News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-04-08
LITTLE MRS. DODDS.
The Woman who Shot the Stage Robber
Out West.
From the Detroit Free Press

LrTOul bllG DGbrOlG free 1r6SS.l
Soon after the close of the civil war,
and when the West was a great deal
wilder than it is now, several of US took
the stage one day from Austin to Eu-
reka, Nevada. AS a matter of fact,
there were five men and one woman, q
dumpy little body with rosy face and
blue eyes, whose name was Mrs. Dodds.
She lived in Eureka, and was returning
home after visit.
The stage route had been clear of
road agents for long time, but as a
matter of ceremony each man carried a
revolver in holster belted around him,
and there may have been two or three
bowie-knives in the crowd. We got
away from Austin in good shape, and in
an hour we were all pretty well ac-
quainted. Nothing of particular in
terest happened during the day or early
evening, but about 8 o'clock at night,
while most of us were half asleep, the
stage came to sudden halt, and clear,
sharp voice rang out:
'1f you move foot I'll send bullet
through your head Inside the stage,
therei No nonsense, now! Hand those
pistols out butt forem ST."
He threw the door open and covered
everybody with the muzzle of his re-
volver. Stage passengers have been
called towards for permitting them
selves to be ''held up'' by one man.
The time between the stoppage of the
stage and the opening of the door was
so brief that none of us could have
pulled pistol. After that, to have
made motion would have been to in
vite shot. ANY of us would have
been fool to resist.
"Step down herep commanded the
agent, and one by one we "stepped." "
AS each man descended he pulled his
pistol and laid it on the ground, and
then took his place in line.
"Ah! woman herer' said the agent,
as Mrs. Doods started to come down.
''You may remain in the coach. don't
rob women"
She settled back, and he turned to us,
a pistol in each hand, and briskly re-
marked:
''Now, then, time is money. Each of
you gents shell out, and place the
Doodle on the ground The man who
attempts to swindle me will get a dose
of lead"
We began to shell. I stood nearest
the coach at the head of the line, and
placed watch and wallet on the ground.
AS Strengthened up I saw little Mrs.
Dodds hitching about IN the coach. In
few seconds the barrel of a revolver
rested against the side of the open door.
The agent had his left side to the coach,
and was about twelve feet away. If the
woman missed him she would certainly
hit one of the men in line She must
know this, and l doubted if she would
take the chances.
''Come, don't be slow about It,"
called the agent. cat this rate you
won't get into Eureka for week!
want -p'
At that instant there was flash and
report, and he leaped clear off his feet
and fell to the ground in q. heap. Wa
II, T-TstTsss1
bullet from her revolver 1GaH stiseGe 1rlIfl
full in the ear and he never knew what
hit him.
We turned to the coach, and there
was little Mrs. Dodd's crying just like a
woman, while smoking revolver lay on
the seat. We just lifted her down and
Rugged her as if we we're her five
brothers, for she had saved the crowd a
matter of $4,000.
We couldn't press present upon her,
but when we got to Eureka we made
her husband pocket purse of $500, and
we slipped in another hundred to buy
the little woman the incest silk dress in
the Silver State.