Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-08-20
General Bouton's Adventure.
Wayla,d and Ckqiaed By Three High
,casa;t.s--Hs .'iakes Good Use
of HIS Pistol.
From the co,to, fCa,., s.,,i-Tropic.

UdyfHi0 nEu tHGl.tu " iHTee flf5H
uaga;e.s- .liakes Good Use
of HIS Pistol.
From the Cotton (Cal.) Serni-Tropic.
Reports of the adventure of General
Bouton with highwaymeh near San Ja-
cinto have been coming IN for some
days, but the General hiuselt arrived
Yesterday. General Bouton was chief
of artillery under General Sherman,
who speaks of him as having a record
a. an artillery officer unsurpassed in the
world. He was engaged in toriy-two
battles and never lost gun. Tie tells
of his thrilling experience on the noun
tain top at San Gorgonia iu the follow
ing way: The General and j. &. Coi-
lins, his partnet, started from San Cor
COMA for their ranChe a, San JacInto
IN o iigh. wagon. About three miles
out, and when at the top of the grade
on the new road leading to San Jacin-
to, three men suddenly rose out OF the
brush, which at tina; place grows close
10 the roadside, and, two presenting I
revolvers and one a shotgun, cried, /
4" Halt" The team was stopped, "hen 4
they were ordered TO give up their arms /
They both promptly answered that they |
had no arms, although each ot them
had revolver in his p0ckef up kncwn
to the other. Upon getting Out of the
wagon pieces o! chain we're produced
aud their hands chained behind them
and six-leet chains placed about each
of their necks. This jewelry was made
from the chain used about the straw
carrier of threshDg machine. The
links are made Of heavy wire bent into
shape but not welded. and when they
were PLACED upon the prisoners ihe
links we're pressed down with a pair Of
shoemsker's pncers. Collins was
chained to the wheel of his wagon, with
the chain about his neck. The man
carrying the shotgun was handed pis
tol by the other, wb1, taking hold nf
the ebain about fhe Generals neck,
said, =. Come on" while the armed man
fell in the rear with his gun about foot
from BOuton's back. The third man
had meanwhile been unhitching the
horses, aud taking them ahead a shor;
distance tied :iiem to some bushes All
this time, aud the time was not nearly
80 long as 1t takes us TO tell II, the Cen
ersl had been fur;iveIy feeling along
the slack of the chain on his hands try
ing to fiud a link of the chain that was
not entirely closed. His touch, which
mest have beeu intensified by the hight
place in which he was placed, suddenly
found a luk partly open. He dropped
the other link down, and with the slight
leverage which this afforded pried open
The little opening upon which his life
depended Keeping his hands in the
same position BE- 'hen parted the skirts
Of his coat and put his hand upon his
pistol, which was self cocker Of the
.'buil- dog" pattern. They had not
yet gone thirty PAGES and had J.si
turned out of the road into the brush
when the General accomplished this,
and it Was just IT this time that the
man in the rear noticed his movements
aai cried 81 halt !" - tl.7s General
SCuIon whipped out his pistol, and,
bait turning, fred at the man IN the
rear. wAo tell. lgick as thought he
whirled and bored hole thrnagh ths
one in iro-t he then ran to release
Collins. when tie third nsI came rsu
uing toward the wagoa, from where he
had tied the horses. Bou.on, thinking
his purpose was to shoot C1ilius, waited
until he passed the rear OF the wagon,
when he blszei away aud dropped him.
I l. took but moment to jerk The cham
apart whIeh was about CoilIu-'s neck
aud 10 free bis hands. Then huching
up their ream they drove like Wild fire
to the office of Justice Keun, 81, some
nine miles distant, with the parted
chains still dangling from their wrists
and n, cks, whore they at ouce told
their story. With the aid Of a lie they
we're relieved Of their jewelry, and as
soon a. day broke posse started back
10 the scene Of the tragedy. NeIr by
they found where th.ee horses had been
ried and Two masks on the ground
Taking up :he trail of the horses, they
found. abun' q haH nile further on.
the body of John Wakefield, who had
dismounted, unsaddied bis horse, turn
cd him loose and then laid GoxR and
died. He yss fonud to have been shot
in the right side, just below the nipple,
the ball lodging just beneath the skin
of the back. On Wednesday young
Coyington went to his home, near FL
Casco, immediately after ;he shooting,
1ith flesh woaud III the thigh, where
he stated to his friends that they did
not intend TO murder General Bouion,
but only wanted to compel him to sign
an order on his wife for Eve Thousand
dollars ani Intended To keep him as a
| HOSTAGE until IT was paid