The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-06
a NOTED TRAIN RoBBBR.
The Famous Capt. Bunch Once Lived
in SylYania


in SylYania.
SYLvANIA, GA, March Sat the last
court of ordinary a lady Of this county
took out letters of admins ration on the
estate of her husband. Mr.. -, and there
/ by hangs a most interesting tale
! -Four or five years ago there came to the
town Of Millen, in this county, tall,
/ powerfuly-built man with long hair, who
/ gave his name as -, aud who hailed
/ from Missouri He registered at the hotel.
/ spent the night, and the next day went out
J into the country on a hunting
! expedition. He was gone several
days, during which time be met up
: with a gentleman who lives several miles
below Milleu. Near the home Of this gen
tleman wns a small farm which seemed to
strike the fancy Of the stranger. 1t WAS
secluded and quiet and yet within easy
reach OF Millen and the trains Paying his
/ bin at the hotel Mr. - left the place but
soon returned and purchased the farm and
settled down as citizen Of the county.
/ The stranger at once became well known
and popular with the people, He was flush
| with money, had tine horses and gus, aud
! kept room deliberately furnished at the
MilIen hotel where be spent a good portion
OF his time. He was pleasant and affable
/ in his manners, was intelligent and well ill.,
formed, and taken altogether came up to
the full measure of a nice gentleman and
most agreeable companion.
/ A BAD MAN TO FOOL WITH.
| He was of powerful physique and looked
| like a man whom 1t would not be healthy
! to fool with. 1t was noticed too, that he
/ always went well armed SO, while the
/ people liked Mr.. -- there was still an air
OF mystery Surrounding him that they
/ could not peue rate, and that, OF course,
| made them talk. But no. many of them
talked where he could hear it. Occasionally
| he would 60 of on trips 10 the
west, to be gone month or two, and then
! people would surmise al! kinds of things.
! Still he behaved himself well, interlered
! with nobody, was not close with his money,
and no one could make any charge against
| him. Oniy they could not understand why
he had come down there to live. By and
by he married a daughter of the gentleman
near whom he resided.
AS was stated, Mr. - kept the finest
kinds Of guns and rifles at his house and
was himself a walking arsenal. A young
! gentleman OF millen told me thet when be
went in bathing one day with - he felt
! like running when he saw the man begin to
disrobe. He first laid down two huge pis-
tolls and then unbuckled from his person a
/ long bowie knife, which he placed by their
side. When be took off his garments fur
Their the young men who had come along
! were still more alarmed by seeing that his
| back was perfect network of scars from
| old cuts and wounds. He explained this to
! them by saying that they were received in
the late war, Ia which be participated on
the union side.
Mir. - would very often entertain the
| young men OF Millen by telling them Of
adventures through which he had passed
! ard Of "hairbreadth escapes + the immi-
/ nent deadly breach" Getting them out in
q line on the street he would show them
! how a stage coach on which be was once
travelling was held up aud the passengers
robbed by single man. and OF thrilling
train robberies that had taken place in the
west and in which he had been one of the
! victims
Thus matters went on until the ter part
| Of last summer, when MIR. - left on ans
other Of bis trips to the west-and from that
| trip be never returned.
A TRAIN ROBBERY.
| Not long after be left his home in Scriyen
! the papers contained ar account OF q train
I robbery neOr New Orleans. A large amount
! of money was taken, and among the robbers
was a tall, powerful man, who was run
down and killed. This mans name WAS
| given as CSpt. Bunch of Georgia, and upon
investigation it proved to be none other
than the pleasant and genial Mr.. - Of
| Scriven.
Friends at Millen wrots the authorities in
! New Orleans and received description Of
the murdered robber, together with his
photograph. This was recognized at once,
and when his wife looked upon the familiar
features she fell fainting to the floor. The
personal description sent fitted that OF Mr..
exactly, and the officers in
New Orleans wrote that the man was
known as alias Bunch. alias Gerald
HR hnyT
would in all probability have come back to
his quiet Georgia home, but JUST as he was
going into a swamp he could not resist the
temptation TO turn and fire one parting
shot at his pursuers In doing this he of
course lost valuable time, aud when he
turned again and leaped toward the shel>
terlIg trees his body was rlddled with
bullets and the daring robber fell without
groan.
Ga one of his raids Mr.. - YVES said to
have been SO fortunate as TO capture SIS, 900
worth OF government bonds. Two weeks
/ ago a detective came TO Millen to zee if any
clew to them could be discovered, thinking
| probably that they had been left at his
| home here when the man went off on his
last fatal tour. But no trace Of them could
be found in fact, when he went away, Mr.
-- left nothing of real value behind with
his wife, save the small place upon which
they were living.
OF SPLENDID COURAGE.
A man of splendid coura2e-cool auda-
cious, iutrepid-wGs this man -.
Powerful in his physical strength, with
iron nerves that nothing could excite, and a
mind active and sGgocious, lie was, indeed
well fitted for the dangerous and daring
life he so recklessly followed. On one
occasion he robbed an express car all alone
When the night express pulled ous
\ from large city in the west he
two hours after, "a hen the locomotive was
rushing through lonely stretch, he quietly
walked into the express car where two mes
sengers were at work and as coolly aud de-
hDerately locked the door behind him.
hen tae express men looked up to inquire
the cause OF the incrution they were covered
by two ugly weapons, back OF which stood a
| oetermlneQ looking man smilinR RrimlN