
following resolution was passed: “All persons who may hereafter be convicted
of crime and placed in the custody of the sheriff or other officers of this
county be forthwith transferred to the county jail of Sevier County at
Richfield, Utah for safe keeping.” (61)
Silver Tip was brought back to Wayne County in the fall of
1900 to stand trial for attempted murder relating to the early spring 1899 gun
battle with Sheriff Tyler in Roost Canyon. (62)
Ultimately convicted he was sentenced to 10 years in the state
penitentiary. The trial and its outcome were reported in the Grand Valley Times
on September 29, 1900. (63). Sheriff
George Chappell was paid $16.00 that month for taking a prisoner to Richfield.
(64)
A prime example of the difficulty in teasing out fact from
folklore as it relates to the Wild Bunch is illustrated in the case of what
happened to Silver Tip after his conviction.
Joseph Eckersly, prosecuting attorney of Wayne County at the time,
related the following to Jack Chappell, grandson of George A Chappell:
“Silver Tip was turned
over to me to be prosecuted. He was hand
cuffed to the buggy and I was to deliver him to Price for trial. We came to a wash in Emery county to go
through that was filled with rushing flood water. Fearing for the safety of the prisoner in
crossing, I removed his cuffs. When in
the middle of the flood water, he jumped into the flood and escaped. I reported back to Sheriff Chappell the
incident. His name was put on the wanted
list to be captured again. Two months
later he was reported killed in a gun battle in Denver, Colorado and his case
was closed.” (65)
Charles Kelly writes that Silver Tip petitioned for and
received a retrial. He was at that time acquitted after which he gathered up
his stolen horses, changed his name and resumed his journey to Arizona. Later in Arizona he was killed by an Arizona
sheriff. (66).
Pearl Baker in her book quotes a newspaper article from the
Sun-Advocate of Price dated January 19, 1901:
“Silver Tip Howells,
or Hawkins, Wayne County’s noted criminal, released from the pen recently on
writ of Habeas Corpus proved too foxy for Sheriff Hancock at Torrey last week
and is now at large. While awaiting a preliminary
hearing, the sheriff allowed Howells to occupy a room by himself overnight, and
found next morning his bird had flown. Howells had served less than two years
of a ten year sentence. He has not been recaptured.”
Baker goes on to say he drifted north eventually settling in
Wyoming where he lived quietly the rest of his life never again having any
trouble with the law. (67)
A full listing of the charges submitted by Sheriff Chappell
during the year 1900 included:
March 5, 1900: Geo
Chappell taking care of prisoner 40.00 (March 5, 1900, p. 132)
June 6, 1900: Geo.
Chappell Sheriff 13.00 (June 6, 1900, p. 138)
September 4, 1900: Geo.
Chappell Sheriff for taking prisoner to Richfield $16.00 (Sept 4, 1900, p.
143)
November 12, 1900: Geo.
Chappell Sheriff expense 9.00 (68)
As he approached elections in the fall of 1900, things had
settled down in the county.
In November 1900, Sheriff Chappell lost re-election to John
A. Hancock, 291 to 317. In 1902 he would
run again and lose again. (Appendix A) Times were changing and at near 50 years
of age, maybe it was time for him to change, too. With the law now roaming the Roost, its fame
as a hide out for outlaws was fading.
While still occasionally inhabited by a few rowdies, the Wild Bunch had
moved on. Butch Cassidy and his gang
would continue to rob banks and trains but by 1902 he’d left for South
America. Joe Biddlecome was soon to
settle at the Roost and make a place of it – Robber’s Roost Ranch - and access
had improved. (69) No longer were night riders terrorizing the town folk east
of the Reef. It seemed with the turn of
the century even Wayne County, Utah was leaving behind the Old West of legend.
That George Armstrong
Chappell was involved in the conflict between lawmen and the outlaws at Robber’s
Roost is certain. He was the sheriff with jurisdiction over Robber’s Roost at
its high point in history. Butch
Cassidy, Harry Longabaugh – the Sundance Kid, Matt Warner, Joe Walker, Indian
Ed, Blue John and Silver Tip – famous names from a time still growing in fame
were his contemporaries. Wayne County
Court House records indicate he was involved in the care and transport of the
criminals. Unfortunately, he left no written record of his adventures into the
eastern desert and what oral histories we have are brief and non-specific. The
many legends and contradicting stories relating to this colorful time in the
history of the United States have created people and places larger than
life. The facts are about as clear as
murky water in a horse tack in the bottom of Roost Canyon. These
were times of legend. Perhaps in telling
the story of Sherriff George Armstrong Chappell, rather than try to dissect and
clarify, the better approach is to feed the fame and let the character ride
into the Burr Desert, tall in the saddle, Winchester at his side, a lone ranger
on the trail of bad men in an unforgiving majestic land.
References Chapter 18
1. Wayne
County Commissioners Minutes Book A, Wayne County Courthouse, Loa, Utah; p. 5
2. Wayne
County Commissioners Minutes Book A, Wayne County Courthouse, Loa, Utah; p. 11
3. Wayne
Commissioners Book A; p. 26
4. Wayne
Commissioners Book A; p. 69
5. Wayne
Commissioners Book A; p. 11
6. Charles
Kelly, The Outlaw Trail; A History of Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, 1938,
1959, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London; p.139
7. Kelly, p.
139
8. Kelly p.
142
9. Kelly, p.
141-142
10. The
Utonian, of Beaver, Utah, as quoted in Kelly, p. 155
11. Kelly, p.
152
12. Kelly, p.
152
13. Kelly, p.
154
14. Miriam B.
Murphy, A History of Wayne County, 1999, Utah State Historical Society, Wayne
County Commission; p.183
15. Murphy, p.
183-84
16. Murphy, p.
184
17. Wayne
Commissioner Book A; p. 90
18. Pearl
Baker, The Wild Bunch at Robbers Roost, 1965, 1971, University of Nebraska
Press, Lincoln Nebraska; p.31
19. Kelly,
p.148
20. Wayne
Commissioner Book A; p. 76
21. Kelly, p.
155
22. Baker,
p.136
23. Kelly, p.
156
24. Murphy p.
185
25. Kelly,
p.157
26. Baker,
pp.133-34
27. Kelly, p.
156
28. Wayne
Commissioner Book A; pp. 96, 99, and 105
29. Chappell
Family History, Blue Book; p. 14
30. Kelly, p.
209
31. Kelly,
p.212
32. Murphy p.
184
33. George E.
Davidson, Red Rock Eden; The Story of Fruita; 1986, Capital Reef Natural History
Association, pp. 15-16
34. Davidson,
p.18
35. Winchester
Model 1895, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_rifle, March, 2013
36. Wikipedia,
March 2013
37. Kelly, p.
173
38. Chappell
Family History, Blue Book; p. 14
39. Capitol
Reef National Park web site, http://www.nps.gov/care/naturescience/geology.htm;
March 2013
40. Rosemary
Sucec, Fulfilling Destinies, Sustaining Lives: The Landscape of the Waterpocket
Fold; An Ethnographic Overview and Assessment of American Indian Histories and
Resource Uses within Capital Reef National Park, Utah, and on Lands Surrounding
It; 2006, National Park Service, US
Department of the Interior; p.22
41. Voyle L.
and Lillian S. Munson; A Gift of Faith – Elias H. Blackburn; 1991,
Basin/Plateau Press; p. 201
42. Kelly, p.143
43. Davidson,
Red Rock Eden; p.20
44. Kelly, p.
154
45. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Mountains,
March, 2013
46. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hite_Crossing_Bridge
- March 2013
47. Kelly, p.
142
48. Aldus D.
Chappell, The Settlement and Development of Wayne County, Utah, to 1900; p.39
49. Kelly,
p.218
50. Baker, p.
142
51. Baker, p.
144. Kelly, p. 219
52. Baker, p.
145
53. Baker,
pp.132-33
54. Chappell
Family History, Blue Book, p. 14
55. Kelly, p.
220. Baker, p. 146
56. Baker, p.
147
57. Kelly, pp.
221-22
58. Kelly, p.
222
59. Kelly, p.
222
60. Wayne
Commissioner Book A; p.128
61. Wayne
Commissioner Book A; March 5, 1900, p. 132
62. Kelly,
p.222
63. Baker, p.
148
64. Wayne
Commissioner Book A; Sept 4, 1900, p. 143
65. Chappell
Family History, Blue Book; p. 14
66. Kelly, p.
223
67. Baker, p.
148
68. Wayne
Commissioner Book A; Nov 12, 1900, p. 146
69. Baker, p. 2
Appendix A:
Election results
Nov 3, 1896,
pp. 84-85
(Election results) Sherriff
George Chappell (Dem) 315; Fremont-51, Loa-61, Lyman-30,
Thurber-49, Teasdale-21, Grover-19, Dale-9, Cainesville-35, Burgess-23,
Hanksville-17, Junction-0
Wilber J Wilson (Rep) 166; Fremont-19, Loa-73, Lyman-7,
Thurber-15, Teasdale-22, Grover-5, Dale-3, Cainesville-4, Burgess-2,
Hanksville-4, Junction-17
Nov 14,
1898, pp. 116-117
For Sherriff
Geo Chappell (Dem) 248:
Fremont-41, Loa-53, Lyman-32, Thurber-45, Teasdale-26, Grover-10,
Dale-6, Caineville-22, Burgess-9, Hanksville-4, Junction-0
J.D. Pace (Rep) 234:
Fremont-34, Loa-83, Lyman-11, Thurber-17, Teasdale-36, Grover-7, Dale-4,
Caineville-7, Burgess-6, Hanksville-16, Junction-13
Nov. 12,1900
election returns, pp. 150-51
For county Sheriff:
Geo. Chappell (D) Fremont 33, Loa 68, Lyman 29, Thurber 45,
Teasdale 17, Grover 17, Dall 5, Cainville 33, Burgess 23, Hanksville 5, Fruita
0, Torrey 16. Total: 291
John A Hancock (R) Fremont 49, Loa 87, Lyman 21, Thurber 34,
Teasdale 31, Grover 14, Dall 9, Cainville 10, Burgess 9, Hanksville 15, Fruita
12, Torrey 26. Total: 317
November 4,
1902, pp. 196-97
Election results for County Sheriff
George A Chappell, D: Fremont 22, Loa 72, Lyman 43, Thurber
40, Teasdale 16, Grover 8, Torrey 5, Fruita 23, Notom 32, Caineville 1, Giles 2
, Hanksville 1: Total 265
John A Hancock, R:
Fremont 58, Loa 80, Lyman 19, Thurber 17, Teasdale 30, Grover 11, Torrey
6, Fruita 10, Notom 7, Caineville 19, Giles 10, Hanksville 29. Total: 296
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