Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-04-06
1t Don't Pay.

"He has always played in the
worst possible luck" was a remark
recently made of Dick Fellows. A
truth is embodied ia this slangy
verpacular which inculoates as
much morality as several th0us.
and sermons. The same thought
in different form was uttered q
few days since by the robber him.
self, when he said "The stage BUSH
ness don't pay" II any man
could profitabIy make stsge-rob-
bling profession, that man is Dick
Fellows. Brave, cool, quick.
witted, well bred, we'll educated,
and possessed of almost miracu-
lous powers of endurance, he would
seem to be peculiarly fitted for any
avocation. He was not equal,
however, to the one he adopted.
His hairbreadth escapes would in
dictate that he possesses q charmed
life, but this must be very mel
anchOly satisfaction to one VINO Is
condemned to State Prison for the
remainder of his days. Jim Hume
says: "He is the most remarkable
man I ever saw" A knowledge
of his career seems to fully war;
rant the assertion. At one time
the officers surrounded party of
which he was member, and killed
every man except Fellows. He es-
capped through perfect shower of
bullets. On another occasion he
entered house to get something
to eat, and found himself in the
presence OF u Sheriff's posse who
were awaiting his arrival. A dozen
pistols were drawn and em piled at
the outlaw, yet he escaped v it'll no
other injury than bullet through
his foot. This manned foot, how
ever, was the cause of his capture
a few days afterwsrd. Horses
seem to be among his most I'M
placable enemies. A stage which
carried a number of thousands of
dollars was to be stopped one
night by him and confederate,
and the plan was only frustrated
by the fact that his horse
bucked him off while he was
going to the place where the
robbery was going to he commit
ted. AS specimen of his expert
ences it may be mentioned that q
few nights afterward he rode an
other horse to the very spot, and
stopped the same stage. When
the box was thrown off, Fellows
found it quite heavy. Not stone
could be found large enough to
break it open, and the robber at
tempted to lift it upon the saddle
before him. The horse became
frightened, broke away and disap-
peared. Fellows shouldered the
box and set out on foot. The night
was dark, and he stepped off q
railroad embankment eighteen
feet high. The fall literally crush
ed his foot and ankle, and he lay
unconscious until near daybreak.
He found himself In the approach
of a tunnel. In little while two
thousand lahorers, engaged in
building the road, would pass the
spot. Pushing the heavy treasure
box before him, he crawled long
distance to the mouth of the cut.
AT the foot Of the hill below him
was creek, along which the Chi
nese workmen were campsd. He
could see the fires by which they
were cooking breakfast. Sliding
down the hill, keeping tight hold
OF the box. he reached q dump OF
bushes. From this he crawled to
one of the cabins, procured an ak,
and, returning to the bushes, broke
open the box and took out $4,000.
Lying concealed until nightfall,
he visited one of the cabins,
got something to eat, aud set
out to look for q hOfse. His
only method of locomotion was to
crawl on his hands, dragging the
broken leg upon its unipjured
mate. In this manner he proceed
ed some hundred yards, until he
reached a stable. Having selected
the horse which seemed most gen.
tie, he searched in vain for q sad
die. Nothing discouraged, he led
the horse to another stable, got q
saddle, managed to mount, and
rode away. This horse, few days
previous, had lost shoe, and the
owner, having no other, had nailed
on mules shoe. The peculiar
track was easily followed, and
Dick was captured, tried, convict
ed and sentenced to eight years ia
San Quentin. 1t was his second
term, and having a natural dislike
for the city across the Bay, he dug
out of the Bakersfield jail and took
q Chinaman's horse aud left. He
rode three days bareback, despite
his swollen and aching foot, and
when the pain became unendura-
BILE he dismounted and took to the
tules. All this time he was with
out food. His suffering and endur-
ance availed little, however,. for
the first time he attsmpted to pro.
cure food his Identity was discov-
cred and he was followed up and
captured. So it has been through