The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-05
RoHsINe the STAGE.
Tho Queer Mark by Which tho Leader oi
tho Gang WAS Discovered.

y
chants in San Francisco and other cities
of the Pacific slope had u hand in 1t ind
made u lot of money out of Wells, Ear
go Il Co. There were lots of men whose
notions of right and wrong got queerly
twisted in the rough-andtumblc pio-
ncer life, and they considered it no
stain on the character of Il gentleman
to go out and hold up stage when he
needed a stake.
A merchant would say tn one of these
men: 81 am going to ship twenty thou
sand dollars by Wells Fargo's to-mor-
row. You get it, and well divide"
You sec, the express company had to
make good the loss, and the shipper
would get his money back, with a
clean profit of ten thousand dollars. 1t
beat selling goods all hollow. The
road agent would 60 out and hold up
the stage, and if he happened to get
caught he was not in much danger of
doing time for it. Powerful influence
was used secretly in his behalf, and the
chances were that H. man or two would
be put on the jury to save him.
The express company lost II great
deal of money in that way, and at last
james Cannon was sent up to Virginia
City to break up the business He was
shrewd man, and he devised moro
schemes for outwitting the road agents
than you ever heard Of He sent treas
ure in sacks of potatoes, which were
loaded on prairie schooners, and even
the drivers never suspected that they
were carrying anything more valuable
than potatoes
have known him to drop bar of
bullion into cask of molasses and send
it through safely when he knew that
the agents were watching for it. 1t
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 n 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 Il stage. They
did big business and were making
plenty of money.
1t was the custom then to close ND
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 lie want
ed them in champagne bottles, and had
the labels scratched off. I wondered
what all that meant. and found out later.
also noticed that Glenn Lee had bor-
rowed Il light overcoat from Charlie
Dexter.
AS soon as their place was closed,
Glenn and his partners mounted their
horses on c 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 as
they were out of town they had Il
chance to show their speed. The four
horsemen spurred down the Gciger
grade in the darkness at terrific rate
If you have been over that road, YOU
know what gallop down the grade on
a dark night means. 1t is steep and
winding road through the mountains.
The turns are sharp, and where it runs
through Dead Mans gnlch slip over
the edge would send horse and rider
Ito kingdom come" in no time.
The four gamblers flew over that
road to Washoc faster than anybody
ever went before, and made the thirty
four miles i'll less time than | would
dare to tell. At Washoe they had four
good horses stallcd out, and it did not
take them long to shift saddles. try nv
cocktails, mount and start off 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 sin horses were MAX
ing 1t 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.
Glenn Lee levclcd his revolver and
fired, and one of the leaders fell dead.
The other horses tumblcd over the one
that was down. and the stage was
stopped, but not before deputy sher-
if on the box had pulled IA gun and
sent ball through Clcm's partner,
Dick.
The passengers were ordered out and
ranged in line, the driver threw down
the box, and while the plumber was
being gathered up one Of the robbers
said to the disarmcd deputy sheriff: 81
think we ought to kill you, my friend"
Glenn Lee interfcrcd, and said: NO.
there's been enough bloodshcd. Let
him alone" The stage was put to
rights, everybody got aboard, and it
was driven away, covered while in sight