The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-01-10
LAID STAGEROBBERS LOW;

The business of holding up stages
in the west and robbing the mails and
passengers would not be followed by
Sc. many desperadoes if a few more Of
the travellers We're like old Robert
Lane, who lives near Dillon. Mont
said George Craig of Butte. to a re-
porter for the Washington Star
Lane is as quiet and peaceful a citi-
zen as ever went to church on Sunday
and put his four bits into the contri
button box. He has lived in Montana
for twenty years, and even in youth be
never personally INDUCED in the old
time wild excuses of life out there,
nor in any of the hurry bnrly of from
tier existence He has always pur-
sued the even tenor OF his way on his
little ranch near Dillon and has ever
been regarded as the most peaeeable
citizen in the community. He is call
ed 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
a 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
it mad been light enough to see them
they would have looked mighty white,
/ tell you. But old man Lane was
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 1t, and kept his eye
fixed on the doors. looking first at one
door and then at the other qulckl y, so
as 10 see the thieves, when they made
an appearance.
a shadow fell in each door window
about the same time, and quick as a
! fash old man Lanes guns were stuck
through either opening and off they
went. He got meat b ,th cracks. Then
he leaned out of the window and bang
ed down at the fellow who had order
ed the driver to hold up. He got him
too, and then jumped out Ofthe 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 recOy
cred from their terror and surprise
were now amazed to see old man Lane
cut the harness from the leading mule
Jump on his back, and 90 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 him
self was sitting up in the saddle, shot
through the back. On examination il
was found that two of the attacking
party were killed and the other two
wounded, and the whole quartet was
brought into junction. When ole
man Lane was asked what caused hin
to bloom into such progressive citl
zen of the territory, he drawled out
"W ell, had good deal of business tC
attend to up here at junction, and
didn't like the idee of being stopped
when was on my way to attend tC
it." One of the men was not very
badly wounded and before leaving
the junction to return home. old mar
Lane went to see him in the temporary
, lookup. Look here, my friend" he
remarked. Il want to give you bit Of
advice. If you persist in a-followine
of the business that you have started
out in when l sort of stopped you
it would be safer for you if you woulC
look over the way bill of any stage you
might intend to hold up, and find out
in advance who it IS acarrying.' Ole
man Lane is living yet, and is hale and
hearty as you please, and if he starts
on stage ride now anywhere in Mon
tana the driver don't even think il
necessary to lock the treasure box"