Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-09-06
THE TRAGEDY AT WILLOWS
STATION
INQUEST on THE DEAD HIGHWAYMAN
Testimony of the Witnesses and
Participants in the Tragedy!
Identification Of she Deceased.

Coroner A.. C. Bishop held an in
quest yesterday afternoon on the body
of the stage robber. A jury was i'm
paneled and sworn, and the following
testimony elicited:
Eugene Blair was sworn and testified
a. follows: / have known tho de-
ceased by the name of Jack Davis;
knew him in Virginia City ten or
eleven years ago; | am messenger for
Wells, Fargo * Co.; my duties are to
protect their treasure; night before
last, about nine o'clock we drew up
TO Willow Creek station, on the Typo
road, as usual; just as we stopped in
front of the stable door, some one
called out Eugene Blair surrender"
/ took it for a joke; l did not stir; then
the second call was made; he said, "Get
down off Of there and surrender" /
Immediately jumped off on the ground
and started for tbe party that was
hsiliDg me; there We're two shots
fired, one from the side and one in
front OF me; / shot at the same time;
he was In the dark where / could not
see him, and / stepped to one side TO
get out of the smoke, when he ran up
close to me and showed the gun against
my breast: nv first intention was to
strike him and knock him down, but
| changed my mind and grabbed the
gun, showing 1t out of the way; he
caught me by the coat and tried to
shove me away from him; | was try
ing To cock my gun and shoot him; at
the same time there was shooting go
ing on between James Brown and an
other party, and when | heard the re-
port deceased says II am shot, /
surrender" aud he let 20 of my coat
collar and fell; when he fell / held to
his gun; | thought that | might have
hit him with the shot that / had fired
aud he was just weakening; just ut
that time / noticed Brown on the
ground: he said II have got that son
OF a d" at h anne time a gun
went oil and Brown said Eugene, /
have got 1t too;n the second party
must have run around the team and
took a shot at me; he kept on running
up the canyon; | chased him about
fiity yards, firing one shot at him and
then came back; when | came back /
asked Brown how bad he was urt:
he replied, mot very much;" / asked
him where he WAS hit; he said, "In the
calf of the leg;" l then heard
the toys from the inside of
the stable calling for US to
coine and unite them; I went into
the stable and found some parties
untying n blacksmith and rsncher who
were at the station; the rancher's name
WAS Josh Tiugley; | laid out around
the wagon for half an hour, waiting to
Sc III / could hear anything more; /
afterwards had a talk with the black
smith, aud la told me they had been
tied up about an hour; | told the boys
to take the man who was shot inside of
the house, which they did-aud also
dress I'll Browns wound; the black
smith told me that first they tied the
raucher To the center post in the stable,
and then him to II same place; Flood
asked to be taken away, as there was
bound TO be a fight. and Blair would
not give up anything without one, and
they were liable TO get hurt; they
moved the parties tied to the left hand
msnger in the barn; we staid at the
station until the next morning, and
started for Eureka about IL O'Clock A.
NJ; tho deceased died at Pages ranch
about 3 O'Clock =. NJ; | asked him
what his name was: he could hardly
speak, but we all understood him to
say that his name was Davidson; |
knew him at FIowery District, below
Virginia City, and in that vicinity,
from 1866 to 1869; this is the same
Jack Davis that was implicated in the
Verdi car robbery, was sent to the
State Prison at Carson for that oflense,
and afterwards pardoned out; / helped
Chief Downey to arrest him for that
crime; he wore a mask all the time of
the last robbery, until after he was
shot.
j. b. Nelson sworn, and testifed: l
have seen the deceased; / recognize
him as a man / have known for .
years as A. j. Davis; he always ven
by the name OF Jack Davis; / have
witnessed papers that he has signed; /
saw him in Virginia City after he was
pardoned III of the State Prison, and
had a talk with him at that time; ]
never saw him alive in Eureka; /
think he i about As years of age.
III. Wilson worn and testified: |
have seen deceased; l recognize him
as a man by the name of Jack Davis; |
knew him in Virginia City very well
he Is the same Jack Davis that was
chief Of the gang that robbed the ears
at Verdi, on the Central Pacific Rail
road, and was afterwards sent to the
state Prison for ten years for that
crime.
Jack Perry sworn, and testified as
follows: l am driving stage on the
Tybo road. between Eureka and viii.
lows Station; on the night of the Sd, a
we drove up to the barn at said station,
just as the team was stopping, a man
at the corner of The barn holloed. "GeI
down, Eugene Blair!" Blair did not
comply, and he holloed the second
time, sect down and surrender, or
will kill you'll" At that time Blair goI
down very quick and started toward
the man; he shot at Blair, and / think
that the charge went over Blair's lief
shoulder; Blair shot at him; then be
rushed at Blair, and it looked to me
that he hit Blair in the collar-bone: a
the time Blair fired a shot came from
behind the stage; Blair, when the CUR
hit him, caught hold of the gun will
his left hand and threw it up; they
were struggling then; James Brown
was sitting on the seat back of me