The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-05-10
Black HIIls Highwaymen.

The peaceful duluess in and around
Deaiwoai, IN thr Black Hills. SAYS "a
New York NtHs correspondent. has been
abruptly aud tragicAlly broken. The
uur,hgArl bound stage from Cheyenne.
for Deadwooj recently, carried eleven
passengers, one 81 them "a lady. The
trip had been safely made through 200
miles ui Indian country, and the passcn-
gers. worn cut hv nix lays' travel over
tAe rough and muddy mulutaip roads.
were cuugrafuiAtiug themselves thAi su-
other hours ruu would bring them 10
their destination.
They entered the graudiv picturesque
WhitcWood gulch, whose thanking moun-
talns. trugel with pines, nse hundreds
ui feet uu either side Shove the rlad
Upon tLe box Ea! the driver Johnny
Slaughter. as luiiv q fellow aN ever held
the reIu-. ard as harmless as a child. BY
his side at Walter ) Her. ui the firm Of
Her a MrCafiEev. wholesale liquor dealers
tf Omaha aud Dralwua1. who was return
ing from q business visit to tine East.
The other passengers were INSIDE the
coach As tuc weather was warm every
cartain was rolled MP Down the gentle
incline the four stcamInc horse, went at
good round pace. the passengers sing
ing and joking. suddenly five men were
seen ahead. walking in single file and in
silence. johnny said 81 Her, Il Won
der what gang that iFg' "Oh. / guess
u only q crowd ON a lark, replied Her.
Scarcely were the words ont of his
mouth, when the strangers turned, lev
cled their guns and pistols. and ordered
the driver to stop Johnny reached for
a closer grip upon the reins, but. before
he could check bis team. the outlaws
fired. Fourteen huckshot. piercing the
coat uf Mr.. Her at the shoulder, passing
across his back, and ont ON the other
side. struck the drivers let breast just
above the heart. Poor Johnny fell from
his scat o corpse. Another ball slightly
wounded Mr. Hers finger. That gentle
man. believing death certain II he stayed
cn the box, lcaped 10 the ground. In
the meantime the desperadoes, sopaRt-
ing to right and left, had fired through
the windows Of the coach. Henry Lake
seized the barrels Of two rcvolvors with a
grip that the robbers could not break
They pulled him from his seat, threw
him upon the ground, and ordered him
10 give over his weapons. He replied
that he had none. and tossed his empty
pistol belt toward them. He Was order
"a 10 "git. and obcyed with alacrity,
jumping up and running down the road
in pursuit of the coach. The team,
frightened 10y the fusilade. had started
of. driverlcss. The chase continued for
half n mile, when Mcssrs. Her and Lake
overlook and stopped the coach, and the
former. mounting the box, drove into
Deadwood, a distance Of two and n half
miles. The only other passenger hurt
was 3. =. Smith, of Denver, whose face
was badly burned with powder.
Sheriff Bullock and forty men were
soon ealloping toward the scene Of the
attack followed 10y many citizens on foot.
The lifeless body of johnny Slaughter
was found lying 10y the roadside. Ten
derly they lifted the corpse into a wagon
and returned TO Deadwood. No man in
the community was better known or
more respected, Grizzled miners pushed
forward to gaze upon his face, and with
drew wiping their eyes and clonching
their fists.