The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-11-16

STAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS EXPLOIT OF
ROAD AGENTS IN CALIFORNIA From the
Stockton (Cal.) Independent, November g.
At about the hour OF 103 O'Clock yesterday
morning the stages Of j. &. Shine and Miller
& Co. were stopped by SIX hishwaymen
while on the road from Sonora to Milton, at
a poin: between Salt Spring Valley and Mil
ton. CalsyeraS county. We learn from j. G..
Shine, the owner and driver of the oppoSi-
ton line Of stages, the following particulars {:
That six masked men, on foot, whose horses
stood q few hundred yards from the road.
stopped his stage by presenting cooked PTS.
tolls and Shot-gunS at himself and pas.
sengers. and demanded the treasure.
box. They must not have been well
posted, as Snine informed them that
he had neither express nor mail, but only
drove the opposition stage. He describes
the masks, if we could call them by such q
name. as comcal-looking in the extreme ;
one of the party had on his face what seemed
to be an old sleeve OF black coat, with holes
cut in for the eyes and mouth, etc.; another
had on what appeared to be al old red hand
kerchief, and a third an old white rag; the
other three were adorned with broWn-col-
ored rags. After Shine apprised them that
he did not carry the cash. box they looked
I'D the road and saw the regular stage COM
ing in the distance, and ordered Shine to
drive Oh, which he very willingly did One
of the passengers riding on Miller's stage
informed us that the robbers were
waiting for the regular stage when 1t
came along, and that one of the high
wavmen stood in the middle Of the road,
one at each of the leading horses heads, one
on each side covering the passengers, and
the sixth man took the eXpreSs-boX from the
driver--Mier. When they stopped the stage
they asked Miller for the treasure-boX, and
he. taking the situation in at a glance, and
feeling that to resist would be in vain,
handed them out Wells, Fargo & Co.'S box,
which contained the Chinese and Big Oak
Flat express matter and money. The rob"
hers seemed satisfied after receiving this, as
they told Miller to drive on, and that he
would find the empty box on the road the
next time he passed along that way. This
command of the robbers was rather good
news 10 the driver, as he had then in his
DoSsession the treasure-box CONTAINING
The Sonora and Columbia eXprcs>age
and the United States mails, all OF which
escaped molestation, and were delivered
safely on his arrival at Milton. The robbers
did not show any disposition TO rob or detaln
the passengers. The man who demanded
and took the treasurc-boX is said to be about
five feet seven inches in height, about lGO
pounds in weight, wore Il black felt hat, had
an accent slightly spanish, and carried plS-
tol. There were ten passengers on the stage
at the time, and only one pistol was !oun0
among them, which was carried by Il China
man. The passengers at first supposed they
would all be robbed, and quite COM
motion was perceivablc for little While.
Some commenced taking off their watches
aud chains and other jeWelry, and throw
iny them under the seats OF the
stage. Others were seen fumbling in their
pockets cXcitedly, and the Chnaman drew
his revolver from his pocket and hid 1t in BIS
booteg-ior what purpose no one could
fathom. 4 young man, when putting his
hand in his pocket to feel if his watch was
ready to give up, was held by the arm OF an
old man in the stage, who, thinking the
Young man was about 10 draw revolver
and do some execution, cried out lmplorlns-
ly- "Don't shoot hold on don't shoot, for
Gods sake, or we'll all be killed." The
amouDt which the stolen box contained IS
not known, but it is said to be light sum.
When last seen the robbers were mounted on
their horses, and riding fast toward SAT-
Spring Valley. c,oo
Wells, Fargo & Co. offer reward OF s2oO
for the arrest and conviction of each OF Inc
robbers, and will add to the gross sum one
fourth of the treasure recovered.