The San Francisco call., 1897-10-10

opened. At one time he had thirteen
men, sixteen horses and four vehicles ali
under the control of his single gun.
Escaping detection. he robbed the same
stage in the same place two months after
ward, and again he went free. But foul
months afterward be presumed too faI
upon mis- luck. He invaded the Calaveras
huntlng-ground, as above stated. and,
while he held up the stage passengers, he
wasted precious moments in an endeavor
to break open Wells-Fargo's box. This
gave time for the ganization of pursuit.
One or two of the men he had held uD es-
capped and gave the alarm. He was ar
rested and convicted, and is now in Fol-
som for life.
In 1888, Black Bart, the original lone
highwayman appeared on the scene in
Calaverss County. How good q workman
he was at his craft may be inferred from
the :act that he robbed eils-Fargo's Ex-
press TIVE enty-eight times in succession.
and pursued his calling almost unmolesled
for eight years.
His real name was Charles f. Bolton.
He was a New Yorker by nativity, and a
man OF 50 when he began to operate in
California. He was q remarkable pedes-
trian and tireIess mountainee-; q man
OF education and reading, correct IN his
manners, polite and affabie, and witty IN
conversation. He never swore or drank
or gambled. He operated alone and never
had partner. His held of operations
extended from Ukiah and Yreka to Jack
son; but his trst and last robberies were
at the same spo,-a secluded copse on the
70 Ia
fessed to be miner. He had a wife an
family, who after MS convici zion went TO
ST. Louis, where they may be 10 this day.
They never heard any more OF him, and
he is probably dead by this time.
As he robbed the express-box, and the
United States mail about four times a
year for eight years, IL is astonishing that
he evaded capture so long. But he was
adroit, and he appeared a respectab BILE
member of society. When he was nabbed
at last for the affair near Milton Oh No
yember 5, 1888 he gave the authorities no
trouble. He pleaded guilty, furnished the
express company with accounts OF his pre-
vious deeds, and went nrepiningly to
San Quentin for six years. He wore on
his abdomen the scar of gunshot wound
Tor which ne was probably indebted 10 an
express messenger; the wound and his
advancing years ind uced him TO give the
authorities an assurance that he would
leave the State not 10 return; st any rate
he disappeared from history when his term
expired. One OF his whimsies was to call
himself a poet and 10 sign his name
"P. 0. g."
There were two robberies on Funk Hill
In 1884 two more in 1885 and two more
between Sonora and Milton in 1886 In
one of these last Onyer o. Kent was con-
cerned. He was caught ana sent up. In
1889 two stages were robbed on the other
road, near the place where the hold-up oc-
Cured the other day, and in both cases
the robbers escaped. In 1890 the stage
from Salt Spring Valley TO san Andreas
was held up By George W. Cummings and
Sporty Bob, and IN the same year the
stage from the same Springs to Mokelumne
Hill was robbed by Charles Brown, alias
Miles Howard. The scene of these rob-
berries was near the place OF the late hold
up. The robbers were caught and sent to
State Prison.
In 1892 a curious attack WAS made on the
stage on the same road, near Sheep Ranch.
AS the stage was bowling along a man