The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-22
To DC Continued.
TWO HISTORIC MEN OF NEvADA.
Eugene Blair. the Express Guard, and Van
sickle. who KILLED sam brown.

Eugene Blair. the Express Guard, ana Van
sickle. who Killed sam brown.
wild Bill was a desperate and a danger
GUS one, although I must say for him that he
did his killing chiefly among bad men. But at
Phoebe, New, ho submitted to arrest as peace
fully as a lamb when Eugene Blair came for
him. forget what Bill had been doing. but tho
Phoebe people didn't want him there, and Blair
started in the stage with him for Carson City"
Col. $. c. Dixon. a Southwestern mine owner,
was telling Of old Nevada days Mt an uptown
hotel, and his subject at the moment was Eu-
gene Blair. n guard and messenger for the
Wells'F Fargo Express Company at an early time.
The prisoner was handcuffed. of course. and
Blair sat beside him In the coach. 1t was gem
orally thought that Bills friends would try to
rescue him somewhere on tho road, which lcd
Blair to say to him:
"Bill. I've heard that your friends are going
to get you away from me between here and Car.
son IL they can. Likely enough they will. but
It's fair to tell you that it'll never do you any
good, for l shall shoot you dead at the first
break they make. It's we'll to have the matter
understood between u.s.
"All right. Blair, said Wild Bill in a cheer
full way. but the officers remark set him to
thinking. As they came near Elko he grew I'M
easy. Phoebe was not a comfortable or safe
town for Bill to be In at that time. but before
they got to the station he asked Blair to take
him back there.
18th fact Is I've got friends ut Elko, and I'm
afraid II we go there they'll put up n move to
rescue me- he said. II they try it l know
you'll do just as you said. l think my chances
are better to go back than 20 ahead
BIZ word got to tho friends somehow of
what would happen il they interfercd. and Blair
took his DrisOpnr m Cnrcop ,vifh M tro,hlor
Eugene Blair was from the State OF Maine.
and camo to Nevada among the pioneers. He
was very tall. long-limbed, and muscular. quick
OF motion, ready. and perfectly brave. His
killing OF Bill Davis. the stage robber, was an
exploit that showed his wonderful courage and
readiness. Davis had boon the leader in the
great Birdscye robbery, in which n Central
Pacific train was stopped between Reno and
Tahoe and n big haul made by the bandits.
Davis was captured and tried for this, but by
revealing where s 10000 of the plumber was
hidden he got off with a year or two in the peni-
Tertiary. He took to the road again after his
release, and one night. ns the stage ratified
along between Phoebe and Elko. with Blair
sitting on the box beside the driver. Bill Davis.
with a confederate. appeared at the roadside
and drew down a shotgun on the messenger.
Hands up, Blair!' he called. I've got you!'
There was no time for Blair to use q weapon,
but he rolled off the coach to the ground on the
further side before the robber could fire. He
dashed round the rear Of the coach to Davis.
wrested the shotgun from the robbers hands, and
shot him dead with his own weapon. The other
robDcr ran. and Blair chased him four hours
was, and his killing R'e Of "i Davis s's was % only My" one ns" of
d,seharso Of his duty. lie, Killed SO a" many
men on the W~clls,Fargo lines. and upset
SO II many schemes OF robbery, that it seemed
In revenge. To save his life the express com.
pany retired him with a pension and he settled
the road he lived quietly at Phoebe to die at
last from injuries received through his being
run over by a load OF wood.
by the way, ! have heard the story of the
Killing Of the desperate. Sam Brown, from the
lips OF Van Sickle, the %ranchman who shot him.
lou know. perhaps. what terror Brown was in
bad. Murder was n pastimc. and to discmbowGl
ing's entertainment TO Long. Haired Brown.
There was no law In those days. and a man like
he could run his course u long time without
punishment. Brown was one OF u gang who
operated along the main trail between Carson
CITY and the Utah line %robbing emigrnnts com
twelve miles below Carson. was a sort OF way
station or hotel for travellers. Brown thought
the ranchmsn had ill.used him in some trans
action and he let his feelings be known, so when
he rode up to Van Sicklc's house one afternoon
INC owner thought 1t prudent to hail him from
the doorway before he dismounted and ask
what ho wanted.
.,".I want you'll. growled Sam Brown. in a tone
that made van Sickle turn back into the house
in a hurry. Brown sent n shot after him as
no went through the doorway, and then dis.
the house to nnd the hofS Ssn aca pen.' G He W wSh as 'f fap
US the dining room. and. not finding Van Sickle.
came PACK. stopped for u drink at a little side
room that served as q bar, and then went out to
MS morse. mounted him. and rode on In the direc-
t h3teT OF /, L Mss old 0Id's v ranch eight miles "a, awS sy:
rine In hand and looked after the desperate as
he rode away.
"'Yon must kill Brown to-day or he'll kill
So" guess that's so.' said Van Sickle, and sent
word to his neigh6ors. In q short time q party
TOUR or hye men riding in n wagon and Van
sickle and two, others on horseback. Four miles
Was f"llin Ssn'f H n t s'snsd al Snd IVAN %Sn s 3%it =" tir sis AZ
him with his rife. missing him. Brown rode
on, and they lost sight OF him in tho darkness.
Van Sickle felt sure that Brown would go
there, and. with the other two mounted men.
before he did. He was not there and Lutte Old
Saau no hau not seen him. As they stood talk,
riding up in the i"sd d@Tk %, .ng ana ndF hu SH,4 Old S9 ssi dime
m,Thats Brown. l know by the jingle of his
lilo walked over to tho fence to lot down the
oars, and as Brown rode into the yard Van
from n'on'e h Ms'f h ols rif M'h snot v !hs s sicKia toid df tho
story he showed me n six.shootcr.
This was Sam Browns he said. 1T was
the only thing Of his l took after / Killed him. !
10y inc Others that were with mo take the rest
Nan sickle. who ] believe still lives on his
Tanch n carson Valley, was a medium.sized,
sioptlS built Dutch'looking man. a Jerseynan
Dy oirth. ne was one of the Norman emigrants
VINO settled In Carson City whom Nevada
was part OF Utah, and refused TO return to Utah
AZ me command of Brigham Young when he
va1a was SCI on as a State, Sam Brown was
where he probably had been a DANTE"
UuesnVontionn Dress In Java.