The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-15
BOLD AND WITTY.
Sta ge Robber Henry MiIler's
Story of His Exploits.
Robbing Travellers and Utilizing Them to Help
Stop stage-A Desperate Break
for Liberty.

Henry Miller, convicted of robbing stage
near Florence, AriZ., and sentenced TO serve
ten years in San Quentin, was lodged in the
City Prison for safe keeping by Sheriff Paul
last night, and he will be taken across the
bay to-day.
Miller, who is a pleasaut-looking man.
about 50 years of age, with an engaging
way of talking. gave an interesting account
of his exploits as a stage-robber, and evil
IDENTIFY has quite a fund of humOr in his
makeup. He said: II was dead broke
four years ago, and thought ! could make
raise out of the stage-coaches. Selecting
the route between Florence and Casa Grande
lay in wait there, and had very
good luck the first rattle out Of
the box. DR.. Hurley and a cOmpan-
ion came driving along in a buggy
soon after l had taken up my position in the
bushes, and halted as soon as l called to
them. | drove the team into the brush and
tied both Of them securely, DR.. Hurley pan
ming out $50 and his companion nothing.
Had I'known that the do ctOr was on his
way from Florence to visit patient l would
not have stopped him, but did not know
this till after l had tied him up.
A CLEVER RUsE.
Having two pretty big men on hand /
determined to use them in my business. l
first gagged them and then put masks i'm
pruvised out of their handkerchlefS over
their faces. Then | placed them in the
brush close to the road, and used them as
dummy stage-robberS. L had hardly got
them into position before Mr.. Saix, a Flor
euce merchant, came along. stopped him,
too, and follow ed the same course with him
as with the two others, proppmg MIN up
along the road as dummy No. 3. L then had
quite a respectable sized working crowd
to back me up, aud when the stage
came along my request for the box and
other trifies was Immediately complied with.
/ may mention that in my interviews with
my three dummy assistants and with the
Stage-driveT, a dOnble-barreled shotgun that
| happened to have along materially in
creased the force of my arguments. After
collecting the spOil5 together / let my as
sistants loose and started them off home on
the run"
The total returns of the collection were
not extra large, only about $500 or $500.
Then Instead of skipping away 1 hung
around for a day or two, when was cap
tured by a Sheriff's posse. At Florence l
was tried for rObbing Wells, Fargo 81 Co.'S
treasuTe-boX, convicted and sentenced to
serve twelve years.
A PROMISE OF CLEMENCY.
Il was sent to Yuma Jail. and after | had
been there while a POst0ffice inspector
came to me and said if l would turn over the
1
and which 1 had Secreted, l would not be
prosecuted by the Government, and an ef-
fort to pardon me would be made. did so,
and on January 9Th last after serving two
and a half years, | was pardOned by Acting
Governor Murphy of Arizona
Il went to Los Angeles and went to work
making canes. A month ago / was arrested
there again for robhing the United States
mail when | stopped the Florence stage. 1
was tried at Florence, convicted and SEN
fenced TO serve ten years in San Quentin.
While awaiting transportation ut Florence,
in charge Of Deputy Sheriff Paul, L took
advantage of his sleeping too Soundly
to escape, all ironed up as | was. l broke
the irons with a sledge l found In
n blacksmith shop and started for the Gila
River from Florence. l walked all day and
night and nearly died Of thirst SO intense
was my Sutferings that | bit my wrists open
and sucked the biOOd-you can see the scars
now, readily. Revived by my blood l stag
geTed on and reached water hole on the
evening of the cOnd day. Though the
water was dirty and tepid. 1t tasted like the
finest in the world. and l drank so much
that it almost killed NE. l had just strength
enough 10 stagger TO farmhouse near the
water hole, when | fell inSensible. Ii was
recognized there aud taken back to Florence.
From there l accompanied Sheriff Paul TO
San Francisco.
BAD FAITH.
81 don't deny TObbing the men and the
stage. My only excuse was that l was dead
broke aud my invalid wife in Firth County,
Texas, was almost destitute. | committed
the robberies more TO help her than on my
own account While in the Yuma Jail
made from SO TO So a month, every cent Of
which | sent her, as well as all | made at
Los Angeles. How she will get along now
don't know. | think it is pretty hard that,
after being promised protection, returning
the stolen mail and being pardoned out of
jail, to be rearrested and given ten years.
The postoffice people did not keep their