The Mineral argus., 1884-08-21
A TERROR TO ROAD AGENTS,

OlED-ln AuDufn, OaLs Jun8 -. 1851 u
consumption, Eugene Blair, a native Of
Augusta, Ne, aged So years and 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. lie 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 q year past he has been ill
with the consumption, a disease which
finally carried him of, 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 8 o'clock p. m, February 81,
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
fixed for the company, " returned the fire
of the party on the left from a wells
Fargo" shotgun, loaded with large
buckshot, %shattering 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 we're fired 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 wa
John Carlo, a native of Ohio, aged %
years, and that the shooting of Blair
was perfectly ~justifiable, as it was done
in the defense Of property intrusted to
his care, and while Carlo was engaged
in the unlawful act 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 18, 1881.
On the 4th of September, 1877, there
was a 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 we're the
Shotgun messengers" who were to
guard the treasure through to the des-
tination. II was generally known in
the region that about the first of each
month such shipments were made, and
that the stage 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
Iy been discharged from the Nevada
state prison at the expiration of a term
for robbing the express on the Central
Pacific train Verdi, November 9th 1870,
he being the leader of the band), Thos,
Laurie IAN ex-convict) Bob Hamilton IAN
ex-convict), 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 6 o'clock In
the evening. Jack Davis, Bob Ramil-
ton and brother were to be near the
Willows station, and LAURA was to re-
main in Eureka until a stage with mes
sengers aboard should leave, when he
was to go to the summit of a high
mountain about ten miles from Eureka
and at a fixed place build as many fires
as there were messengers on the stage
so that the fires could be distinctly seer
from the station. As soon as the stagC
with the two messengers on board leff
Eureka on the afternoon of the 4th o.
September, 1877, LAURA mounted
horse and rode to the place designated
built two fires as per agreement and re
turned to Eureka without his absenc'
being noticed. As soon as darkness
came on so that his confederates could
see the fires they rode up to the station
and leveling their guns at tn
hostler and a rancher, who happene'
to be at the stable at the time, demand
ed a surrender which was Immediate
complied with. The two men were the
bound and gagged and laid away in
stall in the back part of the barn, bein
admonished at their peril to give n