The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1854-04-06
From the Aspinwal Courier.


On Wednesday last, 18th inst, another
daring highway robbery was committed on
the road between Panama and the railway
depot, (Obispo,) by part ofsix or seven
desperadoes. w. D. Bickham, ESQ., of
San Francisco, one of the passengers by
the Z. L. Stephens, escorting Mrs. An
drews, of Sacramento, had fallen some dis
tance behind the train with which the lady
and himself were travelling, and while rid
ing through narrow and deep gully, was
suddenly startled by fierce demand, di-
rectly behind him, for hismoney. Atthat
moment Mr.. 3. was riding behind Mrs.
Andrews, at slow pace, her mule being
somewhat lazy. Hearing the demand,
Mr.. B. turned quickly in his saddle, draw
ing small single barreled pistol, and,
presenting it atthe foremost Of the robbers,
pulled the trigger, and at the same mo-
ment was greeted with shot from gun
musket, or from single-barreled gun.
Mr.. BIS pistol unfortunately missed fire,
and the shot from the gun ofthe robberbe-
ing simultaneous with his own attempt to
fire, he was hurried to the ground and sur
rounded by the party, who numbered eth
ersix or seven men. simultaneously with
the report the lady shrieked, and while Mr..
B. strove to regain his feet, he observed
her falling over the side of her mule, and
naturally thought she was shot, but being
surrounded by the party, who had several
muskets levelled at him close to his body,
and one fellow standing before him with a
drawn naacAe'e at his breast, he was left
with no other alternative than to surrender
at discretion, especially as hewas unarmed,
with the exception of miserable little pis-
tol, which had already missed fire. His
portmonnaie, which he delivered, contain
ed between 5000 and $50; his steamer
ticket to New York, and small California
gold ring, and the pistol, which was taker
from him in the struggle. The adventure
was accomplished in very brief space 0
time, certainly not more than from three
to FIVE minutes being occupied in the af
! fair.
Mr.. Bickham is confident that there
were either six or seven ruffians IN th'
party, two of them being masked--on'
with a dirty colored handkerchief owe
his face, the other having his face covere'
with white cotton handkerchief, in which
were cut holes for his eyes and mouth
The latter lie thinks was about five fee
nine inches in stature; rather spare built
had blue eyes and brown hair; he was il
his shirt sleeves, and wore low-crownet
white felt hat. The remainder of th
gang, with exception perhaps of the 9th
er masked villain, were natives. The fel
low with the white handkerchief was evi
IDENTIFY master of ceremonies, as every
thing was done according to his direction
/ IO him Mf. .. is OeSlTOuS OI IeGuIAinS III
thanks for preventing the fellow with tn
nsachete from killing him.
The gang retreated into the adjoinin
chapperal, up small gully leading int
the trial, as suddenly as they had appear
ed, when Mr.. B. mounted the mule Whic
had been ridden by Mrs. Andrews, h
E own having gone off, and started in scare
of the lady who, he fortunately percel
ed, had fed from the scene, and whom
found almost quarter of a-mile distan
lying in native hut by the roadsid
where she had fallen down in faintin
condition. She soon recovered, and sta
ed that she was shot in the head, but III
on examination the wound, from Whic
, the blood flowed freely, proved to be
cut received when she fell on the stones {
the shot was fired. On the same day or
of the baggage trains was rifed of i
contents.