Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-04

was clerking at night for the Wells Fargo
Company out in Silver City, Colo. in the
early days of that city. The Office was sit
uated on the first floor of the biggest hotel
IN town and was of considerable import
ance as II was the center of a large min
ing district. The miners brought a good
deal or gold in from the mountains and II
was their practice to deposit 1t with the
express company over night for the town
was crowded with a rough element and
robheries and even murders were of fire.
quent occurrence The express company
had large safe in the office and this fire.
auently held as high as $4,000. AS depos-
It's were made every ten or fifteen minutes
during the time prior to midnight 1t was
easy for robbers to know that the express
company kept this money on hand and to
guard against an attack Jack always went
armed ana was bad man to tackle as he
Is a sure shot and full of grit The little
office which inclosed the safe and desk
was separated from the general office by a
nigh railing and the small gate between the
two was secured by a spring lock, difficult
to open unless one understood it.
One Lively Incident.
Zone dark and rainy night Jack was sit
ting alone In the office some time between
! and O'Clock, when a couple of Mexicans
entered the room and came up to the desk.
They said they would like Jack to take
care Of their money and they proceeded to
coin. AS Jack turned to open the safe be-
fore counting the money after the Next
cans. and just as he was about to swing
back the iron door he heard a sharp, whiz-
zing sound and then something struck him
tremendous blow in the back. He in
stantly raised up and whirled about to
face the Mexicans, and as he did so a large
knife fell from his back to the floor He
thought for second he had been fatally
wounded, and, determining to revenge HIM
SELF upon his assassins. he quickly drew
his trusty revolver and fired at the men,
VINO had been unable to open the gate and
were still outside the railing
JACKS first shot broke the arm of one of
the robbers and he gave a cry Of pain The
other Mexican attempted to grasp some of
the gold, but Jack fired again 40 llic<ly
that he turned and fled. third shot hit
this Mexican In the side just as he reached
the door, but both of them managed to es-
cape and ran off up the street. Their wells
and Jacks shots brought twenty guests
down stairs in all stages of undress but
each man had gun. pistol or bowie knife,
and the raScals were quickly pursued by
most of the miners. Owing to the darkness
and the start they had both got away. hut
they left their gold coin behind them. This
was given to Jack by the express company
Tor defending their property and thus he
made handsome little stake in a single
night, for the Mexicans never put in an an
pearance to claim the gold.
lack told me his escape from death was
owing to fortunate incident He had been
getting round shouldered and his friends
had poked so much fun at him about IL
that he got a blacksmith to make him
some steel shoulder braces, which were coz :
cred with buckskin. These steel braces
were made Strong enough to have fitted
Samson, but their being so heavy saved
Jacks life for the point of the knife when
thrown by the Mexican had struck one OF
these and thus failed to penetrate his body
as 1t would otherwise have done. Throwing
knife was a favorite pastime with Mex
leans and some became SO expert that they
could hit silver dollar at a distance of ten
or twelve feet. They no doubt thought the
knife would so suddenly end Jacks life that
ne would make no outcry to alarm the peo-
pie in the rooms upstairs. and, as he had
unlocked the safe, they could rob it at their
leisure. 1t was a close call for Jack, but he
came out unharmed"