Richard A. Riepe was born in Germany and came to Nevada in the early 1870s where he served as an assembly member for White Pine County in 1889-1891. Riepe served as postmaster August 27, 1887. Richard Riepe laid out the town site for Reiptown in December 1907. This tiny settlement grew up to supply facilities forbidden in the adjacent Consolidated Copper town of Kimberly. Reiptown quickly had a busy street of saloons, dance halls and gambling clubs frequented by miners from nearby Kimberly and Ruth. By 1909, Riepetown had gained the distinction of being the wettest town in the county and one of the state’s toughest communities. It thrived on liquor, gambling and prostitution. Knifings, robberies and fistfights were regular occurrences. Numerous cribs and 16 saloons served the district. Various interests suggested that Reiptown conduct its affairs more discreetly. The local county sheriff was told he must see that the dance hall girls don Mother Hubbards when parading the street.
A post office opened in Reiptown May 1, 1909. A small frame building served as a jail to hold Riepetown’s most exuberant patrons. Its first occupants easily escaped one night by removing the floor and mining for their liberty. The post office closed April 30, 1912 and Kimberly became the address for its patrons. The Complete Official Road Guide to the Lincoln Highway, published in 1916, made no mention of the saloons in Riepetown. It mentioned the availability of a railroad station, gas, drinking water, radiator water and telephone for travelers. A fire wiped out the saloon district in 1917. Riepetown’s days of easy money were thought to be numbered. The town arose from the ashes because approximately 200 people had established homes there. After saloons and restricted districts were reopened, Reiptown again became a seat of pleasure.
White Pine County began imposing strict controls for liquor licenses for saloons late in 1917. Riepetown answered that problem by incorporating so that it could liberally issue its own licenses and draft its own city ordinances.
The town was forced to disincorporate in 1919 by act of the state legislature. Saloons were eliminated early the next year by the 18th Amendment. Prohibition kept Riepetown from fading completely away. Instead, Bootleg joints maintained Riepetown’s reputation as a wide-open town in spite of the 18th Amendment.
Negative always has more impact than positive therefore Riepetown’s wild reputation is mentioned most frequently. There was also a more conservative type of resident of Riepetown. Many fine citizens have their roots at Reiptown.
The good and bad elements of Riepetown and Kimberly combined to make the story of John Data, and the scene of one of Nevada’s first extortion cases.
Joe and John Data were two popular entrepreneurs in Riepetown. Both were small men, and were immigrants from Italy. They came to the United States in 1906 and arrived in Riepetown in 1912 to establish a general store and saloon.
Joe and John were likeable men who worked hard and were always pleasant. A miner did not go hungry or sleep in the rain if the Data brothers knew of his need. For thirty-five years, they were never known to break their word or be guilty of a mean act. Both were bachelors, thrifty by nature. They were very proud of the two-story brick structure, the largest store building in Riepetown. The structure had sleeping rooms upstairs, a general store on one side of the fist floor and a saloon on the other side. Living quarters for the brothers were at the rear. John Data became a director of a bank in Ely. During the war years, John and Joe made it a habit to lead off every war bond drive in White Pine County with the purchase of a $10,000 bond. Joe died in 1945 and John Data was left alone. By this time, John Data was fifty-nine years old. He continued to run the Riepetown store and saloon with the help of an old Italian friend known about town as Old Pete.
The following version of the kidnapping of John Data is my adaptation of an article written by Lohren Applegate in True Detective Magazine, July 1947 issue after an interview with John Data. (Margaret Knous, daughter of prosecuting attorney C.A. Eddy provided the magazine for the research.)
On May 25, 1946, two strangers entered the Data Brothers Bar in Riepetown, ordered beer, drank it and left almost immediately. Thee other customers departed a few minutes later and John Data started cleaning for the night. At 9:50 p.m., two men wearing masked entered. John Data thought they were the same two men who had entered earlier and drank the beer and left. One of them was tall, with red hair, and appeared to be the leader. Two case knives were jammed into the casing of the door so no one could enter, then the tall redhead went behind the bar to the cash register and scooped into his hand all the currency and silver - $58. John Data was speechless with amazement and disbelief as the shorter man stood by the door with a gun leveled on him. The redheaded leader, disgusted with the take from the cash register, turned off the light in the center of the saloon and ordered Data to open the safe. Data told him he couldn’t - the safe would only open at a certain time.
Furious, the two men ordered him to the basement. After slapping Data around, they tied a rag in his mouth and removed his left shoe and stocking. While the smaller of the two men held Data’s foot, the leader struck a match and when it was burning well, jammed it into Data’s foot. Again the combination for the safe was demanded, and again, refused. The torture was repeated four more times before the decision was made to take Data out into the country and force him to talk. Data was taken to an abandoned ranch house at Lyon Springs. Fearing he was about to die, Data finally gave them the combination, but repeated it was on a timer and the combination would not work.
Taking Data back to the saloon, the men attempted to open the safe but were unsuccessful. They drove Data back into the country, and fearing for his life, he offered to buy his life from them. Going back to the saloon, Data gave them a sack of money that he had hidden in an egg crate. The men took out $121 in currency but did not touch the approximately $900 in checks. Before leaving, the men went through the saloon and store searching for more hiding places.
Data was threatened that if he breathed a word about the robbery the men would return and kill him. Data kept his word. When someone questioned him about his limp, he just laughed it off with a remark about bunions.
Data’s redheaded tormentor returned on November 17, 1946. This time he wore no mask. He was about six feet tall, with fair freckled skin, gray eyes and sandy red hair that receded in two points. Data guessed him to be about thirty years old.
The redhead ordered a beer, pulled a gun, and again closed the front door with two knives shoved into the casing. Data was forced to turn out the light and unlock the side door. Another man soon walked in the side door. He was masked and shorter than the redhead was. As soon as this second man arrived, Data was again taken to the basement. There, the redhead prodded him with the muzzle of the gun that he was black and blue all over his chest and ribs for several weeks. This time $15,000 was demanded to be delivered on the evening of November 31. Data was to leave the building at 9:05 - 9:07, leaving the light on. He was to proceed to the highway, staying on the right side of the road, walking toward the Ruth cutoff. A car with two me would come along, and Data was to hand them a bag with $15,000 in it. John Data had to repeat the instructions until they were sure he understood.
John Data tried to explain to the two men that he did not have that much money. The men knew he had a large amount of bonds. John told them that they were in a yet unsettled estate. They were in both his brother’s and his name, and the brother had recently died.
They took Data back up stairs, and again relieved the cash register of its contents -$28. When Data pleaded with them to reconsider the amount, the men finally lowered the demand to $10,000. He was told to have that much money by November 31 even if he had to mortgage the place. John Data finally pointed out to him that November only has thirty days. The robber agreed to December 1.
Data was convinced he would die December 1. Finally he approached a wealthy friend and asked to borrow $7,000 in cash. The friend did not hesitate to give him the loan, but knew something was wrong and wanted to help. He finally pumped the whole story from John about the two robberies, the torture and the extortion demand.
After many hours of discussion, Data’s friend convinced him that he must let the Sheriff know. They called the office of the Sheriff, Thomas J. McLaughlin. He was in Salt Lake City on official business, and Deputy Robert Christiansen took the call. After putting the victim through an exhaustive questioning, Christiansen promised to use the greatest discretion in the case. When the Sheriff arrived back in town the deputy told him privately of the John Data extortion case.
Tom McLaughlin was a shrewd officer and was not at a loss as to how to proceed on the case. He advised Christiansen to not tell the other deputies. They called in Sergeant Shirley Robison of the Nevada State police. On Sunday, November 24, the three officers spent most of the day discussing and working out the detail of their plan. The decision was made to have a carefully planned stakeout. Shirley Robison reminded them that they were going to need a lot of help. The stakeout had to be over a three-mile area and would require more men than the State Police and county office could muster. The officers felt that they required at least twenty men. The State Police force had only five members spread over a vast area, but Robison felt they could all be counted on. Sheriff McLaughlin stated he could call in all his deputies and special deputies, and furnish ten men. Chief Henry Marriott, Ely City Police and his two patrolmen, were also special deputies of the county office. They could work outside of the city and help. Needing two more men, the decision was made to call upon Sheriff Jack Fogliani of Lincoln County thus showing a great example of the cooperation between law-enforcement agencies in rural Nevada. No explanation was given to the heads of the various agencies for fear of a leak. Sheriff McLaughlin just called on them and asked if they would send men on “a little bit of business.” All agreed without question.
Officers who were to participate in the trap met at the White Pine County courthouse at 7:00 p.m. Friday November 29. All were strongly warned against mentioning the meeting, even to wives, and to park cars away from the courthouse. They were to arrive by twos and threes.
Inspector Tom Williams and Sergeant Russell Plank of the State Police were not to attend the meeting. They were to come to Ely dressed in plain clothes and stay in a tourist cabin that had been rented for them. They were to spend Saturday and Sunday in the backroom of John Data’s store. Data had been cautioned to carry on business as usual.
Sheriff McLaughlin and Sergeant Robison went into Riepetown to inform John Data of the plans. An offer was made to have an officer take John Data’s place, but, although he was frightened, John Data wanted to go through with the thing. He feared the criminals would recognize a substitute had been made and kill first the officer, then Data. John Data felt that it was his risk and he would take it.
The three officers who knew of the impending event spent three days preparing for it. Sheriff McLaughlin prepared the money by dusting it with a gray, clinging powder that would not be noticed in the dark. The packet of currency was placed in a moneybag of an Ely bank and the teller was told that John Data would call for it on Saturday morning.
On Friday, Sheriff McLaughlin briefed Data on the part he was to play. At exactly 9:07 on Sunday night John Data was to do as the redheaded extortionist had demanded. The only variance was for Data to carry a small flashlight. When he made contact with the criminals car he was to shine the light and drop into the ditch, leaving the officers to take care of the rest.
To understand the stakeout plan the Sheriff laid out to his men and the cooperating agencies, it is necessary to describe the topography between Riepetown and the Ruth cutoff, three miles northeast.
Data’s store faced south on a street one block south of the highway. A few hundred yards from Riepetown the highway made a sharp turn north. After running straight for about half a mile, the highway made a sweeping curve around a rock-topped knoll that rose about two hundred feet above the level of the road. The Ruth cutoff was a paved road that intersected with the highway a few hundred feet beyond the curve. Somewhere along this three-mile stretch, the extortionists planned to meet John Data.
Sheriff McLaughlin appointed the officers to their positions. Superintendent Moody and Sergeant Robison of the State Police were to set up a roadblock at the west end of Riepetown. Inspector Williams and Sergeant Plank would be in the Data store. The street that ran along the east side of the store provided an escape route to the south, so Deputy Van McBride and Special Deputy Vic Zerga of White Pine County were ordered to blockade that road south of town.
Near the junction of the highway and the street from his store that Data was to travel was an abandoned house known as the Miners House. The three deputies with the most important assignment - Bob Christiansen, Leslie Tilford and Al Martin - were stationed here. Their mission was to watch Data pass and see if he was being followed. As soon as Data turned on the highway, these men were to slip out the back door at ten-second intervals and follow his progress in the sagebrush to the side, keeping John Data covered all the time. It was explained to them that the most dangerous moment would be at the first turn in the road where the old mine dump came so close to the side of the highway that they would be exposed for a moment.
Sheriff McLaughlin did not believe the gang would make John walk the three miles to the Ruth cutoff. His guess was a spot about one-half mile from the turn, and not quite a mile from Riepetown. The Sheriff pointed out a small wagon trail about two hundred yards beyond where he expected the pick-up to occur. Deputy Ed Hand and Lincoln County Deputy Joe Hollinger were to watch this road.
About halfway around the curve the highway made to the east, on the northwest side of the right away, there were some abandoned shacks. McLaughlin though this was a weak spot in their plan. Stationing men in these buildings would draw attention, and for all they knew the men could be using them.
Farther down the highway where the curve straightened out, another narrow dirt road crossed that lead to Lower Lyon Springs. This was where John Data had been taken on the first robbery. Here McLaughlin stationed Deputy William Merrill.
At the Ruth cutoff, Lincoln County Sheriff Jack Fogliani, Ely City Patrolman Deloy Anderson and Sergeant Paul Jenkins of the State Police were delegated to set up another roadblock.
Police Chief Henry Marriott of Ely and Acting Coroner Jack Francy was to stay in the Sheriff’s office in Ely. It would be the Chief’s duty to stop the extortionists if they managed to slip through the blockade and speed towards Ely.
Charles Duncan stationed himself on top of the knoll, equipped with a pistol and a giant spotlight. The Sheriff needed a man at this spot who was cool and sharpsighted. He was to signal with a flare and spotlight as soon as Data flashed his light. The Sheriff was to leave the Ruth cutoff at 9:12, driving a taxicab with Patrolman Bill Neil as passenger. The Sheriff emphasized that he wanted every man to memorize the position of the other. He didn’t want them to start shooting each other.
Although the Sheriff preferred to see that the criminals were taken alive, his first duty was to John Data. His orders were to give the guys a chance to surrender, but to use their own judgement.
On Saturday John Data went to the bank as arranged and received the prepared money sack. The plan of operation went into effect Saturday at noon when the two State Policeman, Williams and Plank, sauntered into Data’s store in work clothes. Williams carried a bedroll. This was not an unusual sight, except that this bedroll hid a sawed-off shotgun. The two men slept in a ground-floor bedroom that night and during the day sat in a back room that gave them of view of the entire store.
Just after dark on Sunday night, Sheriff McLaughlin took Christiansen, Tilford and Martin to the Miner’s Home in a private car. These deputies had the weird experience of almost encountering one of the criminals. A dog’s incessant barking drew Christiansen to the back of the house. He spotted the outline of a big man, and heard him scrape his feet. The leader who had threatened to follow Data on foot had chose the same hiding place as the law! The dogs barking forced the man to cross the street and hide near another shack.
At 9:07, John Data left the store with his flashlight and moneybag in his hand. The deputies saw him pass the Miner’s Home and slipped out the back door to cover him on his walk. They soon saw by the lights of passing cars that another figure was walking about a hundred feet behind Data. In relays, one deputy kept a gun leveled on the mysterious figure while the others moved to new positions. The stalker soon closed the distance between himself and Data and when Sheriff McLaughlin drove the taxi by at 9:15 the two figures were together.
On his return trip from Riepetown, Sheriff McLaughlin miscalculated his timing by a matter of seconds, but had to drive on because there were just the two men and no attempt at a pick-up had been made. Soon a very black sedan stopped beside the two men. The rear door was flung open and the stranger tried to drag Data inside the automobile. Data replied that he would prefer to walk, backing away, turned his flashlight on and waved it. The man grabbed Data’s arm again.
Undersheriff Duncan spotted Data’s signal, fired a flare and swung the spotlight across the sky in the signal to tell that the showdown had come. They ordered the men to throw up their hands. The stranger grabbed Data and attempted to throw him into the car, but the diminutive Data managed to wrest himself free. The car jerked into motion, but a fusillade of bullets stopped it before it moved more than a few feet.
Two men sprang from the front seat and rushed down the road ahead of the car. The officers again called for them to halt. When they failed to comply, the officers started shooting again. One extremely tall man fell in the middle of the road. Another escaped from the range of the headlights, but Deputies Hand and Hollinger, who were stationed a short distance down the road, stepped out and grabbed him. This man was the only one of the three men to come out alive.
The youth who still lived was Junior Everatt Williams, twenty-two, and the owner of the car. The tall man killed running from the car was his brother Owen Eugene Williams, twenty-eight. The youth was so frightened the Sheriff could get nothing from him but his name and address in Kimberly until later at the courthouse.
The ringleader was Gordon (Red) Winegarner, thirty-two. Papers found in his pocket showed he lived in Kimberly where he worked in a mine. Officers were immediately dispatched to search the quarters of Winegarner and the William's.
When they searched Winegarner’s room, they found jewelry from a Pioche robbery. Another associate of Winegarner’s was found in Kimberly. This was a youth named Allen David Johnson. Johnson was arrested and admitted to having taken part in the November robber of the Data store. Johnson had been afraid of the extortion plot and backed out. He denied any knowledge of Winegarner’s relations with the Williams brothers.
Sheriff McLaughlin and District Attorney C. A. Eddy had a difficult time finding a charge that could be successfully lodged against Junior Williams. With Winegarner and his brother dead, it was hard to disprove his story that he was an innocent motorist flagged down on the highway. The Sheriff gathered proof that the Williams brothers had been seen with Winegarner on more than one occasion and Williams amended his story. He then declared that he and his brother were heavily in debt and merely agreed to come along the Riepetown road at a certain time and pick up Winegarner.
Junior Williams was charged with being an accessory to the extortion. The fact that he was, as claimed, heavily in debt, and had no previous blotch on his record, may have mitigated the fact that he owned the pick-up car. When he was brought to trial the result was a hung jury.
On December 19 1946, Allen David Johnson was brought to trial on the charge of robbery. The case was heard in the Seventh Judicial Court of Nevada with Judge Harry M. Watson presiding. C. A. Eddy was the prosecuting attorney. This was a short-lived trial - Johnson plead guilty that same day. On December 21, 1946, Judge Watson sentenced Johnson to from five to fifteen years in the Nevada State Penitentiary, Carson City, Nevada.
In an interview with Rick and Kristi Steber in Ruralite, (loaned to the author by Kaye and Elaine Kirkeby for reference) June 1985, Blythe Jones gave some personal reflections on his time spent as the law in Riepetown. July 1, 1948 the sheriff talked Blythe (Jonesy) Jones into taking the deputy position in Riepetown. He was given a badge, gun, and set of handcuffs with no key. Jonesy’s first day on the job started with a bang - literally. He got a call from the bartender of the Pastime Club (better known as the Bucket of Blood) saying that a fellow had killed two men and gone home for more ammunition. Jonesy recalled that he was scared to death. He got to the fellow’s house just and he was coming out and managed to get the drop on him. He arrested the man, got the handcuffs on, and called the sheriff. When the sheriff arrived, Jonesy told him that he had never been so scared in his life, and they needed to find another boy. A FBI agent was sent to talk to Jonesy who told him that anyone who goes against a gun is scared. If they weren’t, they’d have no sense at all. The agent asked Jonesy to give it a try for awhile. He did. Thirty years worth.
Blythe Jones recalled that Riepetown could be rough. He recalled the story of a fellow who supposedly got rolled by one of the ladies of easy virtue. The fellow had her up against the wall with a butcher knife at her ribs. The fellow sponsoring the lady came up, put a shotgun at the guys’ back, and told him that if he cut her, he would blow him apart. Things stood this way when Jonesy entered the scene. Jonesy told them to get the show on the road, as there was no one behind him, so somebody should do something. Jonesy wound up with both the gun and the knife, and tossed all participants in the jail.
In his interview for the Ruralite, Jonesy stated that he never got over being scared, but did build up a tolerance. His parting comment was that there would never again be a place like Riepetown.
Old shacks remained in Reiptown until the mid-1990 when a mining company used “Eminent domain ,” amongst great controversy, to claim the townsite and build a mill on the site. When that mill experienced problems, the question was asked if it is those boisterous ghosts of yesteryear interfering with the mill built on their playground.
White Pine County residents tell many tales about the Data brothers and their store. Photo courtesy Julio Costello - a former Riepetown resident.