Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-08-07
A STAGE ROBBERS CAREER.
EXCITING Episodes IN THE LIFE OF
JAMES Mcdaniel.
A Man who Had Robbed More Than
Fifty Stages-A BOasting Letter
That Led to ELS Death.

A Man who Had Robbed More Than
Fifty SIages-A BOasting Letter
That Led TO ELS Death.
A recent letter from San Antonio,
Texas, to the New York Sun says: 1t is
the general opinion that if james Nc
Daniel, the celebrated Texas desperate,
whose death has just been announced,
had not been killed just as he was by
the officers, he would have been dead
anyway in less than twenty-four hours.
"Ais time had come to die, said an
old cattle man. II don't see how he
could have escaped at all. He was en-
gagged to marry both of old Dave Coffee's
daughters, and, as he was preparing to
jump the country, he'd got to take one
or the other with him. They're as
pretty girls as there are in Texas, and
they're just as quick with gun as any
body and the man who lied to one of
them would die, and I'll bet on it. l
believe that Jim escaped a violent death
at the hands of one of the girls by being
killed by the officers. So there's no use
of anybody growing over jim. 1t was
fate. His time had come, and he had to
60"
Mcdaniel had taken hand in great
many kinds of crime, but stage robbing
was his trade, and he had reputation in
that line which was the envy of all the
beginners in the business in the South
west. He had robbed more than fifty
stages, and considered his occupation as
legitimate as any other. During the
eight years that he was at work on the
highways of Texas and New Mexico he
made his name terror to all drivers and
travellers
AS an evidence of the celerity, or
cheek, as it is called here, with which
ne operated, it may be said that two
years ago he robbed the Boeme stage
twice within three years. He stopped it
frst on the west side of the town, and,
after su5jecting the passengers to many
tndignilies, let them go, pretending to
ride away from the town when he hal
got through with them. His victims
drove rapidly to Boeme, where their
stories caused the utmost Indignation.
The able-bodied men got together, armed
and mounted, and set out toward the
west in search of Mcdaniel. In the
mean time the people of the town had
supplied the travellers with some ready
money, and the journey was resumed.
| About two miles east of Boeme the same
| highwayman presented himself, and once
more took every thing the unfortunates
had. They then returned to BOeme, and
when their story was told the settlers
CRASHED their teeth in impotent rage.
Mcdaniel mad simply made circuit of
The town, and after finishing his second
robbery he had NJ difficulty in making
his escape. A dozen similar instances
might be related of him.
The fellows that Mcdaniel had with
him during a good portion of his career
we're quite as hard as he was. They
killed several people in their stage rob-
oeries, and on one occasion they cleaned
out rival party of outlaws with whom
:hey had long been Mt swords points.
After this exploit they left Texas and
crossed over into New Mexico where
shey INDUCED in a prolonged debauch,
visiting all the principal towns and
ooasting of their crimes. In the saloons
which they visited they created de-
,ided sensation by reaching into their
| pockets producing the ears of their
victims, and clapping them on the bar
IN payment for their drinks. They kept
this sort of thing up for month or
more, until there began to be hints that
their presence was not desirable, and
they returned to their old haunts in
Texas.
During all of McDaniels career he
showed strong dislike for the press.
Although living in the wilds the most of
the time, he seemed to have a way of
fnding out all that was written against
him anywhere in Western Texas, and all
that an editor needed to get reprimand
! by mail from Mcdaniel was tointimate in
ais paper that he was a thief and muir
aerer who ought to be dancing on scat
fold. 1t was this fatal fondness for
writing to the newspapers that fastened
inns death.
The outlaws last arrest was for mail
robbery, and on his trial in this city he
was convicted and sentenced to one of
The Illinois penitentiaries for ninety mine
years. While awaiting transportation
north he broke out of the jail here and
disappeared. A vigorous pursuit was in
stituted, but as no trace of him could be
found, and as it was known that he
would rather die than submit to life i'm
prisonment. 1t was believed that he
had gone to old Mexico, and would not
again be heard OF on this side of the
line. Just as everybody had settled
down to this conviction one of the local
papers received long letter from Nc
Daniel protesting against its suggestion
that men should be kept on his trail for
some time longer. He said that that
was not fair way to treat him. He
was now free, and he intended to re-
man free. He had good Winchester
and two revolvers, and he wanted every
body to know that he could not be
taken. For that reason it occurred to
him that any newspaper man with any
common sense would let him alone and
urge other people to. This missive was
not dated, but it was postmarked at
Uvalde.
The officers made up their minds that
Mcdaniel mad not gone to Mexico as they
had supposed, and they Immediately
made preparations fora thorough search.
Dave Coffee and his two daughters were
known to be friends of the outlaw, and
as their camp was in wild and danger.
Gus part of the country about thirty
miles north of here, it was believed that
he was hiding there. Accordingly,
party was made up to go out there, and,
arriving at the place in the evening, the
officers waited in the bushes until day
break, and then drew little nearer to
await developments. just at dawn they
saw Mcdaniel crawl out of tent, and
as he grabbed his rifle when they called
on him to throw up his hands, they
fired, breaking both of his arms at the