Portneuf Canyon, Idaho Stage Robbery
Before the iron horse roared its way through the vast expanse of the Idaho Territory, a network of freight and stage lines served as the lifeblood of transportation, facilitating the movement of trade goods and precious gold. These routes, vital for connecting Montana’s burgeoning mining towns with the established settlements of Utah, were crucial to the economic development of the region.
In 1864, the ambitious Ben Holladay expanded his stagecoach empire into Idaho, providing a much-needed service that linked remote communities and fostered commerce. However, these pathways were not without peril. The Portneuf Canyon, Idaho Stage Robbery became one of the infamous events, highlighting the dangers that travelers faced. The Portneuf Road, a vital artery stretching from Virginia City, Montana, to Pocatello, Idaho, soon became a prime target for bandits. It was a route known to carry riches extracted from Montana’s gold mines, making it a tempting prize for those who lurked in the shadows of the surrounding forests.
On a fateful day, July 26, 1865, the dangers inherent in traveling the Portneuf Road materialized in a meticulously planned act of robbery. This Portneuf Canyon, Idaho Stage Robbery was the culmination of a plot hatched months earlier. The story involves a cast of characters as colorful as they were dangerous.
The genesis of the Portneuf Canyon, Idaho Stage Robbery can be traced back to a saloon in Boise City, Idaho, in May 1865. It was there that four outlaws, driven by greed and a thirst for adventure, convened to plan their audacious heist. Leading this band of rogues was Brockie Jack, a hardened criminal who had recently escaped from an Oregon jail and sought refuge on a nearby ranch. His cunning and experience made him a natural leader.
The second prominent member of the group was none other than Big Dave Updyke, a man whose position of authority masked his criminal inclinations. Just months before, Updyke had been elected Ada County Sheriff, a role that provided him with both power and a veneer of respectability. However, his reputation was tarnished by his association with known felons, and he was closely watched by the Payette Vigilance Committee, a group dedicated to maintaining law and order in the region. Updyke’s dual life as a lawman and an outlaw added a layer of intrigue to the plot.
Willy Whittmore, known for his volatile temper and deadly accuracy with a firearm, was the third member of the gang. His reputation as a quick-tempered gunslinger made him a valuable asset in the planned robbery. The fourth man, Fred Williams, was a relatively unknown figure in the criminal underworld, adding an element of mystery to the group.
On May 31, 1865, these four outlaws embarked on their journey from Boise City towards the Portneuf Stage Route in eastern Idaho, a distance of over 200 miles. Upon reaching Ross Fork Creek, near Fort Hall, they established a base camp from which they would finalize the details of their daring hold-up. Fred Williams was tasked with traveling to Virginia City, Montana, to gather intelligence about the gold shipments. His mission was to confirm that the stage line would indeed be carrying the precious cargo. Once he was certain, he was to purchase a ticket and ride along as a passenger, providing the inside information needed for the robbery’s success.
While Williams was gathering intelligence, the other three bandits ventured south along the stage road, meticulously searching for the perfect location to execute their plan. A few miles south of present-day Pocatello, they discovered a narrow canyon, densely timbered, rocky, and overgrown with brush. The canyon’s natural features provided ideal conditions for an ambush, offering concealment and strategic advantages.
Convinced that they had found the perfect spot, the bandits began to meticulously plan the details of the Portneuf Canyon, Idaho Stage Robbery. They gathered several large boulders, carefully concealing them out of sight, to be used as a roadblock to halt the stagecoach. In addition, they decided that Willy Whittmore, armed with a new Henry repeating rifle, would be responsible for shooting the lead horses if the driver attempted to circumvent the roadblock.
With the plans in place, the three bandits returned to Ross Fork Creek to await the arrival of their accomplice, Fred Williams. Nearly two weeks passed before they received any word. Finally, on July 21, 1865, the stagecoach departed Virginia City, carrying a seasoned driver named Charlie Parks and seven passengers, including Fred Williams, who was traveling under an assumed name.
The stagecoach, carrying its valuable cargo, crossed the Ruby Mountains and spent its first night at the Corral Station, near present-day Dillon, Montana. For the next three days, the stagecoach traveled along the route where the Union Pacific Railroad would later be built, heading towards Pocatello.
On the fourth evening of their journey, the stagecoach stopped at the Sodhouse Station for an overnight rest. After the passengers had finished their evening meal, Williams excused himself and discreetly made his way to the Ross Fork Camp. He shared the news that two large strongboxes laden with gold were being transported on the stage. The other outlaws celebrated the confirmation of their target with a few celebratory drinks of whiskey before Williams returned to the stagecoach, his absence unnoticed by the other passengers.
On July 26, 1865, the stagecoach set out once again, its destination Pocatello. Around midday, it reached the stream near where the three outlaws were hidden in the brush, the spot they had picked out for the Portneuf Canyon, Idaho Stage Robbery. As the stagecoach slowed down to cross the water, it lumbered through, went up the bank, and came to an abrupt halt. Across the road, the boulders that the bandits had carefully placed were now blocking the way. Suddenly, the outlaws emerged from their hiding places with guns raised, their faces masked and their intentions clear.
From inside the coach, one of the passengers, a professional gambler named Sam Martin, bravely poked his head out of the side door, a revolver clutched in his hand. Aiming at Whittmore, he pulled the trigger, shooting off Whittmore’s left index finger.
Enraged by the sudden resistance, Whittmore shouted, "It’s a trap!" and began to unleash a hail of bullets from his rifle into the side of the stagecoach. In a desperate attempt to escape the ambush, Charlie Parks, the driver, tried to break through the brush, but Brockie Jack swiftly shot both lead horses, bringing the stagecoach to a standstill.
Hit by some of the buckshot, the injured Parks scrambled down from the coach and fled into the woods. Meanwhile, Fred Williams, the outlaw accomplice, and James B. Brown, a Virginia City saloon keeper, also managed to escape into the nearby timbers.
Finally, Brockie Jack seized the rifle from Whittmore’s hands, and the sounds of gunfire ceased. Cautiously, Jack approached the stagecoach, covered by Whittmore and Updyke. "Come out of there with your hands up," he called out, but his words were met with only silence. He opened the stage door and shouted, "My God, they’re all dead."
Inside the coach, the scene was horrific. The bodies of five passengers lay broken and lifeless. Sam Martin, the professional gambler who had shot Whittmore, was among the dead. Mr. and Mrs. Andy Ditmar, a Mormon couple who had been visiting relatives in Bannock, Montana, were also victims of the carnage. Jess Harper, an ex-Confederate soldier on his way to visit his parents in Sacramento, California, had met his untimely end. And L. F. Carpenter, who was headed for San Francisco to catch a steamship to New Orleans, lay injured, feigning death in a desperate attempt to survive. All were dead except Carpenter, injured and faked his death to survive.
As the bandits began to loot the stagecoach and its dead passengers, accomplice Fred Williams emerged from the woods, his arm broken by one of Whittmore’s bullets. However, the other outlaws were too consumed by their frenzied plundering to pay him much attention. Whittmore and Brockie Jack hauled the two heavy strongboxes from the stage and cracked the large iron locks with an ax. Inside, they found 15 heavy gold bars and two large pouches filled with gold dust and nuggets. Two more pounds of gold dust and nuggets were discovered in the passenger compartment. Elated with their stolen cache, the four outlaws packed up and rode out of the canyon.
After the bandits had disappeared from sight, Charlie Parks, the stage driver, and James B. Brown, the Virginia City saloon keeper, cautiously emerged from the timbers. Brown pulled the still-breathing Carpenter from beneath the dead bodies, and together, they made him and the injured Parks as comfortable as possible inside the coach. Brown then cut the stage loose from the two dead horses and drove it to Miller Ranch Station, where they could seek help.
As the survivors recounted their stories, Parks recognized Brockie Jack and David Updyke, while James Brown positively identified Fred Williams and Willy Whittmore. In an attempt to recover its $86,000 loss, the insurance company immediately offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the gold and the capture of the robbers. Meanwhile, the vigilance committee issued orders to hang the criminals once they were apprehended.
Willy Whittmore, the hot-tempered gunman who had killed all the passengers, was the first to be caught. While on a drinking binge in Arizona, he resisted arrest when lawmen tried to take him in and was subsequently shot. Just a week later, Fred Williams was captured in Colorado and hanged by the local vigilance committee. Both men were nearly penniless when they were killed.
David Updyke’s fate was different. As the elected sheriff, the vigilantes waited until they felt it was appropriate to punish him. He was arrested in September 1865 for defrauding the revenue and failing to arrest a hard-case outlaw. Updyke made bail and fled to Boise City, where he had more influence. By the following spring, Updyke feared for his safety and, accompanied by another outlaw named John Dixon, left Boise on April 12, 1866. They were captured by vigilantes and hanged the next day.
Brockie Jack seemingly disappeared without a trace.
The gold bars were never recovered. This, coupled with the weight of the bars and the destitute state of the three men killed, has led to much speculation that the gold was buried near the Portneuf Canyon, Idaho Stage Robbery site. The gold, valued at $86,000 at the time of the theft, would now be worth about $1.6 million. The robbery site was in the canyons around the Portneuf River, a few miles south of present-day Pocatello, Idaho.
