Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-09-13
A Nevada Stage Robbery,
Four Brigands Make Fourteen Passen-
CESS Sit on n Redwood Log while
they Blow Open the Safe.

Four Brigands Make Fourteen Passen-
CESS Sit on n Redwood Log while
they Blow Open the Safe.
Our readers will remember, saws an
Iowa paper, the telegraphic accounts,
three or four weeks ago, of the halting
of stage in Nevada by brigands, who
robbed Wells, Fargo & Co.'S safe of a
large sum of money. A citizen of
Davenport, E. Baldwin, Chief Engineer
of the Davenport and st. Paul Railroad,
was a passenger on the stage. He
writes an account of the affair to a
friend. He says he left Uolfax at 4
2. NJ, with thirteen other passengers,
destination Downieville, Sierra county.
At the start they assembled 1000 feet,
then descended ], 200 feet, and then re-
peated the ascension, and just as the
coach reached the last summit four men
sprang from behind rocks, seized the
leaders by the bit, and babe the driver
"get down from there" 1t was some
time, Mr.. Baldwin says, before the pas
engers could understand the interrupt
ton, but at last they were made to com
prehend it without much ceremony,
The driver was ordered to take the
horses from the coach and lead them to
one side. He obeyed. Next the pas
sengers were told to dismount and seat
themselves on a redwood log. As each
of the robbers held double-barrelled
shot gun, and swore that somebody's
brains would be spilled unless "you
step right lively, now," the order was
obeyed with alacrity. Il tell you, my
FRIEND" writes Mr.. B., Il felt terribly
put out !"
The passengers sat still as mice un-
der cover of the shot guns, and silently
watched the operations of the robbers
in getting at the contents of the safe.
The scoundrels drilled holes about the
lock and elsewhere in the door, poured
powder into the openings, tamped
them, and then lighted the fuse. In a
half minute there was thick puff of
smoke, dull, heavy sound, and there
lay the safe open. 1t was but the work
of q minute to sack the bags of gold and
packages of greenbacks, and then the
robbers ordered the passengers to
mount. The travellers obeyed and took
their seats; then the driver was ordered
to hitch up, and he did as he was told
and was requested to "drive on quick
and lag not once for mile" And the
way the four-horse team few away from
the locality would astonish a locomotive.
The robbers gobbled between $4,000
and $4,000,
After making the aforesaid mile in
uncommonly quick time, the passengers
got to comparing notes concerning the
"late interruption" and it was ascer-
tanned that every man of the fourteen
had revolver safely slowed away in
his trunk or valise. Not man among
them had weapon about his clothes
when the robbers were at hand.
When the stage reached Grass Valley
the passengers told the people the
"story of their sufferings p And they
were laughed at. Fourteen passen-
gers of you ordered to sit on redwood
log by four robbers armed with nothing
but old shot guns, and you did it-you
squatted, did you, while they robbed
the safe ?" was the gist of the remarks
of the Grass Valleyites, delivered with
looks and accents of scorn.
Mr.. Baldwin says one experience of
the kind is enough for him he wouldn't
go across the street to meet another.