The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-05-20
TWENTY-SIX WOUNDS.
The Tall Story of an Express Rob-
berry of Twenty Years Ago.

"On July 18th, 1865, | was connected
with Ben Holidays express as agent
on tho route between Virginia. Monta-
ma, and Salt Lake, Utah. On the date
mentioned was on the stage coach,
which contained several passengers
and a treasure box with SIS, 900 in gold
dust. The stage was bound south going
towards Salt Lake. At n place called
Porte Ncuf canon, 100 miles north of
Salt Lake. we were attacked by band
of nine highwaymen, during which
four passengers were killed and was
wounded in twenty-six places. Previ-
Gus to the attack we met one of the
robbers, who was riding along the road,
and he got some kind of u signal,
us we afterwards learned, from the dr-
yer, by which the highwayman was in
formed that there was box contain
ing thousands of dollars worth of gold
dust aboard the stage. Suddenly he
spurred ahead and was soon out of
sight. On reaching place whore the
willows were thick, one of the passen-
gers saw man step from the thicket,
and, being apprchonsive of trouble, he
cooked his revolver and prepared to
defend himself in case of an attack.
simultaneously eight other men came
out of the bushes and ordered the dri-
yer of the stage to halt j told the
driver to 90 on, but he did not, and OBJ
serving the attitude of the robbers, |
saw that we must present bold front
to the enemy, as we were in close quar-
tiers, and if attacked, sell our lives as
dearly as possible, for they cared moth
ing for the life of any one and would
show US no mercy. | Immediately fired
at the band and they simultaneously
fired on us killing four of the passen-
gers, George Parker, prominent man
in Montana, Jack McCauslin, a fugi-
tive from justice, who had killed his
partner and was on his way East, Dave
Diamond, freighter, and Louis Muir
ray, a contractor.
IL was wounded in twenty-six places
and twelve of the balls, which were
from navy revolvers, and buckshot
from double barreled shot guns, are
in me now. Four of the shots entered
my right foot and ankle, making am
putation necessary, fifteen in hip and
'high, two in my breast and five in
my hand and arms. Apassengcr named
Carpenter, when the firing began,
dropped down in the bottom of the
coach, Robinson-fashion, and by play
ing "possum" escaped ninjured. An
other named Brown got out on the
other side unobserved and hid in the
bushes. The stage was ransacked, the
treasure carried of, and | was left for
dead. The desperadoes thought that
no trace of them was left to tell the
story. On the return stage the muir
dered passengers were taken to Snake
River and buried. Parker's wife, when
she heard of his sad fate, went crazy.
l stayed at one of the Overland houses
until could go to New York and get
an artificial leg. l then came back
and went into the employ of the express
company, and remained with them un-
til transferred to Wells, Fargo Il Co.,
where l remained until recently, when
| / resigned to go into business. The
company has been very kind to me,
and sent me twice to New York, for
had to have my leg amputated twice,
but it is now getting on finely. The
terrible tragedy aroused the people in
the mountain towns. Search was made
for the highwaymen, and at least foul
of them were captured and hanged by
the vigilantes. The driver of the coach
was implicated and hanged in Denver
three months after the affair. 1t APP
peared from the drivers confession
that for two weeks previous to the at
tack the robbers were oncamped near
the place where the passengers were
killed and the robbery occurred. They
Knew that all treasure was transferred
to the Snake River route, and they
were informed in advance. by arrange.
ment with the driver, II there was any
. money in the treasure box, --San Fran
J cisco Cali