Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-16

the stages in this state if II had not been
| for bit of carelessness on the morning
Of November 3, 1888, when he robbed the
stage between Milton and Sonora, in Tu-
olumne county, about three miles from
| CopperopOlis, on the old mail road from
the Yosemite. It was his twenty-third
stage robbery, and he had become so ex
pert that he used a powerful pair of
field glasses to detect whether any armed
messenger was on the stage. On this day
| Mcconnell, the driver, had allowed boy
of the neighborhood, who had gun, to
ride with him, but the lad got down just
! before the stage was stopped and had
gene into the woods 70 hunt. When
Bart halted the stage he asked Neon
nell what had become of the man with
the gun. The driver told him the truth,
when Bart ordered him to throw down
| the box and to Unhitch his horses. Then
Bart went through the box like an old
hand getting $4,000 OF amaigamated
gold, u ounces of gold d7st, and $3.50
in coin packages. He gathered these up
! II his arms, said ''goo0-bye" to the driv
er, and was scarce one hundred yards
away when the boy with the rifle ap-
| peared. Mcdonnell snatohed the rifle
and fired four shots at the retreating rob-
Der, but the thick brush prevented him
| taking good aim.
PECULIAR CLEW.
When the detectives ex plored the scene
a few hour after they found the remnants
of Bart's camp fire and near it slouch
hat, silk handkerchief, and linen cuff,
with blOod-stain on it. What delighted
them, however, and furnished the first
real clew they had ever gained, was a
laundry mark on the cuff. Is was mark
used by one of the city steam laundries,
and the detectives at once secured San
Francisco for the man who handled this
mark. They found him to be laundry
agent in this city and he identified the
cuffs as belonging to @. e. Bolton, man
who had clothing awaiting him at the
Office, His desert ptiOn of Bolton tailed
pretty closely with the appearance Of the
Bart. So the detectives lail for the ap-
Dearanee OF the stage-rObber. He return
ed in exactly a week from the date of the
robbery, and was arrested az he called
for his clothes, He professed great in
dignatiOn at his arrest, but a search of
his room led to the discovery Of his real
name, and to the finding OF a number Of
articles OF clothing with the identical
mark on cuff. His real name was Charles
Z. Bodies, as it was found N family
Bible and IN discharge from the regular
army, II which he served during the war.
RECOVERY OF THE AMALGAM.
Bart was taken 30 Stockton, where he
was picked out Of a crowd of 200 men, by
a hunter who saw him few hours after
the robbery. This Identification rather
staggered Bart, but be still laughed at the
officers, until What night when Detectives
Thorn and Stone laid before him all the
evideEce they had secured.
Can you prove ali that?" quietly asked
the prisoner.
II can" returned Thorn.
Gan right" said Bart, 'let's travel"
Without word Thorn went out, order
ed team, and at 1 O'Clock in the morn
ing three officers and Bart started for the
scene of the robbery. Bart acted as
guide, and took them to hollow buck
eye, not far from the road, where the
plumber was concealed. Here everything
was found except the coin, which Bart
declared ne had spent. He was brought
to this city and locked up. He pleaded
guilty TO this one robbery, bat strenuous
ly denied that he was the famous stage
rObber. He made an appeal to the court,
declaring that it was only urgent neces-
sIty that drove him to the crime, and the
result was Re received only six years in
San Quentin. He was sentenced NOvem
Der II, 1888, just a fortnight after his
last robbery.
IN HIS PRIVATE CHARACTER.
When the aliases under which he was
known here we're published, large num-
Der of people recognized the stage-robber
as a man whom they had known for five
years. His landIady had been acquaint-
ed with him all this time. He always
paid promptly. He boarded at restau-
rant, where he was wont to entertain his
friends with army "reminiscences. He
claimed to have been Captain in an Ohio
regiment. and he was good story teller,
More than a dozen policemen knew him,
and had frequently talked with him when
a small fortune was awaiting the man who
should arrest and identify him as Black
Bart. The story appealed to the popu-
lar imagination, and created great SEN
sation here.
HIS PRISON LIFE.
When Bart was finally transferred to
San Quentin he made no secret of his
identity, but he refused to talk of his pre-
vious exploits. He declared that he had
robbed his last stage, and that when be
got out he would lead an honest life. He
has been a model prisoner, giving no
trouble TO the officers. He has worked.
during the greater part of his imprison-
L