, 1888-12-20

after the gold excitement OF lS49 or about
1880 and worked in the mines with some
success in Butte, Eldorado, Shasta and
Trinity counties. In 1854 he returned
war broke out he lived at Decatur, where, \
early in 1861, he joined 10th Illinois In. =
fantry Volunteers. He gained some dis.
tinction for bravery, and was made ecy-
ueant. In 1865 he returned to his h}kne
and sold his farm, locating his wife2 and
three small children, all girls, in Oregon,
Illinois, and started for Montana. He
at Helena, and regularly corresponded
with his wife and family, and in 1867
wrote them that he had settled up his
business and was coming home. From
this time nothing was heard of him by his
wife and family. She, from lack of sup.
port. was forced to sell the little farm and
stock, and at last was compelled to resort
to manual labor to support herself and de-
serted children. She heard that he had
been murdered by the Indians, but,
womanlike, chung tenuciously to the be-
lief that be was alive and that she would 9
see him again. ~
THE LOST FoUED.
After he was received at the San Quen-
tin prison. in 1888, his criminal career was
extensively published all over the United
States, and the fact that the name of G.. 4.
Boes was found ia bible in his room on
Second street at last reached his wife, who
was living at Hannibal, Mo. Mrs. Boles
at once wrote to the officers of the prison,
inquiring il the robber was her long. lost
husband A photograph was sent to her,
and she at once recognized the picture as
that OF her husband. Through all these
years she had been faithful to his memory.
His daughters had grown from little tod
dlers to be young women, and one OF them
was married, and the mother was living
with ner son.in.law Mt Hannibal. Despite
the graphic accounts of his many and great
crimes, despite the fact that he was then
incarcerated and occupying Il felon's cell,
despite her long and continued struggle
with poverty on account of his heartless
and brutal desertjon, the wife and
daughters wrote him loving and affection
ate letters, and urged him TO join them at
the close of his imprisonment and pass the
declining years of his life in the bosom of
his family az an honest man. For a time ]
he kept mp the correspondence, and then,
rs the days of his incarceration drew TO IA
close, be wrote an insolent letter to his
son'in.law for the purpose of severing all
connection with his family. His wife
offered to join him at San Francisco, but
the officers informed the poor woman that
it would be no use as her husband would
have no communication with her.
MS METHODS.
That Black Bart has gone back to his
old profession is firmly believed by the de-
tectives and police authorities OF San Fran
cisco. The last three robberies bear the
imprints of his genius. His method of
attacking u stage has always been the
same. A jump from the side OF the road
brought him in front of the lead horses,
which sheltered bin from the fire of the
messenger or driver. His double,barrel
shotgun would cover them on the box and
they would seldom fail to throw out the
treasure chest and the mail.
It's related of the English hiehwaymau.
Dick Turpin. that when in the last century
he used to rob the stage coaches going up
to London, he often danced with the lady !
passengers on the green sward. and Black
Bart, following in his wake, was alwaN
in his criminal exploits very polite to
ladies. He always carried an old AK with
which he opened the treasure.box and u
sharp knife for the mail-bags.
THE LATEST JOB.
At 6 o'clock last tuesday night the stage
from Mendocino City TO InRrams, the ter
minus of the North Pacific Coast railroad,
was stopped and robbed by lone high
wayman. The robbery occurred ut point
about seven miles north of lnRrams. Or
dnarly, the stage passes this place about
A O'Clock, Uut the illness of one OF the
stage horses had delayed it for two hours,
and it was after dark when it was reached
John Almon, the owner OF the stage line,
was on the seat with the driver. Sud-
denly a man with gun in his hand step
ped into the road and ordered the driver
to stop. He had previously rolled heavy
log across the road. in order to block it.
As soon as the stage was stopped the rob-
Der ordered the driver TO throw out the ex
press box and the mail-bags, of
which there we're three. Wien this
was done he told the driver to get
down and remove the obstruction. and
then allowed the stage to pass on, 1t Is
supposed there was little in the express
box, but the mail was valuable. There Is
one registered letter which contained $500.
Detective Hume, of Wells. Fargo * Co.,
says positively that the robbery was COM
mitted by BLACK Bart" If he had any
doubts before as to the Lone Highway
| man" this latest robbery would have re-
moved them. He judges by the style Of
the robbery, for it was so dark that night
that it was impossible to see the highway.
mans face. He declares that BLACK
Bart" is the greatest stage-robber who
has appeared on the road since America
was discovered. IL is significant coinci-
dence that "Black Bart" stopped stage
at the same place several years ago, and
on that occasion left his first poem in the
express box.