Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-09-06
ANDREW JACKSON DAVIS.
A sketch Of the Deceased Road
Agent Ills Career on the
Pacific Coast.

w ""pTO i'ftihi NV iilOuf ltTS dlttilI-
ed, has in his time been a noted char
acter, and il he had turned his talent
and education to a better use would
have probably carved for himself an
honorable name, instead of being re-
membered a. he now is for his exploits
on the road and daring crimes. If he
had lived a couple Of centuries ago his
deeds would have put him in the same
rank as those heroes of yellow-covered
novels, Dick Turpin. Sixteen String
Jack and other worthless, whose fame
has been handed down to posterity.
Our hero was a native of the State of
Michigan, and came to this coast in
hegira to the newly discovered gold
fields. He was a fine-looking young
fellow, intelligent, we'll educated and
Of considerable ability, a toy Of gener-
Gus impulses, trained up in the home
life that obtained among the old folks
in the Eastern States at that period.
Like hundreds Of Others, his career on
this coast was a nomadic one, he hav-
ing tioated from one eUd of the State
to the other IN search OF better dig
gings. lie lived in Tuoiumne county
in 1852 80, and went from that point TO
Yankee Jim's, in Placer county, in
1885. At that place Under Sheriff
Nelson made his acquaintance, aud
states that he was an honest miner of
good reputation and a whole-souled
fellow. lie afterwards resided in Sier.
IA county, still following mining for a
living, leaving there for Virginia City
at the time of the breaking ont of the
great silver excitement on the Com
stock. Along with a partner by the
name of Brophy, he built a cabin down
in Seven Mile canyon and TOOK up a
number of claims. lie WAS elected
Recorder of the district, and was uni.
versally respected by the residents of
that locality. He worked hard during
the day, and engaged in poker games
in the evening in common with his
companions. lie was especially noted
for his generosity, and his cabin door
and well-stored lsrder were always
open to the poor wayfarers and dead
broke wanderers that swarmed to the
Comstock at that tune.
HIS MINING PROPERTY
Was considered very valuable, and he
was offered $500 0 for it by Judge
Sandy Baldwin, an offer he refused
with the remark that he and his part
ner had to have $50, 900 each, and that
he would never leave the cOuniry
without that amount, wen II he had TO
stop a stage for it. Shortly after this
time the bottom fell out OF Flowery
district. Jack, however. still kept pos
session OF his cabin, but quit hard
york and loafed around Virginia City.
He formed the acquaint tnce of a mum
Der of men who were under the ban
of suspicion, and got the credit OF
planning the numerous stage robber-
les that were a matter of daily occur
renee AT that time. A great portion of
the plumber consisted of silver bars
shipped from the mills by Wells,
Fargo Il Co.'S express-these bars hear
ing the assay stamp, etc, and easily
Identified. To get rid of these maj ks
and realize on the plumber it
was necessary to find some
plausible Reuse, and Jack
manipulated this part of the business.
He leased a small mill down the can
yon, gave out the idea that his mine
was yielding very rich rock, and Just
before the robbery took place would
start the mill up and keep the batter
les pounding away until the gaDg
brought in the bullion. This was
quickly remelted, run into new bars,
and returned to Wells, Fargo Il Co.
for shipment i'll a weeks time. The
boys used to say that the gang gem
orally selected the days that this bull
ion was reshipped, 50 as to save the
expense and trouble of remelting. The
members of the gang were we'll known
in Virginia City, but all effort, 10 bring
them to justice failed. 1t was a notori
fact that parties who held high
positions were implicated in many OF
these affairs, sharing the spoils, fur
nishing information in regard to treas
ure shipments, and standing between
the highwaymen and the law when
ever il was invoked against them.
Thousands of dollars were tolen and
squandered at the faro tables, and the
road agents hourished for a number of
years in perfect security. Wells, Fargo
* Co., after a time, began to adopt eX-
ira precautions, and the business got
hazardous, finally ceasing altogether.
In 1869, at the time that the excheQuer
of the robbers began to run rather low,
Davis genius was again called into
requisition, aud he commenced laying
his plans for a gigantic haul.
THE VERDI ROBBERY.
1t was well known hat the Central
Pacific Railroad express trains were
carrying large of treasure,
and the plans were laid to stop one of
the Eastern. bound trains and capture
the coin. A number of choice spirits,
including Davis, Cockerill, Parsons.
Squires, Baker and others. were taken
into the troop, and the situation dis
cussed. The plan finally agreed upon
was TO procure a mountain howitzer,
plant it on the scene OF the robbery,
halt the train, and rob it. Davis g
tiated at Carson and Reno for the pur-
chase of the cannon, but finding some
difficulty in procuring it. abandoned
the idea, and finally settled on the one
that succeeded. The particulars of
that famous affair are matters of his
tory.
HIS ARREST.
The night after the exploit Davis was
larrested on G. street. i'm Virginia City,