Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-01-13

it through safely when he knew that
the agents were watching for IL II
was Cannon who thought of sending
shotgun messengers on the stages, and
he made them carry their guns with
the muzzles resting on their toes, so
that they didn't dare to fall asleep. He
broke up stage robbing as branch of
the general mercantile business by
making it too risky.
While was keeping saloon In Vir-
ginia City, Glenn Lee and three other
fellows, whose names have slipped my
memory, came into the camp and start
ed big faro game close to my place.
They had twenty thousand dollars in
the drawer, and think they got hold
OF the coin by holding up q stage. They
did big business and were making
plenty of money.
1t was the custom then to close nm
the games at twelve o'clock on SUNDAY
night. Glenn and one of the partners
came to me and asked me to mix them
up two bottles of cocktails. He want
ed them in champagne bottles, and had
the labels scratched off. 1 wondered
what all that meant. and found out later.
1 also noticed that Glenn Lee had bor-
rowed light overcoat from Charlie
Dexter.
As soon as their place was closed,
Glenn and his partners mounted their
horses on street and rode out of
town. Glenn was riding horse that he
had hired from the chief of police All
the animals were good, and as soon an
they were out of town they had q
chance to show their speed. The four
horsemen spurred down the Geiger
grade in the darkness at terrific rate.
If you have been over that road, you
know what a gallop down the grade on
dark night means It Is a steep and
winding road through the mountains.
The turns are sharp, and where it runs
through Dead Mans gulch q slip over
the edge would send horse and rider
Ito kingdom come" In no time.
The four gamblers few over that
road to Washoe faster than anybody
ever went before, and made the thirty
four miles in less time than l would
dare to tell At Washoe they had four
good horses staked out, and 1t did not
cocktails, mount and start of again.
They knew what they were after and
they did not miscalculate time or dis
tance.
In those days the stage companies
had good stock, and when the Reno
stage came along six horses were mak-
ing it 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.
Clem Lee leveled his revolver and
fired. and one of the leaders fell dead.
The other horses tumbled over the one
that was down, and the stage was
stopped, but not before deputy sher.
if on the box had pulled a gun and
sent ball through Clem's partner,
Dick. !
The passengers were ordered out and
ranged in line, the driver threw down
the box. and while the plunder was
being gathered up one of the robbers
said to the disarmed deputy sheriff: .T
think we ought to kill you, my friend"
Glenn Lee interfered, and said: mo.
there's been enough bloodshed. Let
him alone" The 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 dug his grave
nobody knows Then they mounted
their horses. rode at q desperate speed
back to Washoe, changed horses there
and pushed on up the Geiger grade to
Virginia City, where they arrived at
nine o'clock in the morning and went
to bed They felt pretty safe, a. no.
body would suspect them of having
made such trip in 20 short time.
They could not have made it without q
relay OF horses, and even then they had
to ride like devils.
But there was one little circumstance
that was insignificant in appearance
and fatal in fact When Glenn Lee
sprang aside to avoid the stage he raised
his right arm and covered the driver
with his pistol. The forward wheeI of
the coach grazed the under side of his
arm and ground into the sleeve a streak
OF mud that nothing could wipe ont A
lady In the coach was looking out of the
window, and as the coach passed Lee
she saw the mark made by the wheel on
his coat sleeve.
When she reached Virginia City, and.
with the other passengers, was Ques-
TONED by Cannon, she said: "Lool, for
man with wheel mark on the sleeve
OF his light overcoat. That mark was
made by rapidly-turning wheel, and
no brush ever was made that will take
It out"
Cannon strolled up c street, and
Charley Dexter came along with his
light overcoat on. Cannon glanced at
MS sleeve, saw the wheel mark and
gathered him in. OF course, it didn't
take Dexter long to remember who had
his coat on the night of the robbery.
and the three gamblers were captured
and sent to prison. One of them II
shan't say which) was the SON of a ia
nous philanthrop1c millionaire of WASH
ington.-The Great Divide