Connecticut western news., 1873-04-04
California Banditti.

Since the withdrawal of the telegraph from the San Joaquin country, says 8 California paper, in the neighborhood of Firebaugh's Ferry, there has been 8 great influx of desperadoes to the sec- tion, and acts of lawlessness have be- come of daily occurrence. The absence of the telegraph gives these characters every opportunity to ply their vocation without the fear of speedy capture, and life and pfoperty are in constant jeop- ardy. Bands of cattle and sheep are boldly driven of, and horses are stolen under the very noses of their owners. George l.. Hoffman keeps store and hotel there, and is Postmaster and Wells, Fargo & Co.'S. agent. Wednes- day evening, about o'clock, just as supper was over and the boarders, seven in number, were seated about the fire, enjoying their pipes, five men, armed to the teeth; entered the room with pistols drawn, and ordered the astonished crowd to throw up their hands. Being taken so completely by surprise, no alterna- tive was left but to comply with the demand, when they were bound and laid upon the floor. So little disturb ance was made during this proceeding that MT. Hoffman, who had not yet finished his meal, knew nothing of what was going on until he emerged from the dining-room, when he saw guard at each door, and found himself looking down the barrel of large-sized revol- vel. He was commanded to hold up his hands, but not complying at once with the command, it was repeated with an earnestness which left no doubt of the intention of the ruffians to enforce the order. Mir. Hoffman was then obliged to open his safe, from which was ex- tracted $25O of his own money and $1O0 belonging to Wells, Fargo & Go. The stage from this place to Visalia drove up during this time, and the driver, Dennis Conroy, was seized, bound, and laid on his face in company with the others, after being relieved of $2O. Twenty-seven dollars were also taken from man named Allen, and about $200 worth of clothing from the store. But five of the robbers were seen, all Span iards except one, who was Frenchman, but the house was supposed to be sur rounded with desperadoes.
 MT. Conroy, the stage driver, was bound and robbed about a year ago near Soap Lake, while making his usual trip. One of his assailants was captured and tried, and MT. Conroy's testimony se cured for him term of twenty years in the State prison. Among the band on Wednesday night he recognized an other of the party who had attacked him year ago, and the rufian seemed to faintly remember him, for he scrutin- ized his countenance closely 8 number of times, and turned him over and over in order to find some more sure resem- blance. He then consulted the leader of the band, who asked MT. Hoffman who this man was, MT. Hoffman, re- membering the previous robbery, re- piled that he had just arrived in the State, and that the regular driver being sick, he had been driving in his stead. This explanation seemed satisfactory, and the robbers left, much to the re- lief of the poor fellows feelings, for he says had he been identified they would certainly have killed him for sending one of their comrades to prison.
 The canal company is at work some miles from Firebaugh's, and the party headed directly for that point, and it was thought they contemplated an at tack on them, though when our infor- mant left nothing definite was known.