The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-06-05
Carl Adams and the Mail Robbers.
From an interview with Mr.. Adams in thu
NInninnnIi EnunirnI

"While Special Agent of tho Postal De-
partment, General Adams was called upon
| to detect and pursue band of fellows who
repeatedly robbed the treasury coach. This
IL seems. il vehical, metal lined, in which
two passengers are taken to sit on the
treasure boxes and assist to guard them.
l'here was young Scotchman named
Campbell, at Deadwood, very solicitous to
Get one of the seats in the vehicle ana to
90 through to some friends on tho route.
There was very little time to be lost in town,
and my husband had his posse, VINO were
going to hunt down these robbers; but ne
heard that there was man in jail VINO
formerly belonged to the band who was
willing to confess. He went all about town
to find the sheriff, who was in the place,
but couldn't be seen; the fact was, he was
gambling somewhere privately. ms
Young man (CampbelD kept sending friends
to my husband to ask to be permitted to
take his place if he did not go out that day.
Finally, unable to get in the Jail, and in
some providential way feeling that he ought
to see the criminal before going further,
he told the young man to take the seat
Perfectly overjoyed the young man went
on till they came to the first station on the
road.
"The station consists of nothing but
stable for a change of horses, and little
Int adjacent for the station master to sleep
in. AS they rode up to the station, and felt
relieved in the presence of it, supposing
that now there would be no danger what
ever, the robber band, stationed right there,
and supposng young Campbell to be my
husband, put eight balls into his body in an
instant ..
"The other passengers, who were not
killed but gagged, says they came up ana
kicked him, dying, in his face, and swore
that was the doom they meant to give every
agent of the Postoffice Department that
came to capture them.
"Now,n continued Mrs. Adams, sit seems
that all this while confederate of the rob
bers was in my husbands party. When he
mustered his posse to begin the expedition
one of the men recommended to him was
this man. There was no reason to suspect
any person like that But it really was this
individual who advised the robbers that on
certain stage General Adams would arrive
at that station, and they were lying there to
murder him-killing in his place the young
Scotchman have mentioned. They did
not take any of the effects from Campbells
body, and a watch was found on him set
with diamonds, and inscribed TO Duncan
Campbell from Lorne. He probably was
kinsman of the Argylls.
general Adams, lying over for that
purpose only, got in the Jail at last, after
the stage had gone, and he told this other
robber, who was fellow abont twenty
Years old, more willing to go to the peni-
Tertiary than go back to the camp, that if
he would tell him the exact truth he would
endeavor to save him. General exclaimed
the robber, 'one of our confederates is in
your party now. 1t is his business to stay
back and find out the operations of the
Government and the people who are hunt
ing u.s. and he named this particular man.
7'It flashed across my husbands mind at
once that, unless he caught that stage,
Young Campbell would be murdered in his
place. The confessing robber said to him
''They will wait for you at one of the sta
lions, and shoot you down to make an ex-
ample of you.'
my husband instantly called for his
men to mount, and among them stepped
forth this spy of the robbers. No, said my
husband, you can't go; it is you who have
been informing on me- He started with |
his posse at the top of his speed, but they |
reached the station after the work had been
done. There lay the young man shot to
pieces, and the stable men, drivers, pas
sengers and others all gagged and hidden
away in the vicinity.
'"The people of that country, who have
been robbed enough, made short work of
the spy. They put the body of the dead
man, Campbell, out before his eyes and
made him look at it, and while he was look
ing they hoisted him by the neck into a
tree The whole band were caught and
by the States witness, and two of
them the citizens hanged forthwith, while
two others were handed over to the Gov>
eminent and tried and sentenced.
'Now," said Mrs. Adams, sit is on that
kind of service my husband has been ems
gagged ever since the war, out of which he
came shot through and through. He is an
educated man, and speaks four languages
besides the English, and has been DESTROYS
for years to go back to Germany and have
4 holiday for reading and repose. There
was offered him at Washington one or two
better positions, but his imagination was
excited by the war between Peru, Bolivia
md Chill, and he thought occupation there
would give him more experience and make
lin more useful. So we are off, at the
brink of Summer, to run down to the
equator, and, suppose, to step out of the
rying pan into the fire. +"