Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-04-20
NEVADA ROAD AGENTS.
A STORY OF THE EARLY DAYS
 OF STAGING OUT WEST.

A sun AFt4Ceu ny n "ueGA Mark on an Overcoat-A Wild Ride with Relays-Shipping Bullion in a Cask of Molasses for Safety.
 Stage robbing was almost a legiti- mate business in early days said an old Comstocker.
 1.-The express company lost great deal of money in that way, and at last James Cannon was sent up to Virginia to break up the business. He was shrewd man, and he devised more schemes for outwitting the road agents than you ever heard of. He sent treasure in sacks of potatoes, which were loaded on prairie schooners, and even the drivers never suspected that they were carrying anything more valuable than potatoes. I have known him to drop bar of bullion into cask of molasses and send it through safely, when he knew the agents were watching for it. It was Cannon who thought of sending shotgun mes sengers on the stages, and he made them carry their guns with the muzzles rest ing on their toes, so that they didn't dare to fall asleep. He broke up stage rob- ping as a branch of the general mer- chandise business by making it too risky.
 RECKLESS RIDE.
 While was keeping saloon in Vir- ginia City, Clem Lee and three other fel- lows, whose names have slipped my memory, came into the camp and started a big faro game close to my place. They had S20,000 in the drawer, and think they had got hold of the coin by holding up stage. They did big business and were making plenty of money.
 Tt was the custom then to close up the games at 12 o'clock on Sunday night Glenn and one of his partners came to me and asked me to mix them up two bottles of cocktails. He wanted them in champagne bottles and had the labels scratched off. wondered what all that meant, and found out later. also mo- ticed that Clem Lee had borrowed light overcoat from Charlie Dexter.
 "As soon as their place was closed, Glenn and his partner mounted their horses on B street and rode out of town. Clem was riding horse that he hired from the chief of police. All the ami mals were good, and as soon as they were out of town they had chance to show their speed. The four horsemen spurred down the Geiger grade in the darkness at a terrific rate. If you have been over that road, you krow what a gallop down the grade on dark night means. It is steep and winding road through the mountains. The turns are sharp and, where it runs througbD lead Mans Gulch, slip over the edg9 would send horse and rider to kingdom come in no time.
 "The four gamblers flew over that road to Washoe faster than anybody ever went before, and made the thirty | toeT miles in less time than I would dare to tell. At Waslfoe they had foar gaed horses staked out, and it did not take them long to shift saddles, try my cock tails, mount and start off again. They knew what they were after, and they did not miscalculate time or distance.
 "In those days the stage companie. had good stock, and when the Rent stage came along six horses were making it spin. Four men sprang into the road and one of them shouted to the driver t stop. The driver could not pull up short and the men had barely time to sprin! aside and avoid the wheels. Glenn Le leveled his revolver and fired, and on of the leaders fell dead. The othe horses tumbled over the one that wa down, and the stage was stopped, bu not before deputy sheriff on the Do. had pulled gun and sent ball througl Ciem's partner, Dick.
 THE MARK ON CLEM'S COAT.
 1.-The passengers were ordered out an ranged in line, the driver threw dow the box, and while the plunder was be ing gathered up one of the robbers sai to the disarmed deputy sheriff: I thin we ought to kill you, my friend Cler Lee interfered and said: No; there been enough bloodshed. Let him alone The stage was put to rights, everybod got aboard, and it was driven away covered while in sight by the robber guns.
 "The three gamblers buried their dea pal, but where they dug his grave nt body knows. Then they mounted the horses, rode at desperate speed back Washoe, changed horses there an pushed on up the Geiger grade to Vi ginia City, where they arrived at 9 o'cloc in the morning and immediately went bed. They felt pretty safe, as nobod would suspect them of having made sue trip in so short time. They could n, have made it without relay of horse and even then they had to ride lii devils.
 But there was one little circumstant that was insignificant in appearance ar fatal in fact. When Clem Lee spra1 aside to avoid the stage he raised h
 right arm and covered the driver wi
 his pistol. The forward wheel of u
 coach grazed the under side of his ar
 and ground into the sleeve a streak Y mud that nothing could wipe out.
 lady in the coach was looking out of u
 window, and as the coach passed Lee s = saw the mark made by the wheel on l
 coat sleeve.
 "When she reached Virginia Cit
 and, with the other passengers, W
 questioned by Cannon, she said: To
 for a man with a wheel mark on t
 sleeve of his light overcoat. That ma was made by rapidly turning whe
 and no brush ever was made that "
 take it out
 Cannon strolled up c street, a
 Charlie Dexter came along with
 light overcoat on. Cannon glanced " his sleeve, saw the wheel mark a ' gathered him in. Of course, it did
 take Dexter long to remember who |