The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1865-05-19
ROBBERY OF TWO MAIL-COACHEs.
The Robbers Captured and Killed.
Ottumwa. Iowa May /

ottutbNd. lONd, iidS 4.
We are indebted 10 Mr.. F. J. l.esah, a
driver of the Western Stage company, for
IN account Of one Of the most daring and
successful robberes We ever heard Of Mr..
Leach was driving from Gordon TO Cen
treville. AT Corydon five passengers, one
of them citizen and four of them stran-
| gers, got aboard The coach, paying their
/ tare-two Of them to Promise City, the
first station out, and two to Centreville
AT Promise City two more strangers got
aboard, and the two who had paid to the
place continued on, making six passengers,
one riding on the outside, and the others
inside. The citizen left at Promise City
just as the coach or hack was rounding
on TO the bridge at Walnut creek, nine
miles west of Centrevi.Ie, the passenger Cd
the box sudden y presented revolver to
the left breast of the driver, exclaiming,
Hold on there, out here, Cd d.
you. You have gone far enough. You
are in the hands of the rebels, and | will
pa! hole right through you if yon don't
stop" Looking around, the driver saw
the inside passengers looking out of the
window, each one holding a revolver 10
his hand.
OF course, there was no alternative but
to submit, and lie accordingly turned his
team out to the side of the road The
six passengers instantly jumped off and
out of the coach, and, ordering the driver
to keep his seat, proceeded TO unhi,ch the
horses and tie them to the stage and the
trees near by. Then they took out the
mail sacks, ripped them open with knives,
and deliberately examined the contents,
putting most Of the packages containing
more than one letter in their pockets, tear
ing the single letters open, and appropri-
ating the money found SO far as the dri>
yer could judge. lie saw them take some
money from the letters. While thus en-
ployed wagon was heard approaching
from he direction Of CentreviIe Four
Of the robbers started over the bridge. met
the team. which proved to belong to Mr..
n. Sagger, Of Promise City, who, with
bis son, young man of about 20 years
was returning from Centreville, with two
horse wagon. The robbers me, them
brought them over the bridge, unh,ched
their horses, embarrassed them, and ther
demanded Of Mr.. S. aud his son ;hei,
money. The old gentleman had nc
money; the young man had thirty dollars
They took twenty five dollars, handed hin
back five dollars.
After this they waited about twenty
minutes fer the western bound stage Il
come up. When they heard 1t coming
tour Of the party went ont and met it, tool
possession, and piloted it over the bridge
TO the place where the other coach was
and went through the process of unhar
Messing the horses and robbing the mails
as they had done with the other coach
occupying, in doing so, about half an hour
When this was all done, they selected 81!
Of the best horses-thyee out Of each team
mounted them, and rode off toward
Promise City, exclaiming, as they left
Good evening, gentlemen" They robb
ed two houses, taking saddle from each
The agent Of the Western Stage company
George Pratt, offered a reward of 500 fo
tie arrest of each Of the robbers.
Later Rdvlces states that the three coun
ties, Appanoosa, Wayne, and Decatur ar
in arms, and are in pursuit of the robbers
! The mail sacks that were robbed are here
Des Moines. Iowa, May 5.
The guerriiIas who robbed the Westes,
Stage co'rpahy's coaches near Gorge dor
on Saturday, have been captured. Jhei
bodies have been left in The woods an,
the b0rtes recovered.