Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-23
A RUNNING SHOOTING MATCH.
Sensational Stage Robbery at
Stockton.
The Highwayman Captured After an
Exciting Chase.
He Fired Twenty-six Shots from a Win
chester at His Pursuers-A
Constable Painfully
Wounded.
By the Associated press.l

By the Associated Press.l
STOCKTON, CAL, July 22.-Great ex-
citement was caused here this after
noon by the bold robbery of the Union
Island stage, about a mile outside of the
city limits, and the chase and capture
OF the robber, after long shooting
match, in which Constable Carroll was
shot in the lett arm below the elbow,
the ball shattering the bone and making
painful wound. 1t spent it's force
against memorandum book in Car.
rolls pocket, and hit his watch, or he
would have been killed, for it was fired
from Winchester rifle.
The robber is young man nam ed
Michael Cucovich, waiter by occupa-
tion. He grew up here and he has rel
atives in this city. About eighteen
months ago he was committed to the
asylum, and was discharged cured year
ago. Since then he has seemed to be
sane. A week ago he purchased new
repeating rifle and bowie knife here and
said he was going to the mountains
Early this afternoon he went out
on the French Camp road, short
distance from town, and waited for the
two-horse stage running daily between
this city and Union island. Jimmy
Hooper was driving and had as passen-
gers two young men from Modesto, Reu
ben May and Isaac Pledger.
The robber stood at the side of the
road, inside of one-rail fence, and
when the stage drove up, he leveled his
rifle at the driver and ordered him to
stop. Hooper thought the man was
Joking, but he obeyed the second
command and stopped. Cucovich
then made the driver and passengers
turn their pockets inside out, and toss
their money on the ground. Then he
demanded the drivers fine gold watch,
and got it. The driver saved 5000 in
his purse by placing the money in his
waistband. Passenger May saved 5000
by holding it in the palm Of his hand.
/ The robber dDdered the driver to go
ahead, and then picked up his plumber
and struck across the grain fields, cir
cling around to the south and
east of this city. The driver
tied his team, and giving the
alarm to the people living near by,
borrowed saddle horse and gave chase.
One passenger remained with the stage
and the other came to town and notified
the officers. Several men chased the
robber across the fields, but kept at a
safe distance, as he carried his rifle.
Half dozen police officers, consta-
bles and deputy sheriffs took up the
chase, and soon the fleeing robber had
dozen or more men following him.
He turned occasionally and shot at
his pursuers, but did not hit one
until he was surrounded, near the
slaughter-houHe, east Of this city, and
three miles from the scene of the rob-
berry. He shot twenty-six times at the
officers, but only struck Constable Car
roll. The officers shot at him with
their pistols, but could not reach him.
Finally, after considerable shooting,
Cucovich came out of bunch of tules
in the bed of the stream, and holding up
his arms, surrendered. Detective Simp-
son was the first to reach the fellow. AS
he did 80 Cucoyich raised his knife to
slash the officer, but Officers Marshall
and Sawyer and Deputy Sheriff Black
closed in and disarmed him after a short
struggle, and the man was handcuffed
and brought to Jail.
The coin taken from the driver and
passengers, about Sc, and Hooper's gold
watch, were recovered. Cucovich had
on belt of cartridges, and several
charges were left in his gun. The prie-
oner was defiant at the Jail. He was
angered atabeing searched, and showed
his desperate character a number Of
timee