Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-03-15
MiscellaMenMs.
NEVADA ROAD AGENTS.


Stage robbing was almost legiti-
mate business in early days." said an
old Comstocker.
''The express company lost n great
deal of money in that way, and at last
James Cannon was sent up to Virginia
to break up the business. He was q
shrewd man, and he devised more
schemes for outwitting the road agents
than you ever heard Of. lie sent treas
ure in sacks of potatoes, which were
loaded on prairie schoohers, and even
the drivers never suspected that tboy
were carrying anything more valuable
than potatoes. | have known him to
drop bar of bullion into cask of
molasses and send it through safely.
when be knew the agents were watch
ing for it 1t was Cannon who thought
of sending shotgun messengers on the
stages, and be made them carry their
guns with the muzzles resting on their
toes, SO they didn't dare to fall asleep.
He broke up the stage robbing us n
branch of the general merchandise bust
ness by making it too risky.
While was keeping saloon 10 Vir-
ginia City, Glenn Lee and three other
fellows, whose names have slipped my
memory, came into camp and started u
big faro game close to my place They
had $50, 900 in the drawer, and | think
they got hold of The coin by holding up
stage. They did big business and
were making plenty Of money.
II was the custom then to close up
the games at IL o'clock on Sunday night
Glenn and one Of his partners came to
me and told me TO mix them up two
bottles of cocktails. lie wanted them
in champagne bottles and had the labels
scratched off, | wondered what all that
meant, and / found out later. also
noticed that Glenn Lee had borrowed a
light overcoat from Charlie Dexter.
AS soon as their place was closed,
Glenn and bis partner mounted their
horses Oh Is street and rode out of town.
Clep. was riding a horse that he hired
from the chief Of police. All tho ami
mails were good and as soon as they
were out of town they had chance to
show their speed The four horsemcn
spurrcd down the Geiger grade in the
darkness at terrific rate. IL you have
been over that road, you know what n
gallop down the grade on dark night
means. 1t is steep and winding road
through the mountains. The turns are
sharp and, when it runs through Dead
Mans gulch, slip over the edge would
send horse and rider to kingdom come
in no time.
The four gamblers flew over that road
tn Washoc faster than anybody ever
went before, and made the thirty-four
miles in less time than | would dare to
tell. At Washoe they had four good
horses staked out and il didn't 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 mscalculate time nor distance.
In those days the stage companies had
good stock, and when the Reno stage
came along six horses were making il
spin. -Four men sprang into the road
and one Of them shouted to the driver
TO stop. The driver could not pull up
short, and the men had barely time To
spring aside and avoid the wheels. Glenn
Lee levelcd his revolver and fired, and
one of the leaders fell dead. The other
horses tumbled over the one that was
down, and the stage was stopped, but
not before deputy sheriff on tho boz
had pulled gun and sent ball through
Clem's partner, Dick.
The passengers were ordered out ant
ranged in line, the driver threw dowI
. the box and while the plumber was be
ing gathered up one Of the robbers SAT-
: to the disarmed deputy sheriff: II thinl
We ought to kill you, my friend" Glen
Lee interfered and said "No, there
been enough blood shed let hin
alone" The stage was put to rights
everybody got aboard and it was drive
away, covered while in sight by the rob
bers' guns.