Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-05

fortunate passengers, depOsting their contents
upon the mail bags. The stage was then al
lowed TO proceed. and Ii made excellent time to
the nearest station. where reinforcements were
secured and the party returned to the scene OF
the outrage with the laudable intention of
decorating the highest branch OF the highest
tree in the vicinity with the person Of the high
Wayman. The country was secured for two
days. but the only trace left by the gentleman
whose company was in such urgent request
were the following lines evidently written in a
disguised hand with the exception of the sig
nature:
THE POETRY OF THE ROAD.
Now lay NE down TO sleep
Not caring for the morrow,
Perhaps good luck, perhaps defeat
And jail fare, TO my sorrow.
Then come what will, I'll try my luck,
IN sure 1t can't be worse,
For II there's money In that pouch,
It's money in my purse.
BLACK BART, THE Pc s.
This unique production was found scrawled
upon torn newspaper wrapper lying upon one
OF the rf1ed mail bags. That was the first time
the name OF Black Bart was heard, but it was
not the last. for one stage line after another in
rapid succession paid heavy tribute to him.
"ells, Fargo Co. were large losers. and after
trying guards without avail offered $500 reward
Tor the capture OF the highwayman. The state
officials bestirred themselves, and even the o. S.
government awakening to the frequent corl-
plants OF losses Of valuable mails put in mo-
tl0n It's pOnderOus machinery and offered re-
ward of 5000 in addition to the $500 offered by
Wells, Fargo Co. The extent to which private
enterprise was stimulated thereby may be
judged by the story of Dan Shealy driver of a
stage running out Of Copperap0iis Said Dan
TO one Of the detectives:
81 got notion in my head that I'd like to
earn that pile, but I didn't quite see nv way
clear. Black Bart had been heard from about a
week back OF the day I'm talking about I'm a
neat little affair over to the westward of Cop
peropolls. and that darned mean piece of poetry
he hitched onto the mailbag dixie kicking q
man when he's DOWN kinder made me think
ne was going over on the Iuba route next. I'd
almost fixed 1t up to take a week of, go over
there and lay for him. Was going to hang on
Dehlnd the stage, you see, and have try at
him under the wheels if played in luck. Old
ankee Daniels, at Copperopolis, told me l was
my way soon enough, but l wasn't discouraged,
and kept thinking it over. Next trip Id gotten
ABOUT hve miles out of old Cop when
SOMEBODY SUNG OFT HALT
and heard two sharp clicks. Seemed az IL the
critters knew what's the proper thing for they
stopped as quick as if they'd struck stable
Then somebody in the bushes axed me pleasant
like to hold myhat on with both hands for some
buck-shot might blow it Off, along with some
hair and skull. if didn't. / allus was reason
able and | dropped that express chest with
SklUO OF Wells. Fargo's coin and drove Off lust
ike twas the regular thing. When the posse
got back there they found an old axe that he
used to bust the box, and on the cover he'd
stuck this yer:
Once toied for gold In bitches
~ Now With ease I amass riches,
Daniel; now I'm, on this lay,
I'll come again another day.
Well, sir, that riled me. There I'd been Law
Ing OIL to catch my man and he'd carried me
into camp like lamb, and now he'd the cheek
TO tell me he's going to come 1t over me again.
put months wages in gun, filed her full
Ofslugs and got ready for a fracas Old Yank
offered to buy my lite insurance policy; the old
cHss. I'd taken to carrying my arsenal cross
my knees when struck the lonesome places
Went along like that tor bout two weeks
There's pretty steep hill about two miles out
OF town and the critters are bout winded when
they strike the level above. One Friday I'd
heavy load. mail, express and passengers, in
Guiding three gala. and let the cattle crawl I'D
the hill. I'd allus been s'picious Of that place
and ia dropped the lines onto the foot-board
and taken up my shooting iron half 'specting
myman. Pilgrim he was right there. Just as
we struck the crest something few outen the
bush like a catamount, lit under the neck
OF the nigh leader, and fore 1 could say Jack
Robinson was looking into couple O. holes
in chunk of iron. Stop? Vas; ! stopped.
He'd the drop on me agin. Couldn't blaze away
thout killing the lead horse, and wouldn't have
faxed the cuss, for couldn't see nothing sides
one eye. He was dressed in long linen buster
and had flour bag over his head. SEED he'd
taken fancy to my gun that trip, and
let him have it. But darned II he didn't shove
fifty onto the box to pay me when he'd gotten
through the matinee. He never would bother
the women folks. but was mighty polite to them
The boys got onto that racket, and I've known
single poor Irish lass going over my route to
carry the nuggets OF half q dozen miners. Yes
l remember the poetry he left that time. 1t
was like this:
Daniel, 1t grieves me to say It.
Next time you attempt to play it,
Buy an overcoat Of pine,
And I'll send the corpse in time
quit the line after that; didn't think it was
healthy"
HE ELUDES CAPTURE
The records show that the government prt
forth every effort, through It's trained in
pectors, to capture the audacious mail depre-
dator. Wells. Fargo & Co., through their
agents, kept the local authorities up to their
work. while the standing rewards melted indi-
yidual enterprise. But the robberes continued
and the tantalizing rhymes left ut the scene of
each new exploit showed that the "Po 8" was
aware OF the efforts that had been made to
secure his capture. Nobody had ever seen his
face, and the inspectors reports stated that all
evidence was to the effect that he never slept
over night within fifteen or twenty miles of the
scene OF his adventure
rHaiiV detective Morse TOOK up the trail and
through inductive reasoning he placed the man
he sought in San Francisco
"What does Black Bart do with the proceeds
of his robberies," mentally inquired Morse, and
the answer was that he spent it, and spent it in
San Francisco, too. So the detective resigned
to Others the task of following Black Bart all
over the state, while he sought him In the slums
OF San Francisco. He searched for weeks with
out success, until one day when his attention was
attracted by peculiar ruby in the window of a
jewelry store. 1t exactly fitted the description
of a jewel taken by Black Bart from wealthy
drOver some months before. The gentleman
who left the ruby said the jeweler, had often
sold to him other Jewels.
CAUGHT AT LAST
Following up this clue, the detective Swallowed
the shop and soon had the gentleman under
arrest. 1t was none other than Black Bart,
as it afterwards appeared, although he
stoutly denied his identity. He was a
man Of about fifty years Of age, neatly
dressed, and with a soft, pleasant voice, which
was rarely heard. He was q native of New
York, hailed from Calaveras county. and had
been an unsuccessful miner. His habits were
exemplary; he did not swear, nor did he use to-
baccO or drink liquor. During his trial he main
tanned an air OF injured innocence that so i'm
pressed the court that it was only through her
culean efforts that the prosecution was able to
have him sentenced to six years seryitude in
states prison for rObbing the Copperapolis stage.
1t was the only stage robbery with which he
could be connected because In the other cases
his identity had been completely concealed by