The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-10-11
BLACK HILLS HIGHwAYMEN.
particulars of the Recent Robbery of the
beadwood Coach, by Which the Road
Agents Secured S2l 900 I'm Gold.

PARTICULARS of the Recent Robbery of the
Deadwood Coach, by which the Road
Agents Secured Ss7 900 In Gold.
Cheyenne Letter TO Chicago Tmes.l
Early last week the road agents
stopped a coach near their regular place
between Cheyenne river and Jenney's
stockade. Here they ransacked the
mail-bags, taking everything out, open
ing and destroying all letters they
thought it was possible that would con-
tain anything of value. While engaged
IN their devilish act they asked about
the treasure coach, and told the driver
they would stake it in in few days.
Their warning was unnecessary, for this
coach is always guarded by from three
to five messengers, who are armed with
revolvers and repeating rifles. Some of
these messengers are well known to the
travelling public-Boone May, Scott
Davis, Gale Hill, William Ward, and
last, but not least, Capt. Smith, all of
whom have been under fire several
times, and have shown their metal to be
good. The passengers on the south
bound coach last Wednesday met Boone
May with his men, following, as he said,
party of these agents" whom he
thought they would come up with by
night or the next day at noon. They
were supposed to be but short distance
In advance. 1t proved different, how
ever, for the agents were better mount
ed than was expected, and they rode so
much faster than their followers that
they reached Canon Springs, about
forty-five miles south of Deadwood, in
time to capture the station, bind the
two herders, and make their plans for
the capture of the stage with its golden
treasure. The first thing done after
binding the herders was to tear the
thinking out from between the logs of
the station in such places as it was de-
sirable to place man to fire ut the mes
sengers. Then the men took their
places and awaited the coach's arrival.
AS it drew up to the station, and, just
as the driver aighted, the five men,
each having picked his man, or where
he supposed man to be, fired. The
result was one man, Hugh Campbell,
killed, Gale Hill shot through the side,
and Capt. Smith rendered insensible,
the ball that killed Campbell having
struck the latter in the forehead, but
not hard enough to make dangerous
wound, as he recovered before
the fight was over. Scott Davis
sprung out of the coach on the opposite
side, taking shelter behind some trees.
Here he defended himself short time,
but the robbers fire was too warm, and
he was compelled to move further into
the brush. Here he saw that it was all
over with Hill and Smith as far as fight
ing went, as one of the robbers had the
driver in front of him, and, marching
him up to Davis, he made him surren-
der, and Immediately bound both. Hill
fell where he had been fighting. He had
received another ball through his arm
This, with the wound in his side, bleed
ing profusely, had weakened him so that
he was unable to resist. Hill was left at
the station, while the robbers blind
folded Smith and the driver, put them
in the coach and drove them down the
road about mile, when they were taken
out and tied to the wheels of the coach.
The robbers were now ready for their
work. The safe, which weighs about
600 pounds, strapped with heavy iron
bands to the floor of the coach,
was torn from its fastenings and thrown
to the ground, when they commenced
pounding the door with sledges. This
soon forced the door. and the bricks,
dust and jewelry were theirs. The men
told Smith and the driver that they
would stop at the milk rancho, some dis
tance below, and send some one to re-
lease them. Before the relief arrived,
however, the driver succeeded in releas-
ing himself, and then Smith, who was
nearly dead from sufocation, as the man
had been gagged and bound so tightly
that he could breathe only with great
difficulty Scott Davis, who escaped in
the woods during the fight, walked six
miles to Beaver creek, where he found
a horse, and continued his way to the
stockade. Meeting with Boone May,
they at once organized strong party
and started for the station, to capture
the thieves, if possible. OF course
they arrived too late TO save the treas
ure, for the men had been gone several |
hours. Campbells body was taken to
Deadwood, where it was buried by the |
Masonic order Hill was taken to Dead
wood, and kilograms state that his
chances of recovery are very slim, as he |
has lost so much blood. Upon examin-
alton it was found that Campbell had |
three balls in his legs and one through
his body, besides the one through his
head, which caused his death.