The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-07-10
BLACK BART'S LOSS,
The School Mistress, Who New
er tainted for Any Man,
MEETS THE NOTED DESPERATE
And They Play Poker-He Holds Stiff Hand
but Woman's Pluck Wins.

And They Play Poker-He Holds Stiff Hand
but Woman's Pluck Wins.
| Thomas Bewsy Holmes, in Minneapolis Tribune.
SAN JOSE, CAL, June 20.-The recent appear
ance OF "Black Bart in the San Joaquin val
ley has set California to wondering if this. at
one time most daring and eccentric robber and
highwayman, contemplates resuming the bust
ness that he made so successful ten years ago.
Ten years ago 'Black Bart" held up stage
coaches on the roads of northern and central
California, and put the Wells Fargo express
company to much expense to protect their
property from him. Ten years ago he became
too daring, and one night while under the in
huence of liquor he reeled through the streets
of Redding shooting his revolvers at the door
ways and Windows and subsequently landed
in the penitentiary at San Quinten to serve
term of ten years which expired about two
months ago.
In face and figure "Blacl< Bart was hand
some man. He was of Mexican parentage, and
! possessed the tall, straight figure of that race.
He let his glossy hair grow long and it fell like
q silken veil over his shoulders. His dark and
perfect features were rendered
DoUBLY ATTRACTIVE
by black mustache that curved gracefully
across his upper lip.
In all his career as 9. highwayman he was
never known to kill person, though his nefa-
rious business was carried on at the point of a
revolver or rifle, and his body bears many scars
made by bullets from the guns of watchful
guards when he became too venturesome. His
| hobby was to rife mail sacks, and he never was
in better spirits than when he had held up a
mail coach, relieved the driver and passengers
e 4l,n,r
his rifle within easy reach, sat down near his
helpless victims and keeping one eye ON them
sripped open love letters business notes, regis
| tered letters, read the contents or part of
them to his listeners and tuck them back into
| acknowledgement through remit the side, made
| by his knife, q juinbled mass.
| One of the eccentricities of this strange rob-
| Der was TO write piece of poetry whenever he
| robbed the mail and shove it into the pouch
| when he had finished sorting out the valuable
| part of its contents. To these notes in rhyme
| he would always sign the nom de plGlIo
9'sRi&ck Bar5," and as this he cafste 8 sn;s
| known among men, In the office of the W ar
| den at the San Quinten penitentiary there are
| two bits of "Barts" poetry found in mail
| pouches that he rified in 1869. They were writ
| ten with lead pencil, in legible hand, which
! indicates that the man had from some source
| gathered
| of an education. One Of the poems, qua
train, indicates his disgust at the poor haul he
made, in the following words:
| I'm sorry spent my time,
Ripping up this mail,
didn't lind money enough,
To buy feeding for quail.
| BLACK BART.
Another a distitch, tells of profitable haul
and the writer's satisfaction. 1t runs thus:
such haus as this is very rare;
They soon would make me millionaire
| BLACK BART.
Two peculiarties of the man were his ten
| der and his cOuTteSV q ladies'. If
| he found money in letter that had been sent
| by anyone to relative and by the tone of the
| letter ne was satisfied that the person to whom
| it was addressed was in needy circumstances,
| he would inclose the money i'll the torn envel-
| ope and handing it to the driver, make him
| promise to have it re-addressed when he
| reached town. He was extremely polite to la
| dies and was never known to take their money
| or iewelry, but if he found firearms concealed
! about them, he never hesitated in appropriate
ing them.
Bart" once held up the coach running be-
tween Marysville, Cal, and Carson City, New.
| There was young man among the passengers,
who had come out from the east and gone into
the mountains for the benefit of his health.
| His visit had only temporarily benefited him
and he was on his way home in the last stages
of consumption lie had but little over hun
bred dollars, and when Bart took it from
his inside pocket he asked him where he was
going.
"Home, to Massachusetts," replied the
young man.
"ls this all the money you've got ?" inquired
"Bart."
every cent, so help me God" TREMENDOUSLY
replied the young man, naturally thinking the
highWayman suspected him OF having more
money concealed about his person.
Bart unbuckled a belt from around his
waist and counting out $500 in gold, handed it
to the astonished comsumptiye and told him
10 get the best accommodations east the coun-
try afforded.
OF "Bart's" gallantry to women many sto-
ries are told, the most interesting of which is
how he played a game OF stud poker with
young lady passenger in coach that he had
stopped, the stakes being q kiss from the
young woman if beaten and the return of the
money and valuables OF the passengers by
bart if he was worsted.
III the spring of 1872, Bart had been doing
smashing business i'll more senses than one in
the northern part OF the state, and had become
such a terror that double guard was sent out
with every mail that went out from Sacra-
mento to Nevada City, Once the daring Mex
lean attempted to capture a coach against
these odds, but
ONLY SUCCEEDED
In getting his left ear partly torn off by a ball
from a guards rifle and n flesh wound III his
left leg that was sufficient TO dampen his ardor
for while, and it was several months before
he was heard Of again. So long did he remain
out OF sight the express and stage companies
began to lessen their vigilance, and once more
the mails and the strong boxes were sent out
with only one man beside the driver to watch
them. 1t was generally thought that one or
more bullets OF the guards in the scrimnage
had taken fatal effect and that the bold high
wayman had dragged himself away 10 die in
some Of his mountain retreats, northeast OF
Sacramento on the east side Of the Sacramen-
TO river valley. Among the foothills Of the
Sierra Nevada mountains, is a deep canyon at
the head OF which a mountain stream II mod
est proportions tumbles over the edge u cliff
or ledge making a beautiful fall known a. The
Maden's Tears. Through this canyon wound
the Nevada City trail, and over il once week
ratified tho heavy mail and express coaches.
Near the falls the trail lay across great open
space with the stream on one side and piles Of
huge powders or the other.
A coach was crossing this space one after
noon in August, a few months subsequent %
the wCunding Of "Bart." The guard ON the
seat by the driver was doing
AND NODDING
in the heat 81 the summer sun, while The driver
was struggling 70 keep his eyes open by whist
ling, shouting and swapping leaves from the
trees with his long lash. Inside there were q