The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-23
IN THE HANDS OF HIGHWAYMEN.
"a Dangerous Experience in California
Good Use Of Pistol.
lCnlton IfCal.l Semi Tropic..


Reports of the adventure. Of Gen Bouto1
with hiuh wa ymen near San Jacnto have beer
Coming In for come days, but the donera
4 himself has now arrived. Gen. Bouton was
chief Of artillery under Gen. Sherman Wnt
! speaks Of him as having record az an aIllt
lery officer unsurpassed in tho world. He was
y engaged I'm forty two battles and never LOST q
u,ITl. He tells of his thrilling experiences on
the mountain top at San Gorgonia IN the fol.
lowing way: n,...
A started from san GorEonia for their ranch nj
San Jacinto Id light wagon. About three
! miles out and when ut the top OF the grade ON
Tie new road leading to San Jhcinto, three
Y men suddenly rose out OF the brush, winch al
that place grows close to the roadside, and
two presenting revolvers and one shotgun,
cried aHaltr' The team was stopped, and
they were ordered to give up their arms.
They both promptly answered that they had
10 arms. although each VI them hada revolt
ver III hts pocket unknown to the other. Upon
9etting out Of the wagon pieces OF chain were
produced and their hands were chained be-
L hind them andi six-foot chains were placed
about each Of their necks. his jewel,
IN was made from the chain used
about the straw-carrier OF 9 threshing ma
chime The links are made OF heavy wire bent
Into shape but not Welded and when they
were placed upon the prisoners the links were
! pressed down with a pair OF shoemaker' 8
II ntncers, Collins was chained to the wheel OF
4 his wagon, with the chain about his neck.
II The man carrying the shotgun was handed q
4 pistol by the other, who taking hold Of the
chain about the generals neck, said: Come
on while the armed man fell In the rear
y With bis gun about foot from Bouton's back
The third man had meanwhile been unhitch-
tng the horses, and taking them ahead short
distance, tied them to some bushes.
All this time-and the time was not nearly
{ had been furtively feeling along the slack Of
q the chain on his hands trying to find q link
that was not entirely closed. His touch,
I which must have been intensified by the tight
place i'd which he was placed, suddenly found
link partly open: He, dropped the other
lInk down. and with the slight leverage
which this afforded pried open the little
opening supon which his life depended.
Keeping his hands IN the same position,
then parted h the skirts 9 3be Ms e e1
which was self-cocker OF the bulldog
pattern. They had not yet gone more than
thirty PAGES, and had just turned out OF the
road into the brush when the general accom-
plfshed this, and 1t was Just ut this time that
i The man In the rear noticed his movements
and cried "Halt" AZ this Gen. Boutpn
whipped out hts pistol, and, half turning,
T tlred ct the man ID the rear, who fell. Quick
through the one in front. He then ran
10 release Collins, when the third man
came running toward the wagon
from where he tied the horses. Bouton,
BalnKIDB his purpose WHS 70 SHC0L i01llnS,
waited until he passed the rear OF the wagon,
when he blazed away and dropped him. 1T
took but moment to jerk the chain apart
which was about Collins neck and to free his
hands. Then, hitching up their team, they
drove like wildfre to the office of Justice
sKennedy, some nine miles distant, with the
parted chains still dangling from their
Nrlsts and necks, where they at once told
their story. With the aid Of file they were |
relieved OF their iewelry, and as soon as day
broke q posse started back to the scene of the
tragedy.
u Near by they found where three horses had
been tied, and two masks on the ground.
Taking up the trail Of the horses, they tonnd,
bout q h alf-mile further on, the body OF John
Wakefield, who had dismounted, unsaddled
his horse, turned him loose, and then lain
down and died. He was found to have been
shot In the right side, the ball lodging just
beneath the skin of the back. On Wednesday
- man named Covington went to his home
near I'll Casco, Immediately after the shoot
ing, with flesh wound in the thigh, where
he stated to his friends that they did not in
tend to murder Gen. Bouton, but only wanted
~ compel him to sign an order on his wife for
5000, and intended to keep him as a hostage |
until u was paid.