The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-23
DEGENERATE OUTLAW S.
no MoDERN sTAGE RoBBERs LfKB
CHEsTERFIELD QUINN.
sac was so Petite that Hts Victims Fci,
Honored when He nobbed Then, Was
Introsuced to Each Man BEFORE He Took
IT'S MoneN-mIs Recent Denth in prI.nn.

from The 81 Louis GtObc. DttrOcIut.
FoRr SUIT, OKLA. Dec. 14.-There arc few ~
the old-time road agents left in the West. Tie
outlaws Of to-day are for inferior In point Of 20.
litCness. tact and education TO the dies! cralucsu f
the days before the two great railroad crossed
the West. Their nerve Is every whit as good 40
that ~ their forerunners, but their use uf II
clumsy and very often disgusting. The natural
result " this is that admiration OF their rr,L.
less bravery is impossible, because VI contcin,t
fer their boorishness. a man can ovcrlouL
many things done politely. WHEN lac will no,
tolerate them II accomplished clumsily
The old.timc road agents know this, and Tia,
balm Of pclitcncss often sooth,d the woundcc
feelings of their piundered victims.
Foremost among these road agents Of The &c
days was Joe Quinn. ale was II gambler. n pros.
pector. u miner. a man y no could and did slun,
whom occasion required, but not one tu e
warned away by n vigilance committee bccausc
he was wursv than the average. Joe went broke
ON cnrts. got cheated out NJ II rich hrd" W s,.
vrr. and one dry left Virginia city tn pick up .
new occupation. Among those WIN knew him
there was no doubt that he was well educated
and Ind been brought up n gentleman. lie LETT
Virginia city to blossom out rs n road agent.
and he had no partner.
Judge Heller. famous for his decision that
Judge Lynch outranked the United states Su.
prpme Court. had the honor or misfortune to bo
q passenger in the first stage Joe tried his hand
on. The spot was between Virginia city and Sill.
yer city. aud the time IL o'clock in the forenoon.
There were six men, aside from the Judge and
driver. While the -four horses were being
watcrrd ut a creek crossing the road. Joe stepped
out with a gun in either hand and called for the
passengers to descend. The Judge had IA seat
with the driver, aud Joe called him by name as
he called him down. II was the first hOld-up for
II year, ami nu one was prepared for II. As fast
~ the passengers dropped - the road Joe looked
Ia see that ali weapons had been lett behind. and
us tlt: lined up" he took n position between
them and the vehicle. lie had Il clear. mellow
voice, ANA there was no menace IN MS speech as.
lac said:
"Gcntiemep, ! have failed at gambling. pros.
prcttnT. aud digging. ! am now going TO try this
pose to rob you IN II Rcnteel way. Cse me like n
ttHnrrn,''' j"Iv q" IielIsr here r Is nv friend rdf'ibm ,t under
tine circumstances he will shell out with the
rcst of you. will now ask him to Introduce mo
to each one of YOU in rotation
loo then took from The judge fourteen $40
Loll pieces. Then the Judge inlrodu ccd MIN to
him. They shook hands and sud they wers
Ii,ai ei to t., see ,o each other; and Mr' BasGomo
tine line, the robber trusting to every mans IN
tcgrity u, hand out his entire Doodle. The Judge
With Joe, VIII" got 81 300 from the crowl.
zoe ala no; AK fer wntches and jrwsiry: and
II" stage driver, vino stood holiinv the lenders
by he bits. he laugh cd and chilled ont:
"Egw much cash have y"u got about you.
"AHont $40" replied the driver. as he pro-
duc,d the coins.
You are too small picking. md / know you
have "A wife and Chiid to support. Now. gentle
inca. | don't want your firearms. and don't le-
me when you get hold of them. Pile into tho
coach and drive ahead. Should you meet. with
another gentleman IN The same profession II Will
console you to reeiizc that yua haNo no cash TO
be robbed IT,"
\ week later. though. there were 1fty men out
lptkiug iDr uIlI, Gentle man doe, Ms lr lht
been o.triStrnCd after the first hold .up. tturp,d
another stage on that line. II con AIMED Two
womrl and i've men. one at the EIcn was BADLY
crippled with rheumatism. Zoe stopped tho
horses at Il turn in the 'otl. url Ihe lValrTN t"a
tree with y rope provided Tor tl" accession. ana
was fred npni, !.ur thing, by the PASSENGER on
The drivers seat hrf"rs h!s, work wa. 4nishcd.
Il Is country! WIN y"p beg n. PARTON, Or wall
"Ill leg" said ihc passenger.
An right; come down. said Joe.
New" said Joe. "rcpvat after me-: 1 regret
having insultcd II gentleman Ia the presence OF
iadiG., thereby preventing him from shooting
The passenger repeated it; Joe ordered the
four men down, but spoke "A few words Of sym
pathy 10 the cripple and. galiantly informed the
ladies THAI they need be III 10 rear whatever. ~
lie dlI not W%s s war ns on 5hT,r 'fE c G mm, p Pre- ,s.r
men on their honor to shell out all their cash,
hut the aggregate sum appeared TO be SO small
that his suspicious were, aroused: u. took 5000
from the man who had shot ut him. and mad
only turned over $50, and then commanded HIM
To search the others. Tho result was the dis.
cuvcry III about 81 900 more, and from that
date on Gentleman Joe refused 10 take any
After the second robbery he was so vigorously
pursued that he had to abandon the silver cay
was heard Of up In the Humboldt Valley. His
advent was characterized by n feat which has
Stage ST pSf and the ihssSGG down rSnV stage Just 's as they w wrr"
about TO pass each other at = o'clock In tho
afternoon. One had Ave men and Il woman; and
the nthHF fpuF men a woman and IA hpN. Nlfn
the drivers there were eleven men, all well
armed, and yet he appearsd so suddenly and
attack. The drivers he paid no attention to. but
frst, and made him 20 through thu, others. II
was said that his haul amounted TO $4,000. and
AS 1t was all in gold coin he had II lying on =
blanket in the road when the passengers reem-
6arked and the stage rolled away.
By never interfering with the mails or eNpress
matter, Gentleman Joe escaped making official
enemies. Neither Uncle sam nor the express
a man who did not interfere with their property.
and such pursuit as was made by the Sherirfs
In his first year Joe held up thirteen different
stages and made a gross haul OF at least So, O0O.
adv al % iiSa HSH Alone Sh in the 70 tS shisr . t and m sHa RIiGe.
lie had a good horse aud two revolyers, and oc-
cssionally appeared at a mill or country store TO
yea the rewards offered Tor him amounted to
3 1000, His last hold-uP had been on the Yuba
capture him. They hired a regular coach,
dressed one OF their number up as a driver, and
hid another In the boot. All were, of course,
armed To the teeth; IL may be that Joe In some
way got word of what was up, for he caught the
coach In a rocky pass, shot the driver on his
seat, and wounded two men riding within be-
fore the crowd were aware of his presence.
When he commanded the reward seekers TO
get down they lost no time in tumbling out. He
sent the four unwounded men back up the road
stripped OF everything. spent half an hour max
ing the wounded comfortable as possible, and
then drove the stage into the mountsins and
ever recovered, while the Outht OF firearms was
probably thrown into some ravine. None OF the
died, but no one In that crowd ever
took up JOe's trail again.
The genteel rObber had an extended reputa-
tiOn and numerous aCguAintances in the course
Of a year and a half. He had killed no one, and
had been 50 courteous to all that men he had
of a thousand dollars rather admired
him and refused tn contribute to any pursuit.
Judge Heller Was his particular champion.
The last time the Judge met Joe was eighteen
months after the first Robbery. Joe had worked
down toward MaTysyille, and one evening he
stopped the Judges stage again. There were
four men, besides the driver and two children.
ii he nTnhalrlIE AT mHaIinpF llE had haan Hia-