The Montana post., 1865-07-22
Overland stage Attacked by Robbers
..EOur Men killed and three badly
. wOnnded..S $50, 900 i'm gold taken by
the villain s..Eull Particulars.
GIBSON FERRY, july Is. 1865.

the a SsstuI PartlCulaTSs
GIBSON FERRY, July Is, 1865.
MEssRs. TnToN & Co., MONTANA PosT, AND
FRIENDS OF THE DEcEAsEp.-We arrived here
yesterday at 10 O'Clock, a. m. As We were
crossing the River we were informed of a
wholesale murder and robbery, committed in
Portneuf Canon, forty miles from here,
at O'Clock, p. m, on the 18th. After land
ing we visited the bodies of four murdered
men, which We soon recognized as our old
townsmen and friends-A. S. Parker, A. j.
McCausland, David Dinan and w. L. Mers.
There was seven passengers in all, besides
the driver. Names as follows:
l.. f. Carpenter, Charles Parks, James
Brown, and the driver, Frank Williams.
Charles Parks was mortally wounded.
He is no doubt dead by this time of
writing. ...-r, IL.
L. F. Carpenter escaped with three slight
wounds.
James Brown escaped unhurt also the
driver.
Mr.. Carpenter informs us that they were
satisfied that they would be attacked some
place on the road.
They kept up strict watch all the way
from Bannack, one riding on the seat with
the driver, and the balance with their guns
always out, ready to fire. After entering
the canon, they were very watchful Mr..
Parker gave the alarm first, in these words !:
'sRobbers Fire!" The robbers and pas
sengers all fired at the same time. Dinan
and Mers fell dead Immediately. McCaus-
land lived few minutes only, saying:
"God have mercy on my soul!" Parker,
after firing, jumped out of the coach, and
was shot; after being shot, the murderers
dragged him across the road by the hair of
his head, and shot him again. Mers was the
one that sat on the seat with the driver, and
fell dead from his seat. The driver was
shot at, the balls lodging in the lamps.
THE NUMBER OF SHOTS IN THE BODIES AND THE
COACH.
w. L. Mers-(Belongs 10 Overland Stage
Line e)-One shot in the ear, one in the
brain and one in the left cheek.
A. S. Parker, (resident of Atchison, Kan
sas,) one shot in right breast and in right
arm. A. j. Nc Causland, PRESIDENT of Vir-
ginia City, NJ. T., one shot across the back
of the head, cutting in about an inch one
shot behind and under left ear. David
Dinan, PRESIDENT of Nevada City, NJ. T.,)
sixty-one buck shot in breast, one large shot
in left shoulder blade, one shot in right tenn
pie, two,shots in left arm, one shot in right
arm, one shot across lower jaw. Charles
Parks, (belongs to the Overland Stage line,
shot from the left hip down,-mortally
wounded.
Number of shots in the coach. On the
nigh side, thirty three; off side, twenty
one rear, fourteen front, seven.
Mr.. Carpenter was thought to be dead
when the murderers left. One of the party
came back to the coach two or three times
to see if all were dead . and after they left,
Carpenter got out of the coach and crawled
into the brush. In moment after, one of
the party returned and stuck his gun into
the coach to g finish Carpenter" as he said.
Finding that he had gone, he rode away
swearing, 81 am not satisfied; | want to
kill the ID s-n of b-h." While the
shooting was going on, he heard the leader
say, Kill them all,-don't let any of them
get away"
Since the bodies were brought in nothing
has come over the road.
MIR. Carpenter says there was seven of
the muruerers that he could see. He thinks
their band m ,st number twenty or thirty.
Vice-President Foster, Senator Ashley,
and nj. It Is now thi init rfpr88iaArod iaArodk.
and they have not yet arrived. We appre
hend they have also been attacked, and
shared the same fate of the others.
The amount Of money lost, Mr.. Carpenter
states, must be something like sixty thou
sand dollars, in gold dust. Carpenter and
oman lost twenty-three thousand. and the
balance belonged to Parker and McCausland.
Mr.. Carpenter staid with the dead until helm
came, and assisted in bringing them to this
place.
MIR. Gibson had the bodies washed, dressed
and collins made, and last evening we ac-
companied the remains to their last resting
place, On the hill about two hundred wards
above the house.
We are waiting here, not knowing when
we Will get away. The effects belonSinp tn
a. .. Parker, McCausland, d. Dinan and
w. l.. Mers are now in Mr.. Gibson's pos
session. We remain respectfully yours,
OLIVER DURANT,
HUGH GLENN,
CLAY THOMPSON,
B. WEAVER,
L. F. CARPENTER.
Z. S.-Mr. Carpenter also states that he
IS almost certain that he wounded one of
he murderers and he thinks Dinan wounded
another. The driver told Carpenter that he
could see blood running out of one of the
.obbers' sides; but none were killed. Tell
lom Ihoroughman that his little watch to |
lis daughter, Miss Ida Thorouchman. is
ate. MIR. Parker's watch is also safe.
1cCausland's watch and several rings are
u sa1e. o. DURANT.
Z. S.-The robbers were seen l;ttIo
While before the affray, and described as
raveling as packers, with good animals and
veil armed with shot guns and two reyolyers
ach.
Charley Parks was not dead according to
ur last advices, and it was hoped that he
Iould recover. MIR. Brown was stopping at
be station and taking care of him.
Latest Particulars. ~ Il
we learn from Mr.. s. H. Holmes, the part
er OF Dinan who was murdered in portneuf