The Shasta courier., 1871-10-07
AN ExCITING CHASE
rursuit OF the Stage Robbers and. canture
IL Two of the PARTY.

rursuit of the Stage Robbers and. canture
81 TWO OF the Party. =
Immediately upon recivipg ews-of the
Fstage robbery of the 26th ultimos Under
Sheriff Jackson, accompanied By John
ohedd started for the scene of the occur
renee determined, if possibleto obtain some
clue BY which the parties concerned could
be arrested and brought 70 Justice. On
Tuesday morning Jackson. returned bav.
ing IN custody two Of the band whom
ttney BAD tracked and captured 3nearsR Pine
creek, In Lassen county. about .eighreen,
miles from Susauville. The pursuing party
were six in nuu.ber eousistine, of The two
we have named, Deputy;Sherif Vickers
of ehama, Smith, Stage Superintendent,
and Messrs Long and Kingsley of Tehama
county. W
The party succeeded in finding whore
the robbers had made their camp while
preparing for the robbery and from thence
tracked them to where they had forded the
Sacramento River. The best clue to The
direction the robbers had taken, was found
In the track of a mule which was afterwards
found to be the packed mule for the crowd.
The peculiar track made hysfhis mule was
easily distin2 uisted frohp6y of the many
tracks which marked l4he road The pur-
suing party pressed on the trail and soon
became satisfied they were gaining on the
others. Near Mansanita Lake, some six
teen miles beyond Shineletown, the rob.
bers had csmped, and burned up the let
tiers and mail matter which they had found
in the express boxes The two parties
were nearly equal in numbers, and as it.
was known that the robbers were armedl
to the teeth and would in all probability
make desperate resistance it became
necessary to take them if possible, by sur
prise. The last information they received
concerning them was from teamster they
met, who told them of the where bouts of
those they were seeking, adding that they
would fpd no water, and would conse
quently not be able to encamp, until they
reached Pine Creek.
If this information had been entirely
correct, we should have been able doubtless
to chronicle the death or capture of the
entire party. But it appears that some
three miles on this side of Pine Creek, on
wide, treeless plain, some sheep herders
had well, the existence Of which was not
generally known. The robbers had
however, been informed of the fact, or
else found it for themselves, and instead
of going 10 Pine Greek stopped for the night
at this well. From their camping-groun
they had full view of the road approaching
the well for miles, and soon as Jackson and
his party came along they were observed
by the robbers when still at some distance
away. The camp was close to cliff of
rock, and after little consultation three
of the party lodged behind the rocks and
disappeared. The other two remained at
the camp and were captured. :.
1t was evident that they had not the
least suspicion that they were pursued,
their Henry rifles being strapped on the
ack mule, instead of carried by the owners
They were in possession of small! teles
cope, through which they recognized
Vickers, and knowing him to be deputy
sheriff, for the first time suspicion was ex-.
cited that t!.ey were pursued. How it
comes that they did not all try and escape
is something we can hardly comprehend.
The prisoners and captured property
consisting of four Henry rifles, Eve horses
and mule and some other articles we're
taken to the ranch of the Harvey Brothers,
after which Jackson and Shedd retur, ed
to- the camp and watched during the night
in hopes the others of the party would
come in. They did not make their ap-
pearanee, though it was evident from the
tracks found ln the morning thai they had
circled around the camp, at a safe distance.
Too much credit cannot be awarded to
Mr.. Jackson aud the others, for the viz.
orous and determined effort which they
have made to secure these seonndrels.
Nothing but the fact of the we'll having
been dug unknown to the pursuers, pre-,
vented the capture of the entire iparty.
1t is however believed and hoped that the
information which has been and will be
obtained will ultimately lead to the cap
:pre of the remainder Of the gang.