The record-union., 1892-07-23
4 BOLD HIGHWAYMhN.
He Holds Up Stage Close by
Stockton,
And Keeps His Pursuers Or Until His
Rifle is Emptjed-One OIL
Ger Wounded.

Ger Wounded.
]. E. Ruggles of the Stockton Repub-
6can, who came over to this city yester-
day afternoon, gave a brief account of a
daring stage-robbery committed within
about three miles of the former city yes
terday.
Inc stage was bound from Stockton to
hoberts' Island, some distance southwest
Of That city, and was driven by Hooper,
weA-known jehu in that vicinity.
There were several passengers in the
stage, but the lone highwayman who held
up the outfit did not modest them.
de was flying at higher game. 1t
seems that considerable sums OF money
are sometimes sent out by the driver of
the stage with which TO pay off the large
number of employees on the great ranches
OF Thomas Williams and others, and the
robber evidently thought he would hit it
about right on Friday, counting on the
following day being payday.
But he missed his guess. The driver
had just two dollars in his inside pocket
and silver watch, and that was all the
plunder the road agent got. He was
armed with Winchester rifle, and, as
subsequent events showed, the magazine
was well filled with cartridges.
After the robber had plundered the
driver he struck off through the fields.
Some of the passengers followed him,
but he stood them off with his rifle They
kept within sight of him, however, while
some one telephoned from a ranch to
town for help, and Sheriff Cunningham
soon showed up with a posse Of deputies,
Constables and citizens.
The desperate highwayman was finally
driven toward Stockton and sur
rounded in field between the hospi-
tai and the fair grounds. Here he
made stand. and evidently intended
to fight to the death.
His pursuers We're armed only with
pistols, and he had the advantage of
them with his long-range rifle He re-
fused to surrender, and turning his gun
loose on the crowd continued to pump"
lead among them as long as the we'll
stored magazine of his rifle held out.
But one man was shot, however a
Constable named James p. Carroll, who
received a severe wound in the left arm.
When 1t was apparent that the last shot
in the desperado's locker was gone, the
officers closed in on him, and he was
finally captured. He was ironed and
taken to the County Jail, where he gave
the name of Tracy Nick - from which it
would appear that he hailed from the viii
lage of Tracy, some miles south Of Stock
ton.
lie appeared to be no stranger in the
neighborhood Of his capture, however,
Tor he knew who several Of the officers
We're, calling them by name, but they
did not know him.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The following was received from Stock
ton by telegraph after midnight last
night:
STOCKTON, July 22.-Great excitement
was caused here this afternoon by the
bold robbery of the Roberts Island stage
about one mile outside the city limits,
and the chase and capture of the robber
after long shooting match, in which
Constable Carroll was shot in the left
arm below the elbow, the ball shattering
the bone and making painful wound.
1t spent It's force against a memorandum
IN Carrolfs pocket, and hit his watch, or
he would have been killed, for it was
fired from a Winchester rifle.
The Tobber is young man named
Michael Cucoyich, waiter by occupa-
5ion. He was raised here, and has rela-
tives 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 a new repeat
ing rifle and boWie-knite here, and said
he was going into the mountains. Early
this afternoon he went out on the French
Camp road, a short distance from town,
and waited for the two-horse stage run
ming daily between this city and Roberts
Island. Jimmy Hooper was driving, and
had as passengers two young men from
Modesto, Reuben May and Isaac Pledger.
The robber stood on 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 driver and passen-
gers turn their pockets inside out and
toss their money on the ground. Then
he demanded the drivers gold watch,
and got it. The driver saved $500 in mis-
purse by placing the money in his waist
band, and passenger May saved $50 by
holding it in the palm of his hand.
The robber ordered the driver to go
ahead, and then picked up his plunder
and struck across the grain fields, circling
around south and east Of this CITY, The
driver tied his team, and giving the alarm
to people living near by, borrowed a sad
die horse and gave chase.
one passenger remained with the stage,
and the other rode to town and notified
tie officers. Several men chased the rob-
Der across the fields, but kept at safe
distance, as he carried his rifle. A half
dozen police officers, Constables and
Deputy Sneriffs took up the chase, and
soon the fleeing robber had a 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 Slough House, east
of this city. lie shot twenty-six times at
the officers, but only struck Constable
Carroll. The officers shot at him with
their pistols, but could not reach him.
Finally, after considerable shooting,
Cucovich came out of a bunch of tules in
the bed of stream, and, holding up his
arms. surrendered:
Detective Simpson was the first to reach
the fellow, and as he did so Cucovich
raised his knife to slash the officer, but
Ofncers Marshal and Sawyer and Deputy
Sheriff Black closed in and disarmed
him after short struggle, and the man
was handcuffed and brought to Jail.
The coin taken from the driver and
passengers, about So, and Hooper's watch,
were recovered. Cucovich had on a belt
of cartridges. and several charges were
left in his gun.
The prisoner was defiant at the Jail. He
was angered at being searched. and
showed hls desperateicharacter number
of times.
A HARD ONE
- Torf,apS, JTniou Gould