The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-20
Driving the DcadwoOd Stage.


DRIVER DROPPED TIE REINS.
From the New York Herald
Well, yer sec, Their was rcvinoo agent
como out to collect the Comment taxes on
whisky q few weeks ago. He got a lot o.
money in Deadwood, where every other
house is s'loon, an he left town late one
night in my stage with $4,000 on him. He
sat on the box next to me, carried the mo-
new on his person, an was as wide-awake
an game Il fellow as I ever see. He was
armed with 4 Winchester repeatin' rifle
with sixteen barrels an two eight-cham-
bcrcd rcvolvcrS. About midnight we was
to go through Dcad-Man's canyon, sew
cral miles out O Deadwood, about the
darkest. orucrycst place rs ever was,
reckon. ! knew that ii we was TO be at
tackled it'd he there, an told him so, am
that We was almost certain TO be stopped;
but, Lord bless you, Ire didn't show no more
fear than you do now: but there was kind
Of q determined look in his eye, an | could
tell he was layin' bis plans. although he
never said Il word. Directly we come to the
cany on-a dark, rocky hcll-hOlc, made by
the devil for road agcnts-we listened with
all our cars. Suddenly we hecrd it-!ow mt
first. then CROWN louder rapidly. 1t was
the clcketty- clack OF ponies hoofs on the
what it meant. We knew ther' was Il
good many; that they were gainin' on us
fast; an knew that they would attack the
coach Just as it was goin' slow up the
rise out OF the canyon. l told him this,
when, quick as a flash, he jumped Off an
called to me to drive on an to wait for him
when l got out of the canyon. saw his
game in 4 minnit, and it was bold one, l
reckon. He hid behind i rock right in the
road an got his weapons ready. drove
on an left him alone. The thieves fell into
the trap. They rode on after the stage,
thinkin' him in it, an as they passed close
to where he was lie opened fire. What
with his siXteen-shooter an his two revol-
vers an their returnin' the lire it sounded
to me like whole regiment. ! never knew
whether he killed any, but he wounded
some sure, an they scattered like hell was
after 'cm. some Of them as was hurt howlin'
like devils. He just came UP with the stage
an rode on as cool as you please. lie 1oas
a smart fellow. ....-
CHOW, the next day, on my return trip,
/ noticed that one OF the stage comDany's
agents at relay station-we changed bosses
every twelve miles-had his arm in sling,
an when / got back to Deadwood herd
OF several of the fust citizens as was sud-
denly laid up. I says to the agent, What's
the matter?' why says he, kinder care
less, "a damn dog bit me last night Yes
said !, these Comment dogs do bite putty
hard sometimes, don't they Well, he
pitched into me like the devil because
didn't give 'em signal the night before so
they'd known what the Comment agent had
done. He said the boys was goin' to be on
hand in NY trip through the next night
and were agoin' TO do for me. Now,
/ knowed he were 4 truthful man about
things of that kind; so l went to the COM
pany's Office an drawed my pay an said as
how ] reckoned didn't want 10 drive no
more for fear my health might suddenly
give way. So they engaged young Dutch
man from Vermont-nice Teller he was, too,
an q good driver-to take the stage. went
to him like brother an says Now, don't
YOU take that stage out tonight anyway, or
you'll be sorry for it; but OF course it
want no use. PYe felt sorry for him ever
sence, but he would go, even when / told
him that the boys would take him for me.
He might have knowed."
| "Did they hurt him, as they threatened
to do your" l asked innocently.
~ "WelL don't know if they hurt him,
but you could have read that newspaper
through him when they found his body in
Dead Mans canyon. Inever did scea body
so full O. holes in my life