The Nevada Democrat., 1858-05-05

the Sacramento stages was overhauled last
Sunday night, about half mile from town, by
four or five robbers, who succeeded in getting
possession Of the specie box, containing about
S21 900. The two stages started out about IL
o'clock. In the foremost stage were some eight
or ten passengers, among whom was Mr.. ]. N.
Dawley, who had charge of some $4,000 in
gold, belonging to Marks & Powers. Mr.. Daw-
ley was riding on the drivers seat, and the gold
was in carpet-bag, which was thrown with
several others in the shoot" AS the horses
were walking up the hill, the other side of the
Town Talk House, they were stopped by some
one who stood in the road and two other men
presented double .barreled shot-guns at the dri-
yer and told him to throw out the box. Dawley
reached his hand round for his pistol, when one
of them presented gun within few inches OF
his breast, and said, ''None of that" Dawley
then spoke and said that there was nothing in
the "boot'' but some carpet-backs, which they
could have if they wanted them; that the box
was in the other stage. They made no further
attempt to search the stage, but told the driver
to go on, and two or three of them walked
along some distance with the stage, having
their guns leveled at the driver when they fell
back After getting out Of the reach of the
robbers, the driver stopped, and Dawley was
anxious to go back to assist in protecting the
weapons, and they disliked to risk their lives
when the odds was against them The second
stage contained four or five passengers, none of
whom were armed. John O'Brien was on the
seat with the driver, and the specie box was un-
der their feet. The robbers attacked this stage
in much the same manner as they did the first,
and told the driver to hand out the box. Be-
leving it useless to resist, the driver told
O'Brien to throw the box out, which he did,
and one of the robbers told them to drive on.
The stages were only about one hundred yards
apart when the robbery was committed. The
money belonged to Wells, Fargo & Co., and
that firm has offered q reward Of $4,000 for in
formation that will lead to the detection of the
robbers and recovery of the money.
When the stages got to Grass Valley, Dawley
and 0Brien got out and came back to Nevada,
About three O'Clock in the morning, Under Sher-
if Van Hagan was Informed of the robbery.
He Immediately sad1led his horse and started
in pursuit of the robbers. On arriving at the
place where the robbery was committed, he
found the treasure box, which Of course had
been broken open and rifed of its contents.
He remained there until daylight, when he dis
covered tracks where three or four men had
left the place. Que of the tracks was easily
distinguished. and he followed it TO McCarty' IS
ranch, but was not able to trace it any fur ther.
He then went to cabin between the ranch and
Grass Valley, occupied by d. Luddington and
man called One Eyed Tom. He found the
two men in bed, arrested them. and sent them
to Nevada, where they were lodged in Jail. On
searching the cabin, Mr.. Van Hagan found a
dozen or more skeleton keys large silver
watch ind a revolver, which both of the men
protested did not belong to them. The watch
was doubtless stolen property, and can be seen
at the Sheriff7s office. A gold watch and some
forty dollars in money was found on Luddng-
toms person. The miners who live in the vi
cinity of the cabin, have long suspected that
Luddington and his comrade we're robbers. 1t
is said they were in the habit of sleeping du-
ring the day. and were generally absent from
the cabin at night. After Van Hagan left the
place the miners set fire to the cabin and burned
it down. Yesterday, another watch was bro't
to the Sheriff's Office, which Lu dington sold
some time ago to Chinaman for five dollars,
and which is also supposed to have been stolen