Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-02-15
OLD TINE ROBBERS.
REcoLLecTloNS OF GsNTLsMANLY
NEVADA ROAD AGENTS.

They Made Big Hauis and seldom Com.
mitted Murder During Their Depreda-
tions-They Wore Good Clothes, Had
Plenty OF Money and Were Popular.
Some of the Nevada road agents had |
physiognomies that indicated native vi. |
eiousneSs and depravity, but the majority |
Of them were of the good citizen type TO |
which they belonged until accident sent |
them off at tangent, while Jack Davis, |
the most notorious of them all, might |
readily have been mistaken for a StudiouS
professional man or a clergyman of ex. |
traorlinary placidity and meekneSS. They
were good neighborS, pleasant acQuaint-
ances and associated on an equal footing
with the leading men of their respective
commuSities until the prison door closed
suddenly upon them and Interrupted the
| friendly intercourse. The judges, law.
| yers and bankers Of the Comstock, when
sitting down to game Of poker could
| have welcomed no one more warmly to
seat than they did Jack Davis
| From the time the stages began CARRYING
their immense loads Of bullion from the
mines and bringing large shipments of
| specie in return, stage robbing became one
OF the most lively and productive indus.
| tries in Nevada, The week that went past
without one or more coaches being held up
produced general feeling of dull times
But the energetic road agents seldom let
the community settle into detection Of that
character, Frors the Placerville. Heuness
| Dutch Flat, Reese River, Humboldt, Es
meralGa or some other route, intelligence
of rob )ery could be depended upon pretty
nearly every day with Il comforting degree
of certainty. Most Of the depredations,
however, w,re committed near the large
towns, to which the highwaymen would
return and mingle with the crowd before
the arrival of the plundered stage, or be
fore news of the occurrence was brought
back, If it were n departing cNach.
There was little or no iudisCriminate
waylaying IN those days, such as has been
practiccd by degenerate members of the
profession in later times. The robbers as
certained what particular stage offered
rich prile ANA then Went Tor II. They had
spies hanging around the express offices,
confederates in the service of the stage
companies, and employed various other
means to obtain this information. a stable
boy has been seen to swing his lantern
after the departure of stage, like rail
road conductor signaling the engineer,
and within five miles the coach would be
stopped and robbed. Poor Badly Green
one of the old time drivers, was held up so
often that he was finally discharged, either
from n superstitiouS belief in his bad luck
or Il suspicion of his fidelity.
For several years there were very few
convictions in comparison with the num-
Der of offenses There was never much
doubt regarding the identity of the boldcr
operators, and arrests were frequent
enough, but the difficulty was to obtain
proof of their guilt. The trial of Jack
Harris, Al Waterman, Nose Haynes,
Pitcher and Love in 1865 for the robbery
of a stage near Silver City was the first
notable arraignment of this kind The re.
suit was not very satisfactory. Harris, the
leader, was acquitted, Haynes escaped pun
ishment by turning states evidence, Wa.
terman was sentenced to fifteen years in
the penitentiary and the others to shorter
terms.
| do not recolleCt II Waterman was par.
doned or If he got out of prison through
some legal techncality, but any way be
was at large again within year, and
Wells, Fargo & Co. condoned his felony
and took him into their employment ut Il
high salary to do nothing. 1t will STRIKE
the average reader, think, that this wa,
holding out n rather strong inducement
for others to render themselves eligible 70,
a like promotion. But Waterman did moi
long enjoy his sinecure. His position as d
pampered favorite of the great expires.
company made him naughty and overbear
ing, and he was killed in Virginia City
couple Of years afterward.
Meantime the stages were robbed as reg
ularly as ever 1t was evident that boldeI
and more skilful men were devoting them
selves to the duty. In 1865 two stages, botl
crowded with passengers, were stopped To
gether at the top Of u steep ascent on til,
Geiger grade by seven highwaymen ant
treasure boxes and passengers pockets ri
+ fled alike. The robbers extemporzed
/. fete champetre for their victims, generous
, ly regalng them with quantity Of cham
: pagne discovered in the boot Of one of tn
coaches. Rugs were spread for the ladies
y and the affair was conducted throughou
. in the courteous and elegant style Of oil,
: time highwaymanry.
I. Davis had long been suspected OF direct
q ing the principle operations on the road
Is No particle Of convincing evidence coul,
"a be brought against him, however To nj
appearance he was substantial and pros
porous milman Together with Squeer
Cockerill and some others he had taken
l. lease of II quartz mill near Flowery, in Six
10 mile canyon, about four miles from Vii
l. ginia City, and seemed to be running
It proftably. No one could discover fror
3 what source paying rock was obtained
nevertheless the mill kept turning out
steady stream Of bullion.
u The fact was, rs IL transpired afterwart
o there never was any paying rock. The mi
IS had been hired TO facilitate the remcltin
,e and marketing Of the bullion acquired b
rs the numerous stage robberies. Davis an
,e some Of his companions were arrested aft,
the Geigcr grade robbery. and on one {
two other occasions, but Ii was found in
> possible to gather testimony enough I
II convict, and they were discharged.
r, The building Of the Central Pacific an
d the Virginia and Truckee railroads was
~ severe blow 70 these Industrious millmei
nf All the treasure was thereafter carried i
N train with the exception Of unimportaI
!, shipments To and from outlying district
San Francisco Chronicle
u why II Was So.
i. Our butler has an exalted admiratiC
- for my husband, and the other day