The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-02-04
NEVADA ROAD AGENTS.
A STORY or THE EARLY DAYS
OF STAGING OUT WEST.
A Millionaire's son Traced by Wheel
Mark on AN Overcoat-A Wild Ride
with Relays shipping Bnllion in q Cask
of Molassps for safety.

10 break up inc uuSlucoS. TIC WIS
shrcwd man. and he devised more
schemes for outwittng 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 thasthey were carrying
ANYTHING more valuable than potatoes.
have known him TO drop bar Of bullion
into a cask OF mOlasses and send 1t
through safely. when no knew the agents
were watching for it. IL was Cannon
who thought of sending shotgun mes
sengcrs on the stages and he made them
carry their guns with the muzzles rest
hg on their toes. so that they didn't dare
10 fall asleep. lie broke up staye rob
Ding as q branch of tho general mer-
chandise business by making 1t too
risky.
4 RECAI.EsS RIDE.
while was keeping a saloon in Vir-
GINA City. Glenn lee and three other fell
lows. whose names have slipped my
memory. came into tho camp and started
a big faro game close to my place. They
had $4,000 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.
1T was the custom then 10 close up
the games at II o'clock on Sunday night.
Glenn and one OF his partners came 10
me ana asked rae 10 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 elem Leo had borrowed a
light overcoat from Charlie Dexter
As soon as their place was closed.
Glenn and hi5 partner mounted their
horses on Is street and rode out of town.
Glenn was riding horse that he hired
from the chief of police. AL the ami
mails were good. and as soon as they
were cut OF town they had = chance u
show their speed. The four horsemen
spurred down the Geiger grade in the
darkness at q terrific rate. II YOU have
been over that road, you know what a
gallop down the grade on a dark night
means Ii is a steep and winding road
through the mountains. The turns are
sharp and, where il runs through Dead
Mans Gulch, a slip over the edge would
send horse and rider to kingdom come in
no time.
Tho four gamblers few over that
road TO Washoo faster than anybody
ever went before, and made the thirty
four miles in less time than | would dare
to tell at Washoc they bad four good
horses stabed out, and it did not take
them long 70 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 tho 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 Chem Lee
lsveled his revolver and fired, and one
Of the leaders feu dead. The other
horses tumbled over the one that was
down, and the stage was stopped, but
not before a deputy sheriff on the box
had pulled q gun and sent ball through
Clem's partner. Dick.
TIE MARK or CLEM's COAT.
The passengers We're ordered out and
ranged in line, the driver threw down
the box, and while the plumber was be-
ing gathered up one Of the robbers said
to tho disarmed deputy sheriff; i think
We ought 70 xiii You, my friend Glenn
Leo intcrfercd and said: No, there's
been enough bloodshed Let him alone
Tho stage was put to rights, everybody
got aboard. and it was driven away,
covered while in sight By the robbers
guns
The three gamblers buried their dead
pal, but where they dag his grave no
body knows. Then they mounted their
horses, rode at desperate speed back to
Washoe, changed horses there and
pushed on up the Geiger grade 10 Vir-
GINA City. where they arrived at 0 O'Clock
in the morning and immediately wentto
bed. They felt pretty safe, as nobody
would suspect them Of having made such
a trip in So short q time They could not
have made it without a relay Of horses,
and even then they had 10 ride like
devils.
But there was one little circumstance
that was Insignificant 10 appearance and
fatal in fact. When Glenn Leo sprang
aside 10 avoid tho stage no raised his
right arn and covered tho driver with
his pistol The forward wheel OF the
coach grazed the under side Of has arm
and ground into the sleeve a streak Of
mud that nothing could wipe out. A
lady in the coach was looking out Of the
window, and as the coach passed Lee she
saw tho mark made by tho wheel on his
coat sleeve
When she reached Virginia City,
and, with the other passengers, was
questioned by Cannon, sho said Look
Tor a man with a wheel mark on the
sleeve OF his light ogercoat. That marx
was made by a rapidly turning wheel,
and no brush ever was made that viii
take II out.
Cannon strolled up c street. and
Charlie Dexter came along with his
light overcoat on. Cannon glanced at
his sleeve, saw the wheel mark AMI
gathered him in or course, it didn't
take Dexter long to remember who hal
his coat on the night OF the robbery. and
tho three gamblers We're captured aud
sent 10 prison. One Of them Il shan
say which, WAS the son OF famous
philanthropic millionaire Of Washing
ton. New York Star.