Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-06
PHYSICIAN AND R0BBER.
One OF Caiisornia's most His
tortc Tsighwaymen.

One OF CalIsornia,s Most His
u, tortc rsighwaymen.
i Second only to Joaquin Murieta's
band, during the early days OF high
way robbery in California was that oi
Tom Bell, or Thomas j. Bell, as he
subscribed his name. He was a ma
tive OF Alabama, where he received a
medical education, ard came to Cali
fornia in 1850. At fist, he worked
honestly enough as miner, but final
ly took to gambling. Having unsuc-
cessfuilv wooed the tickle goddess al
the card table, he became desperate,
and going out upon the highway took
her by the throat Bell was six feet
high, 1.-THE, sipewy, sanguine in tenn
permanent and quick in action: OF a
sandy complexion, with a light blue
eve, which, though ordinarily mild,
| would, when aroused by opposition,
blaze with the intensity OF his wrath
| He had six or eight followers, and in
the summer of 1856 they roamed the
foothills from the Yuba to Granite
City. He was kind-hearted and mag
nanimous for robber and murderer
and sometimes disgsaced his calling
by acts that proved him possessed Of
a humane heart.
A traveller carrying a large sum Of
money was riding one afternoon along
shady mountain road, that led down
to the valley, beguiled, may be, by
beautiful visions OF the far off home
to which he was returning. He was
Just throwing back his head to attack
the high parts OF "The Girl j Left
Behind Me-" melody which he had
been whistling for half an hour, when
he heard the clatter OF horses
feet on the road behind him.
Turning in the saddle, he saw three
horse men galloping rapidly after
him, some fifty yards away, one OF
whom called on him to stop. Realiz-
ing the true character and import OF
the invitation, the traveller put spurs
to his horse, and pursuers and pur-
sued were racing down the mountain |
like the wind. A shot from Bells |
pistol struck the fugitive ia the leg,
and brought him down. The |
bandit doctor, having relieved the
man OF his money, instead of dispatch
ing him with knife or leaving him
to die on the road of hemorrhage, pro-
ceeded sklllully and tenderly to take
up the severed artery and to bind upl
the wound. just as he was finishing
he heard wagon passing on
the road and directed one of
his men to wait upon the
teamster. This was promptly |
done, the astonished individual being |
brought to stand and disencumbered |
of his money. A bed was then has
tily made in the bottom of the wagon,
the wounded man laid upon it, and
the driver told to proceed, but to
avoid the ruts. In answer to the re-
quest of the traveller to tie his horse
to the wagon, Bell declined, but prom
ised to turn it loose at that spot, after
stripping 1t of its gear, and he did as
he promised.
A singular tragedy occurred in con-
nection with the attempted recapture
OF three of Bell's> band who had es-
capped from the Nevada Jail. just after
dark the sheriff received intelligence
that the highwaymen lay concealed
in cabin at Gold Flat. Taking with |
him four men, the sheriff set out
to effect a capture. Crossing
dark ravine on his way he |
found four horses tied and |
supposing something wrong, he de. |
termined to wait there till the own
ers, whom he believed to be robbers, |
should make their appearance.
Presently the Sheriff heard noise in
the bushes near by.
"Who's there ?" he called out.
"Move, and I'll shoot you!" was
the response.
Instantly there came shot from
the darkness, then two other shots, |
which were quickly returned by the
sheriff's party. The sheriff was kill
ed at The first fire, and one OF his men |
mortally wounded. The men in the
thicket then rushed up, and were
Mortified to learn that they had been |
firing ON friends. 1t appeared that |
two parties, each unknown to the |
other, had started out at the same
time from different places, in search |
of the robbers, who were not even |
then far distant when this calamitous |
encounter occurred
Five OF Tom Bells band were cap
tured and lodged in Calaveras jail |
about the first of October. Bell was u
member OF the party at the time, but
made his escape. In order to throw
the officers off the scent, one OF the
confederates reported that his chief
was at spot 200 miles distant, and
the ruse gave him time to escape. He
was caught, however, and executed
on the Upper San Joaquin in the Fall
OF 1856 Hubert Howe Bancroft's
California Pastoral.