The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-01-19
BLACK BART, POET.
lie was Bolo and Remarkably Clever
Singe Robber and unId In.

lie was Bold and Remarkably Clever
stage Robber aud Hold Up.
"Talking about train robbers" put
in the man from San Francisco, ere
minds me of the slickest one In the
business. He wasn't n train robber,
exactly; he was stage hold up, and
he was u thoroughbred, but he fell at
last, and I've not heard of him since
he was I'm San Quentin. His name
was Black Bart-that Is to say, his
nickname. He christened himself, you
know. But his right name was Charles
Barlow. He made himself famous by
writing what he called poetry, and the
posse which used to go out after him
would always find n few lines of dog
gcrel written on collar or cuff or
the back of an express way bill. His
favorite Jingle ran like this
"Now lay me down TO sleep
IT, wait the coming morrow,
Perhaps success perhaps defeat,
And everlasting sorrow.
Let come what will, I'll try II on,
My coalition can't be worse.
Aud II there's money In that box
'Tis money In my purse.
Black Bart the Poo-s."
"IIc always wore long linen duster;
he had white flour sack over his
head and face, with holes cut in 1t for
the eyes; his hat was like those comi-
cal affairs the clowns wear in the cir
Gus, and the lower parts of his legs
were covered with jute bags.
I'VE first heard of him on the old
Oregon trail, which runs over the
SslkiyOu Mountains. The next time he
lid business was In the summer Of
1857, | think. One of the best drivers
81 lNn n.iH 10 t,lrt t,,.. .,t.,
from Fort Ross to the Russian River
He had to pass big bluff, where there
was Il sharp curve. AS soon as he
struck the corner he saw Bart, as
large as life, with double -barrellcd
shotgun In his hand. He was polite
devil, and never shouted out. He al
ways said as he did this first time:
Please throw out the box and mail
bags
'Of course they had to oblige, and
then he let the stage go. He worked
around the lonely places for six years,
OF and on, and a man with head for
figures said he must have pulled Off
about $4,000 year. He seemed to
like the Wells-Fargo shipments the
best, for he touched them up four
times n year, regular as clockwork.
After the first hold-up the rewards
began. The first one was $500 for
the capture, dead or alive, and 1t grew
IKE n SNOWFALL rolling down hill until
in 'S3 there was $1S,400 waiting for
the man who could get Black Bart
He had more than one trade mark; he
always used to cut the mail bags be-
low the lock In the shape of L, and
he always left the AK with which he
smashed the express box.
svIha last man no tnrrbad xuac old
man Mcconnell, who was going from
Wilton to Sonora, I'm Tuolumne Coun-
ty. He held him up about three miles
from Copperopolis, on the old mail
road from the Yosemite. He got the
box and took out about $4,000 in gold.
"Well, Mcconnell got rifle and
chased him through the brush, but 1t
was no use. But there was enough
found there to trace him. Among other
things there was cuff with n laundry
mark on it. They followed that clew
like grease, and 1t led to a respectable
man about fifty years old, who lived
in Frisco under the name Of Charles
Il. Bolles. He was an old soldier, had
lots of friends and knew half the
police force.
well, talk about a sensation! We
had 1t then. Two-thirds Of the town
believed 1t was case of mistaken iden-
tity until he confessed to the last rob-
berry, but he swore he knew nothing
about the other twenty-five"
what became of him?" asked one
of the listeners.
He got off with six years In San
Quentin. He was put in the drug de-
partment and became an expert chem
lst."