The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-09-15
HANDY WITH A GUN.
A Montana Man Who Was q Ter
ror to Stage Robbers.
When He Went Out ON Business He
Objected to Being Delayed ON che
R0ad-How He Got His
Reputation.


"The business of holding up stages in
the west and robbing the mails and the
passengers would not be followed by so
msny desperadoes if a few more of the
travellers were like old Robert Lane,
who lives near Dillon, Mont" said
George Craig, of Butte, to . reporter
for the Washington Star. ''Lane is as
quiet and peaceable citizen as ever
went to church on Sunday and put his
four bits into the contribution box. He
has lived in Montana for twenty years,
and even in youth he never personally
indulged in the old-time wild excuses
Of life out there, nor in any of the hur-
ly burly of frontier existence. He has
always pursued the even tenor Of his
way on his little, ranch near Dillon and
ever been regarded as the safest and
most peaceable citizen in the communi-
ty. He is called 'Old Man Lane out in
Montana and everybody knows him.
Several years ago the old man went
down to Red Rock, which is nearer to
his ranch than Dillon, is, to take the
stage for Junction. The mules were
pulling the outfit along pretty lively
through right nasty piece of road,
when the passengers were startled by
hearing voice commanding the driver
to throw down his reins. There were
three or four passengers on the inside,
and if 1t had been light enough to see
them they would have looked mighty
white. l tell you. But old man Lane
vas made Of different kind of stuff.
When he heard the agent tell the driver
to drop the reins he just reached back
and pulled out two guns that he used
to carry, because it was the custom Of
the country to do it, and kept his eye
fixed on the doors, looking first at one
door and then the other quickly, so a.
to sec the thieves when they made an
appearance.
"a shadow fell in each door window
about the same time, and quick as
fash old man Lanes guns were stuck
through either opening and off they
went. He gotmeat both cracks. Then he
leaned out the window and banged
loose at the fellow who had ordered
the driver to hold up. He got him,
too, and then jumped out of the stage.
There were four of the road agents,
and the last one, alarmed at the fate
of his companions, stuck spurs into his
horse and rode away up the trail. The
passengers, who had nearly recovered
from their terror and surprise, were
now amazed to see old man Lane cut
the harness from the lead mule, jump
on his back, and go sailing away after
the fleeing fugitive. Shots were heard
pretty soon, and in ten minutes or so
back came old man Lane, leading the
bandits horse, while the man himself
was sitting up in the saddle, shot
the back. On examination it
was found that two of the attacking
party were killed and the other two
and the whole auartette was
brought into junction. When old man
Lane was asked what caused him to
bloom out into such q progressive citi-
zen of the territory, he drawled out:
Well, had q good deal of business to
attend to up here at Junction, and I
didn't like the idee Of being stopped
when I was on my way to attend to it.
One of the men was not very badly
wounded, and before leaving Junction
to return home old man Lane went to
see him in the temporary lookup
Look here, my FRIEND he remarked, I
Just want to give you little bit of ad-
vice. If you persist in a-following Of
the business that you have started out
in when sort of stopped you, think
It would be safer for you if you would
look over the way bill of any stage you
might intend to hold up, and find out
in advance who it was a-carrying.' Old
man Lane is living yet, and is as hale
md hearty as you please, and it he
starts on stage ride now anywhere in
Montana the driver don't even think 1t
necessary to lock the treasure box"