Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-11-28
TRAGEDa Of MvERs, RAyaSE,

fAGEDl Of MYERS, RAylSE
Mrs. Ben G. Truman, of California
has contributed to = Washington Srr
day paper q thrilling Incident in til
the life Of Steve Veaarl, the most sue
cessiai hunter and slayer Of Highway
NOT whom there is an authentic re
cord. We copy a portion Of the nar
rative, commencing at tho scene Of til,
! robbery of the coach:
In moment the fine team Of Sam
uel Cooper had reached the summit
and almost instantly three highway
men were at their respective posts. /
was half past A o'clock.
Put on your brake and throw Of
the express bo1w shouted Shanks ii
mmistakeable tones.
On went the brake, the horses were
reined in, and OFF went the coin chess
of Wells, Fargo g CO., containing
81 800 in gold. Shanks then ordered
the driver to dismount and take oui
his horses and throw the harness into
one heap, and No. to cover him the
while. He then proceeded to the door
OF the coach covered by No. 3 and
took out the passengers-seven in all
and first searched them for weapons
and stood them in a row, with their
hands held up the air, saying to Moore:
"We don't want to harm any one of
these gentlemen there were no LADIES',
but No. 3, if any one Of them makes a
motion or movement, blow his bra MS
out!n
After the search for weapons the
leader went through the party and re-
lieved the passengers of their money
and other Valuables, amounting in
all, however, to less than a thousand
dollars and three gold watches.
Shanks then poured lot of powder
into the safe, and, upon the second at
tempt, blew it into pieces. Then he
shouted to Fin:
"No. 2, tell the driver to hitch up
again and come this way"
Finn carried out his instructions
promptly and carefully, covering the
Jehu with his revolver, as he moved
toward Shanks, backwards. Then
Shanks hallooed to Moore, who had
performed his part with more than av-
erage tact:
"No. 3, dismiss those gentlemen,
and tell them to get into the stage, and
then you follow us.7
Moore repeated the order and moved
backwards few hundred yards, COW
ering his movement with his pistol.
The highwaymen hastened from the
scene, and were soon out of sight. The
passeng gers assisted the driver in get
ting his team in order, and soon the
coach was rolling over the road to-
ward the first. town at rate that
would have made the celebrated son
of Nimshi even ashamed of himself.
The stage arrived at the door of the
National Exchange Hotel, kept by
Lancaster & Hassey, Nevada City, at
o'clock precisely. Although it was
early morn, the news of the daring
robbery spread like wildfire through
out the town, and the greatest excite
ment imaginable prevailed.
In an hour after the arrival OF the
stage, the sheriff of the county Il. 3.
had rallied a posse, composed
Of James FL. Lee, Albert Gentry, A.
W. Potter and Steve Venard, all Of
whom had been residents of either
Grass Valley or Nevada City for sew
eral years. Steve Venard, the hero OF
the occasion, is man nearly six feet
in height, broad shouldered, q dead
shot with a rifle, and a man OF unpar-
alleled bravery and intrepidity. 1t
was understood that the expedition
could hardly fail with Steve Venard as
,ne Of its members. At eight o'clock
bhe party had arrived at the scene OF
5he robbery. The two, Gentry and
Potter, went into the woods together
below the crossing of the stream, and
Lee and Venard went down the road,
IN a parallel line with the river. Ihe
TWO latter got on the trail Of the rob-
oers, as their paths into the depths OF
she wilderness could be plainly seen.
venard was in the advance. For about
D mile, although the road was mde-
scribably rough, and in places almost
they managed TO urge
their animals forward. At last they
could go no further except on foot; go
venard directed Lee to 60 back with
the horses and hitch them IN saIe
place and return as quick as possible.
Uonard now followed the trail alone