, 1879-03-25
A DESPERATE AFFAIR,
Account OF Stove venartl's Fight with Three
fIlghwaymen, All pf |yItnn liz Killed,

ACCOUNT o1 stove FeharA'a Fight with Three
filghwayanen, All Df Witnln liz Killed,
Ntruda Transcripf. .Mlrca 10.
Steve Vcnard, tho hero of the most startling
cvcnt that ever occurred in Nevada County's
history, Is in town. Everybody here remembers
him Of old. For TINT mattcr, hi. fu1no was na-
tlonal few years ago, and tllcro are people III
ell parts Of the country who have not forgotten
tile account, that went flashing ovcr the wires,
Of hte daring feat Of the 18th ut May, 1865 His
tory trlls us that the stage from North Sun
Juan to this city was stopped at 4:30 o'clock IN
the morning. near the top of the hill, on the
south side Of tho South Yula, above Bucks
Crossing, BY three men In disguise, nn! 81, 900
taken from Wells, Fargo d Co.'s coin chest,
which was fixture tn ull tic stages wherever
tue Company hal route. Tile passengers,
the driver commanded to take The horses iron,
the wagon without delay. As tilu robbcrs wcsu
nrt1en With reY0lyers, there WAS no alternative
but TO obey, Thc, zobbgrs then projected to
they camo prepared: Their object was areoln-
pflshcd at the 81 conA attcnpt. Tie cop was
tnkcn antl tho driver was ordered to drive On.
Ille stage siroyo quickly into Ncvasia. dis
t. tancc 70 9f aly9 2 1niles: 1c news WIS made pub
paired Iii all haste to the kucnu Of tir robbery,
The posso conststed OF Gtcre Veuard, 1uncs ri.
Lee, Albert Gontry, md A. ". Potter. an
examination Of tho spot showed tut the robbers
river on n parallel will. 1t. Venard md Lee vot
OIL the trail 6f the robbrrS nnd followed It oypr
the ronghcst Of MI Imaginable ground for tllc
distance Of 'ntlo n1tl half. 1t was evident
which wny the robbers went, Lee ucut back to
take tho horses around to tho road OF thu cross
ng below, the rest Ut the shcriT's party having
previously Eonu III Tint direction. Vct,arl, luft
alone, followed the trail. He casnu TO Meyers
Nas!nt, At 1ts debouchurc into tho YuDa. liz
tl at t1 EH1h hai7
4 crossing. He was alonc III one Of tle widest
n'iti rougllcst OF spots III that WILD mud rugged
region; TIC bills hung stecp above. Rocks,
Trees, brush, aid legs there we're In protusIon
Henry rlle. Tic waters Of iho raylno
eane, tulnblng down its ateup bed OF
l,owllcrs, with rush anu notso
h1s Mslcl. ,,a rendered Maay II? other sounds oud!
caution. a hugo rock ausc twenty feet lu hight
III tho midst Of the muddy watcr; olller sl,ali-
er roclts surrounded 1t. altogether forniug n1,
island. 4 trco or two grew upon tho lower cui
?. tut islanl III II. ndat of the rocks their
rocky rampant ainve. Gciow lie islaml, at .Aa a
lew acct distant, wns rrccfp!cu Of fifteen fcot
or more, over which tlse waters OF tic rayinp
tumbled. vet.ard attempted to cross tic stream
)ot. to 4 rock. Above A!m rose tic huge mass
ol 1rai,'te, h.ttrtsscl III front by two smaller
rocks between these latter was III ailty wIItch
led up the basc Of tho Titan. Ills positsou wns
great rock Vcaar' discovered Tic object oi his his
search. The lender ol the gang was sitting IN
tile ground nsl IN tho act Of drawing iii re-
yo!yer: Vcnard Instantly cyelcsl lils ri.la upon
the robber, who was not moro than t,ycuty feet
distant. At thu samo moment he sy saw
another OF the gang pointitsg at him over tllu
edge 0f q rock. There WIS no time to Change
hls aim. ilo fired; tl1e leadcr fell bark aliot
through the heart. Thu other robhcr attetoptci
to GhftI him sp1f fhrttipr hH,tI II
tue po!nt Ut Ills ptstul exposed over thu ton.
The nxpostire WIS tatnl; venard covered tGn
spot with hts unerring Henry. No sut,nar did
tl!o head Of lllc robbcr neer nboyc thu rock than
Ills brain was pierced With bullet. There wus
yet another. but lln was mt to be scun. Ills
pistol sn4ht ut that moment bo t,oiutiug ot
Fenatd. The latter, auick Is thought, cla,nber-
gu up to tho lar to beard him In his lcs,. lla
dead, covered quickly tho former with car,ll
null 'cayes. mud pr3cHeslcd to hunt thu missing
rnbncr. Crossln lnE the stscatn n.ll ascending tig
stcsp mountain beyond, te daeoyesod lllc rob-
a'a"l 7onsr re y' a ,e s:y 9o5bar Sanss Ill r.
AnolirF bullet, a,nl tic lust rubber rolled down
tlIa hIll-1cu.t.
Verard nnw sought his companions They all
eteS o onay to ' ssfs g ok 4 tkE.gs 8
day Chg shcsiif's party tlcnosttod tho cash with
4. D. Tower, Wells. Farro d Cots ngcut Il,
thls ctty: Attcr the shcrt's party had lcft Ne
saan. H. Welia, FarE0 d Eu olIcred reward uf
S3,QN0. which was nail. llIu company alsu nro.
presented Stcye VrnarA With q magnificent
Henry rlao, guild nountetl aud hcalltifuily in.
scrthaa. alld Gov. Luw nppoiatctl him on ill
staff, With the ras,s nf lulttnant.C Colonel, "ior
services In 'In 1ell:s'
Tho bodies nf tin, roh!!sEs wcro brought to
torn, wasllcl,. and fully Unidentified. Uppa
tiem WIS found property they Ind tnkcn from
tho passengers IN stagcs they lla' stoprcd ID
lore. Jh4 ,'au,es VI ttIv rulhcrs were Georwu
HhAt,ks QI3AH .tMcIx Williams IIit 1.+jor. Iii,
Ftun nllna Caton. Auu Geurse ". Moore.