The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-08-15

Death OF Eugene Blair, the shotgun
Messenger"-Incidents of His Career.

AuDuIh, NdLD Ouno ~ ASi' ~
consumption, Eugene Blair, a native OF
Augusta, Ne, aged 80 years and 5 months.
Mr.. Blair was for many years in the
service of Wells, Fargo & Co. as "shot-
gun messenger" on stage routes, and
was well known throughout Nebraska,
Utah and Montana. He was held in the
highest esteem by the officers of the
express company for his fidelity and
bravery, which were often put to severe
tests. For O year past he has been i'll
with the consumption, q disease which
finally carried him off, and during that
time the express company and Its en-
ployes were unremitting in their care
of and attention to him. The follow
ing account of two encounters with
highwaymen will be of interest to the
reader and the express fraternity
generally:
ABOUT 9 o'clock p. m, February 27,
1877, the stage from Hamilton to Ward,
In White Pine county, Nevada, had
reached a point about two miles ont
from Ward, when, without warning or
an order to stop, two parties began to
fire their guns into and at the stage.
The messenger, Eugene Blair, who was
on the seat with the driver, and always
fxedfor the company" returned the fire
of the party on the left from a "Wells-
Fargo" shotgun, loaded with large
buckshot, SCATTERING the robbers right
arm near the shoulder and sending two
buckshot into his right side between
the fourth and sixth ribs. Blair then
jumped from the seat to the ground,
when two shots were fred at him by the
other robber. Blair returned the fire,
when the robber broke and ran, Blair
following and shooting at the retreat
ing figure until he was out
Of sight. Returning to the stage
heard the wounded robber calling that
he would give himself up, and that he
was in a dying condition. Blair assist
ed him into the stage and took him into
Ward, where on the next day, after
having his arm amputated, he died. The
coroner's jury found that his name was
John Carlo, a native of Ohio, aged 20
years, and that the shooting of Blair
was perfectly iustifable, a it was done
in the defense of property intrusted to
his care, and while Carlo was engaged
in the unlawfulact of highway robbery.
Immediately after the inquest Blair
started in pursuit of the other robber,
James Crawford, and soon struck his
trail, which he followed for ten days,
capturing the man in southern Nevada,
Blair brought him back to white Pine,
where he pleaded guilty and was sent
to the Nevada state prison for a term of
years. This robber died IN prison Jan
uary Is, 1881.
On the 4th of September, 1877, there
was q large shipment Of money to be
sent by Wells, Fargo & Co., from
Eureka, New, to Typo, to pay off the
miners at the latter place. Eugene
Blair and Jimmie Brown were the
shotgun messengers" who were TO
guard the treasure Though to the des-
tination. IT was generally known in
the region that about the first of each
month such shipments we're made, and
that the etage which carried the mes
sengers would be certain to have also
the treasurer on board. A. j. Davis,
alias big jack Davis (who had recent
II been discharged from the Nevada
state prison ait the expiration of a term
for robbing thesexpTess on the Central
Pacific train Verdi, November 9th 1870,
he being the leader Of the band), Thos,
Laurie IAN ex-conyict) Bob Hamilton Gan
ex-conyict), and his brother. had agreed
upon a plan to take in the stage at
Willows stage station whenever they had
reason to believe it was carrying the
Typo money. The stages left Eureka
late In the afternoon, and were due at
the Willows station about 8 o'clock in
the evening. Jack Davis, Bob Hamil-
ton and brother were to. be neal the
Willows station. and Laura was to re-
main Ia Eureka until a stage with mes
sengers aboard should leave, when he
was TO 60 to the summit Of a high
mountain about ten miles from Eureka,
and at q fixed place build as many fires
as there were messengers on the stage,
so that the fires could be distinctly seen
from the station. As soon as the stage
with the two messengers on board left
Eureka on tho afternoon Of tie 4th Of
September, 1877, Lauria mounted q
horse and rode to the place designated,
built two fires as per agreement and re-
turned to Eureka withSst his absence
bong notified. AS soon as darkness
6oma on 40 Tint hia c3-fadorefno amid