Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-02-27
A DEADLY AMBUSCADE.
How Boss Wright Was Killed in
Early California Days.
A Typical Pioneer SheriE-An Outlaws Es-
cape, and the Fatal Attempt to Re-
capture Him-His Ultimate
Tragic End


sry, few years ago, | was aroused
from deep slumber by the gradually
dawning consciousness that what had
been, in my dreams, a mixture of
thunderstorm and a boiler-shop, was,
in reality, but the bony knuckles and
thick-soled shoes of the. porter playing
a discordant duet on my chamber door.
When the clerk retired to bed, some
time in the small hours of the night, he
left at my request, certain hieroglyph
les on the office slate, which the porter
interpreted to mean that there was
lady or gentleman In No. ~ who de-
sired to be called for the Marysville
stage; and the porter was now simply
endeayor.ng gentl> as he no doubt inn
agined to arouse the occupant of No.
u to such condition that he could
impart TO him the intelligence that the
stage would be at the door in half an
hour. Having succeeded in awakening
not only the drowsy occupant of the
bombarded room, but every one sleep
ing on the second floor of the hotel, he
explained the object of his elatter in a
voice Indicating an insurabie pair of
lungs, and then stumped his way
through the passage and down the un-
carpeted halls, followed by muttered
imprecatons which floated through the
open transoms on both sides of the
hall. Had / been a which,
fortunately for myself, and perhaps
Uthers, am not / would undoubt-
NJ, L So. kol =
was, arose hastily and dressed my
self as quickly as possible. desiring to
get down by the Office fire to subdue
my chattering teeth; and to devote as
much of the limited half hour as there
remained to preparing myself for the
coming Journey with hot breakfast.
Both of these objects were accom-
plished, and l was at peace with all
the world and financially square with
the host of the Union, the jolly and
portly Naffziger, when the stage drove
up to the door.
THE STAGE.
It had been raining in an intermit-
tent manner for nearly week, and
the night before steady shower had
set in-one of the quiet, persistent, un-
changable kind, which is only encoun-
tered along the base ard sides of the
Sierra and Cascade Mountains. 1t was
still raining, and the driver, whose oil
skin hat was shedding little streamlets
of water upon his oilskin coat, told me
| would find room on the inside, a piece
of news which was, under the circum-
stances. exceedingly welcome. This
was not one of those Concord coaches,
mounted ON huge pyramids of springs,
which cause it to roll like vessel in a
gentle swell but small, dead-axe mud
wagon, containing two seats and no
| perceptible springs, vehicle whose
perpend cular aud lateral movements
are made in such an abrupt and impul-
sive manner that they can neither be
anticipated nor concurred in; they can
simply be endured, provided one keeps
his teeth carefully closed and at safe
distance in front OF his tongue. That
| is the kind of conveyance which is used
| during the rainy season, and is called
! stage with as much courtesy as il
bestowed upon the reddest or yellowest
four-seated, double-decked Concord.
| / pushed aside the wet canvas flaps
and gazed into the interior, finding
three men occupying three seats, JUS
/ leaving room for me beside one o.
them. Before had fairly wedged m,
| valise under the seat and myself on the
top of it, the driver started his team o.
four down the street and across th.
bridge leading over Deer Creek at 1
rattling pace, the mud and water fiyins
from the wheels in a perfect shower
| The three men who were my travelling
companions were encased in threl
heavy canvas coats, and were industri
ously pulling at three pipes of assorted
/ sizes and materials. That they wer,
miners was evident, and soon Learned
/ that one of them was the superintend
ent of hydraulic mine at Blue Tent
and the others were pipemen at SOM
! other claim whose name / have for
/ gotten. opened the conversation b
/ remarking that my pipe was in m
valise, and if they would excuse m
lack of style would smoke cigar. q