Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-03-30
FRiGHTFuL TRAGEDY on THE PLAINS.
Desperate Attempt to Assassfnaic the
Passengers Of an Overland Stage
The Assassin and one Passenger
Killed and Two Wounded.

son thail. paper, IN relation 10 trag6-
dy on the plains, the sum of which Is
given in the caption of this article. By
the arrival of several of the participants
who reached the city on yesterday. we
are placed in possession of full particu-
lars. The affair Is singular and desper.
ate beyond any Ii has ever been our lot
to chronicle.
The overland mail stage left Denver
on the llth inst, with the following
passengers, namely; =. Dordesheimer,
Esq, OF California; Augustus Steitz. of
st. Louis; f. Kimball, Of Central City,
Colorado; w. w. Barlow, of Denver;
Lewis a. Rice and Robert Boyd, Of
New York ! Mr. McCaul. from about
Chicago, and one Fred Henshild. the
last being q German, who spoke Eng
lish well, but whose proper place OF
abode could not be ascertained. To ono
Of the passengers he assumed to I've a
merchant Ell route to ST. Louis to buy
goods to another he asserted that he
was under charge ut Denver of having
stolen several head Of cattle somewhere
in Colorado, and that he was on the
way to Atchison TO procure testimony
that would demonstrate his innocence
Of the charge. While at Julesburg, it
became apparent that Mr.. Barlow was
II deputy United States Marshal. He
WITH lflt tlIitGlS bi the RuTIl-
son there, forwarding some tclegraphic
dispatches to other military stations.
and announced that lie was IN pursuit
Of Il criminal whose arrest lo hoped to
accomplish. At this Intelligence the
mysterious pRsscugny, Bnushild, became
very uneasy. lie mentioned TO one or
tive al tho passengers that the marshal
intended to arrest him, and inquired il
they did not think 50 tuo. ...........
Tho reader must here understand
that, during the day, The passengers
once or twice coavQEsed about tho posi-
hility Of an attack upon the stagc by
the indians and their unprepared con.
dition. Most Of those who owned pis-
tolls had them in their carpet bags
Messre. Nice and McCaui only had such
weapons ur"n their persons, but rs no
one thuu.Ht seriously that danger was
imminent, the othora did not take tho
troublu 10 ert ont their rcvolvers. Hen.
shild hmd rotitimg 10 sHy in these con-
versations, but, - the sequel showa he
soon made fcaliEl use nf their confess.
ions.
Beyond Alhaii, tho coach was orcu-
pied in the following order: Hcnshlld,
McCnul and BARLOW Oh the back seat.
Rice and BOYD on thc middle seat, and
StgitZ and Deid.sheiIner on tho front
seat, with KimbI!l Oh tlc top OF the
vehicle. Tie latter had exchanged
places with Mr.. SteitA quarter Of ~,
hour hefOie the opening of the tragedy.
The time was between two and throo
o'clock at night, and all excepting Hen
shild were sleeping, most Of them
s0undly. Tho assassin, upon whose
guilty conscience the weight Of previ.
Gus crimes was no doubt pressing hcay-
lily, heard, far to the rear, the clatter OF
horses hUOls. 1t was tie cavalry
ruardsmen, who ordinarily accompany
the overland coaches in thoir journeys,
approaching from Aikaii Station. His
coward Tears, il Is believed, caused him
to think they WsIO coming at BarloW's
instigGtion to arrest him, and lie a5
once hogan his work OF murder. With
the right hand ho discharged pistol,
the ball from which entered the back
and passed out at the breast of Mr..
/ Rice, killing him instantly. The Same
ball he expected would kill Mr.. Steitz,
who sat in line with and directly In
front of Nj. Rice, but 1t only grazod the
hand against which he was leaning his
head while sleeping. With the left he
simultaneously thrust n butcher knife
at the breast Of the other armed passen.
Ecr, Mr.. Met tauI. VI penetrated the
luppels Of three coats, which tho latter
had on at the moment, also his waist
coat and coat, wounding him slightly.
Sitting next to the assassin, he compre-
hCnded the situation of affairs tho mo-
mont Ire woke up, and INSTANTLY grap-
pied with him, holding his adversary
so resuutaly that he was enabled to
stop further murder. In the struggle
Henshld'a pistol went off three more
times one Of tho balls went through
the brain or tie already dead Mr.. Rice,
and the others gra2cd two more passen-
gcrs. All this was but Tho work of an
instant. The inmates, on being reused
by the shoh4, thought tlla stage was at.
tackled, and there were cyclamations Of
" Drive ouo and "iStop" impulsivoIy
uttered. The driver stopped, ana All
pitched out the body Of Rice falling
ont Of thc door at the same Moment
Mr.. NcCGul held on TO the desperado
while longer, but, incumbercd "a he
was and liable to DC oyerpowered, hY
let go his antagonist and leapod out ar.
tcr the others. The case was now fully
understood, and the two soldiers wero
called uuOu tn arrest isciishiId, who
had bpcUI1n sole tenant Of tho vehicle.
They declined 10 take the risk on tho
ground that their -duty was 10 protect
the stages from outside attacks only
Tho drive? approached the door, when
Hanshild thrust at him with his knife
savagely. .... ...s..... ......-
Mr. McCaul then discharged pistol
three times through the side of tho
stage. The fellow exclaimed. "Oh
you have shot mo in three placcs,n and
became mutionless. Barlow approach
oi and took hold of his feet to pull him
through the door, when the latter roso
and thrust at him with the knife with
such effect that Earlpw'S side, face and
cheols were awfally gashed, and his
tongue and mouth split open. The as
sassIn nekt proceeded to repel further
attempts by WHotting his knife on o.
piece Of iron. McIaiil now fired tho
contents Of his pistol, but owing To tho
darkness the effect was not fatal. Hu
thercupon took the pistol oftLc deceas-
cd Rice, and, guided by the stage lamp
which was lighted aud held by steitz,
he fired several more shots with better
AHA. % z. .s..l
.iItc body, still breathing, Mss drag
ged out by the roadside, and one Of the
guards instructed to carry word Of the
aitair back to AtiSali Station. Hen
si!ild's knife and pistol were retained
by Mcgaui, but there was no examine.
ton OF his pockets or search for papers.
The travellers had seen enough OF so
desperate and dangc.G,.g villain. Mr..
Rire's body was earthly plnced on top
of tho stag. aaa carried 40 miles ahead
10 Cottonwood post, where Mr. Boyd
who was wounded In the hand by
shot during the bloody events Of tho
night remained to see ta its proper dis
posal. Iessrs. Deidcslieiuler and KIM
ball escaped unhurt. Deushiid, as IL
lmbuci With tho desperation OF resist
ing even death itself, did not expire un-
I'll l.. hours afterwards--ao the passen.
gers learned by telegraph sent from
tlkali 10 Cottonwood.
The crime u Henshill becomes tho
more Ec.nous, sifice the passengers
treated him, previous 10 his attempt
uEoa their lives. with. marked Kindness,
gave liill cigars and luncheon frequeut-
ly, and lent him blankets TO shield him
iroHl the coidncss OF the weather. Theirs
ere other gentlemen now In st. Louis
who say llo Is great scoundrel, who
ran career of crime In idsfo ai,d
Montaua AMI ran of to avoid the swift
justice OF yigil.lce committees. II9 Ia
Il A. 4 4