River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-08-07
A TERROR TO ROAD AGENTS,
Death OF Eugene Blair, the Shotgun
essenger"-Inoidents of His Career.

OAA-1-Ah huDuAbs Val, VhIO 80 AC'l3 VI
consumption, Eugene Blair, a native of
Augusta, Me-, aged SO years and 5 months
Mr.. Blair was for many years IN the
service of Wells, Fargo Sc 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 year past he has been i'll
| with the consumption, a disease which
finally carried him off, and during that
time the express company and It's en-
ployes were unremitting in their care
of and attention to him. The follow
ing account of two encounters with
highwaymen viii be of interest to the
reader and the express fraternity
generally:
About o'clock p. m, February 81,
1877, the stage from Hamilton to Ward,
in White Pine county, Nevada, had
reached 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 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 TWunded robber calling that
he would give himself up, and that he
was In 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, native of Ohio, aged %
years, and that the shooting of Blair
was perfectly justifable, 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 term of
years This robber died IN prison JAN
uary Is, 1881.
On the 4th of September, 1877, there
was large shipment of money to be
sent by Wells, Fargo g. 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 through to the des-
tination. 1t 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
| ly been discharged from the Nevada
state prison at the expiration of q term
for robbing the express on the Central
Pacific train Verdi, November 9th 1870,
he being the leader of the band), Thos,
Laurie ian x-conyict) Bob Hamilton Gan
ex- convict, and his brother, had agreed
upon plan to take in the stage at
| Willows stage station whenever they had
reason to believe it was carrying the
i Typo money. The stages left Eureka
late in the afternoon, and were due at
! the Willows station about o'clock in
the evening. Jack Davis, Bob Kamil-
| 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 high
mountain about ten miles from Eureka,
| and at 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 the afternoon Of the 4th of
| September, 1877, Laura mounted a
| horse and rode to the place designated,
| built two fires as per agreement and re-
| turned to Eureka without his absence
| 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 the
| hostler and rancher, who happ
to be at the stable at the time, demand
| ed a surrender which was Immediately
complied with The two men were then
bound and gagged and laid away in
stall in the back part of the barn, being
admonished at their peril to give no
alarm when the stage approached. In
about an hour the stage ratified up to
and stopped in front of the open barn
doors as usual. Blair was on the end
| driver, and Brown on the dickey sat
Just behind them. As the stage came
to a stop voice yelled out from the
darkness near the stable door; Gu
gene Blair surrender" Blair took it
for a joke and did not move until the
command. "Get down off there
and surrender" Blair imme-
diately jumping from the stage
with his short Wells Fargo shot gun in
his right hand, and started for the
party, who, though not in sight had
been hailing him, when two shots were
| fired at him-one from the side and one
from the front. Jack Davis then rushed
upon Blair, and placed the muzzle of
his double barreled shotgun against
Blair's breast; the latter seized the gun
with his left hand and threw it up.
| Blair then clinched Davis, and in the
scuffle swung him around so that the
bright stage light struck squarely on
Davis back, when Jimmy Brown, from
his seat, sent charge of nine buck-shot
into Davis back, between the hips.
Davis exclaime,, II am shot; surrend-
err" and fell to the ground. Brown
started to get down and received shot
in the leg which shattered the bone.
Hamilton and his brother then fed INTO
the darkness, Blair following and firing
at them as they ran. The two men in
the barn were then liberated and Davis
was taken in and cared for until morn
ing; when the stage turned back to Eu
reka, carrying Davis who died on the
way.
Bob Hamilton was caught, convicted
and sent to the Nevada state prison for
a term of fourteen years. Bob's broth
err was caught and tried, but the jury
disagreed and the indictment was dis
missed. Laura was caught, convicted
and sent to the state prison for term
of fourteen years, and was pardoned by
Governor Kincaid June 30, 1882.
Visible Appar1tions.