The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-04-05
RIDING FOR DEAR LIFE
An Adventure in the Early Days
Of California
a Thrilling Experimentation Seumann's
Narrow Escape from Being Lynched
by yigilantes-How His Innocence
Was Established

JuflGS anu courts OF llSslCe 4ell luLO QlS-
repute among the people for the lax
methods employed in the administra-
ton of justice upon captured criminals
and outlaws. At the time of the or
ganization Of the vigilantes affairs had
reached crisis, and young and old,
including many Of the best citizens Of
San Francisco, lcagued themselves to-
gether and formed what is oven now
remembered in the Golden State as
the strongest and most powerful Or
ganiZation of the kind ever known.
1t soon grew TO enormous proportions,
and lis labOr5 extended over a great
portion Of the State outside the city.
The most binding oaths Of secrecy were
exacted and they We're always religi-
ously kept. At first there were those
who wanted TO suppress the order,
but these soon learned for their own
health's sake 10 hold their peace,
and. finally, the vigilantes became 50
bold that prisoners were carried with
out mOlestation from jails, crowded
cOurt-house5 and other places.
1t was early in 1858, in the palmi-
est days of the vigilantes' sway, that
John Neumann, now a gray-haired
veteran Of about seventy, had the ad-
venture that he loves so well now to
talk about. There had been a series
of stage robberies all around San
Francisco. and the favorite prey of
the robbers seemed to be the Sacra-
mento overland. This stage had been
stopped no less than six times in rs
many weeks by three robbers, and all
efforts TO capture them had met with
signal failure. Vigilantes, armed TO
the teeth, accompanied the stage on
each trip, but every time they were
compelled either to hold up their
hands or to fight while under cover Of
the highwaymen'5 weapons. On the
fifth day after the last robbery had
occurred, II became known that a
large quantity of gold-dust was to
leave Sacramento for San Francisco,
and double guard was placed on the
coach. ,..a-
On the morning following the day
on which the coach left, at Just about
daybreak, three men with masks
drawn over their faces and mounted
upon handsome and well-trained ami
mails, appeared directly in front OF the
coach, and the cry OF "HaltI' greeted
the ears of the half-slumbering
guards. The driver, seeing three
rifles aimed directly at him, pulled
the horses back, and the coach was
brought to a stop. One of the guards
raised rife TO his shoulder but. bo-
fore he could pull the trigger, no fell
back with a bullet through his heart
Then a terrific fusillade OF firing be-
gan, which lasted for several mo-
ments. The guards won the day; one
Of the robbers was killed, and the
other two were beaten of The driver
of the coach and one OF the guards
were killed. and another guard was
badly wounded. ,--
One of the vigilantes jumped to the
ground, tore the mask from the rob
ber's face, and to his great astonish-
mcnt recognized him as q prominent
and respected citizen of San Francisco.
This explained in great part why it
had been impossible to locate the
robber, for the robberies had doubt
less all been committed by persons of
this character. One of the other rob-
bers rode q whito horse, the third rode
n sorrel. Both wore widc-brimmed
slouch hats and black clothes. A pas
GcuGer volunteered TO drive the coach,
and the horses spod 10 the nearest
stage station, about four miles dis
tant, where relays Of horses were kept.
Two Of the guards mounted fresh
animals and started of as rapidly as
possible fOr San Francisco.
About two hours later they reached
the city and reported the case at
headquarters. Fifty mounted vigi-
lantes were dispatched in all direc-
tons il nearly rs many minutes with
orders to bring back the robbers dead
or alive. Tho news of the attempted
robbery and the fight spread like wild
fire throughout the city. Some one
said that John NeumaIn, wearing a
dark suit of clothes and n slouch hat,
had left the city on the morning of the
preceding day mounted on a white
horse, and that he had returned only
about an hour previously. The state
ment was verified by several persons,
and the vigilantes determined TO insti-
tutc Il chase for him.
Neumann had stood on the edge OF
the crowd which gathered to talk about
the crime and heard his name men,
toned ~ being connected with it He
had been absent from home at the
time of the affair and had returned
that morning. 1t was a remarkabl,
coincidence, and he was in n bad pre-
dicament. He knew that in court o
justice he would be able TO establish
his innocence, but there was little hop
Of doing so before q tribunal of tn
vigilantes. He had no time TO spare
and in another moment he was runnin.
at full speed in the direction of hi
home. He entered hastily, strappet