The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-05-20
TIE SHASTA STAGE ROBBERY.
A Correspondent Relates Details Of the
Terrible Crime.
How the Robbers Were Trailed, and
One of them Captured by Quar-
tet of Young Boys.

A RECORD UNION correspondent, writ
ing from Shasta, gives graphic descrip-
ton of the events at the recent attack
upon the stage. the shooting of the mes
senger, Buck Montgomery, the driver,
Boise. and the subsequent capture of one
of the robbers. The affair caused great
excitement in the quiet, old town Of
Shasta. and when the news reached Red
ding several hundred men took to the
woods in hope Of making capture Of the
desperadoes.
The stage left Shasta at o'clock in the
evening with but one passenger beside
the driver and messenger. What is called
the New Road,' or Middle Creek road,
was made by the citizens of Shasta to
connect with the railroad at Middle Creek
station, and is three miles long. 1t was
subsequently extended to Redding, three
miles from Middle Creek, and is one mile
shorter than the old stage road from
Shasta to Redding.
Upon leaving Shasta this road follows
Middle Creek. and winds along the rocky
hilisides above the creek the entire dis
lance to the station. No one lives on the
road, and the ridges on either side are
very steep. Where not composed OF
Lodges and rocky bluffs they are covered
with dense pine ana liVe-oak forest and
underbrush. The point where the attack
was made is known as THE Blue Cut"
a place where the road is cut through a
spur of the main ridge, peculiar blue
rock, in which several pockets" or de-
posts of gold have been found. The
highwaymen took their stand at the
lower end of this cut, where they were
hidden from view from the approaching
directly abreast of
them.
Only one man presented himself, who
covered the driver with shotgun, de-
maBding the treasure-boX, while his COM
papion remained in the background.
The messenger, Montgomery, evidently
only saw the one man from his seat inside
the coach, and believed he could XIII MIN
instantly, and fired.
The robber was knocked partly down,
but Immediately returned the ire, shoot
ing the driver, Just as the latter complied
with his order to throw out the box. At
the same instant the second robber fired
two or three shots at Montgomery, with
fatal effect.
a PEBILOUS' RIDE.
The four horses attached to the stage
then took fright, and it is wonder that
the wounded driver and passenger sue
ceeded in keeping them III the road,
which, from the Blue Cut TO Middle
Creek station, is a steep dOwn-grade and
very narrow in many places.
Before reaching the station the stage
was met by DR.. Stevenson Of Shasta,
whose wife Immediately went back TO
BEDDING and gave the alarm. In the
meantime the shooting had been heard
Mt Shasta and telegram had been re-
ceived there from Middle Greek. In half
an hour after the robbery and shooting a
dozen men were on the spot from Shasta,
Oh, f,11
were in the vicinity from various places,
large number going up from Redding.
TRAILING THE ROBBERS.
Deputy Sheriff Hull and young man
named James K. Paige followed the right
track of the robbers and found the eX-
press-box, broken open and robbed of its
contents. The box was covered with
blood, and the wounded robber had evil
IDENTIFY helped with it, Notwithstanding
his condition. He was followed for some
distance by the trail Of blood. Shots were
heard in another quarter, and Hull set
out in the direction of the shots, leaving
Paige to follow the trail. Owing TO the
rocky and rough character of the ground
this was slow work, and darkness set in,
together with rain, and the trail was lost.
Paige had not provided himself with a
gun or other weapon, and when the Dep
uty Sheriff left him he began to realize
that he was following desperate man at
disadvantage, but continued the search
until dark.
When captured next day the robber
stated that his purSuer, when he turned
back. was within thirty feet of him, and
that he had intended to surrender him
self.
A large number of men continued their
search for the robbers most Of the night
in the rain, and watched the road at vari-
GUS points. Nothing was found of either
OF the two highwaymen until about 10
O'Clock the next morning.
ONE ROBBER CAPTURED.
Paige returned to the trail the next
morning at an early hour, accompanied
by several boys, a younger brother being
with them, They had not proceeded lar
when the wounded robbers gun was
found, and the man himself was discov-
cred soon after. He had Just crossed the
creek upon foot-log, and when he saw
the boys he started 10 run.
Harry Paige, boy of about fifteen,
covered him with his gun and called him
back, and the man nj once gave himself
up. The poor fellow presented
FKIGHTFUL APPEARANCE,
Being covered with blood, and his face,
in which four bucGshot had taken effect,
was badly mangled and swollen. lie had
remained hidden in the rocky gorge all
night in the heavy rain, and notwith-
standing his haFUlAOOu vas we'll nigh
exhausted from loss OF blood and ex-
posture together.
The boys took their prisoner TO Shasta.
where an immense crowd soon gathered
and a great deal of excitement ensued, in
which iynching of the man was proposed.
The Sheriff shortly arrived from Redding
and the prisoner was taken under strong
guard to the county Jail.
THE REWARD WINNERS
Although the hills and woods surround
ing the scene ofthe robbery were thronged
with men the Paige boys, Lloyd Carter
and Nick CuSicl were the first TO find the
Tobher and effect his capture.
The following day the wounded high
wayman sent Tor Harry Paige and shook
hands with him, saying he never ex expected
TO be captured by a schoolboy.
The wounded man, at the time the letter
WAS written, was IN a critical condition.
and not expected TO live. He claimed
that he did not fire. nor intend TO do so.
until he received the contents of the mes
senger's gun.
The treasure taken amounted to between
5000 and 81, 900, and is believed 10 have
been hidden in the vicinity of the robbery
by the second robber, who is still AT large,
ana a hundred people have been search
ing FOR 1t, without success.
SIAMESE" COUPLING.
The New Fire-Hose Device Does It's