Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-10-08
SHOT TWO PASSENGERS
sxnp HIGHwAYMEN STOPPED
STAGES IN CALIFORNIA.
,.r of the Concord Coach Did
Not obey Commands and
FusiInde Followed.

Milton, Cal, Oct. 1.-The down stages
from Angels camp to Milton were held
nm Yesterday by two carefully disguished
bighwaymen. Heavy travel lately has
reouired the use of two double vehicles,
in addition to the regular stage coach.
The first of the three vehicles was climb
ing Palafos hill, the scene of several for
mer stage robberies, when two masked
men advanced into the road from the
shelter of rock and ordered the stage
TO stop. The men wore long, dark dus-
tiers, their feet being covered with gunny
sacks. The passengers were told to alight,
and while one highwayman covered them
with shotgun the other relieved them
of their money. He examined the watch
of each passenger, but took none of them.
The bandits then ordered Driver Lewis
to proceed into an adjoining ravine, SO
that his carriage could be concealed be-
fore the arrival of the second coach, due
to arrive 20 minutes later.
The second coach was driven by Louis
Raggio, brother of the proprietor of the
stage line. He was halted and the pas
sengers were then forced to relinquish all
their money. The robbers then returned
to the shelter of the large rock to await
the arrival of the stage coach proper, the
passengers of the advance vehicle mean
while being herded in the ravine.
Shot Down Horses.
When the heavy coach came up the
bandits repeated the command to halt,
but the order to stop was unheeded by
Driver Schwoerer, who afterward said he
did not hear the command. One of the
robbers, who was armed with revolver,
then poured volley of bullets into the
bodies of the stage horses. One of the
leaders was shot three times in the left
shoulder and wheeler also received a
bullet.
The robber fired two shots through the
curtains of the coach to complete the
terrorizing of the passengers. After run
ming rs yards further the wounded horses
fell and the driver and passengers sprang
from the coach and ran up the road to
the house of a Mexican named Palafos.
Two Passengers wounded.
1t was then learned that G. M. Acker-
man, jeweler of Angels camp, had been
wounded in the right side, and Abraham
Mahlof, an Assyrian peddler of San Fran
cisco, had beeen shot through the left
wrist As soon as the stage coach stopped
the robbers cut open the wooden express
box, but obtained little except the con-
tents of package of moderate value.
The robbers then returned to the ravine
and directed Drivers Raggio and Lewis
to take their vehicles and drive on. The
robbers then disappeared with the ex-
press booty and the money taken from
the passengers. After the departure of
the bandits Driver Schwoerer turned to
his coach, found two of his horses dead,
md with the two wheelers drove slowly
INTO Milton, where the wounded men re-
'eived attention The injuries were pro-
bounced serious, but both the wounded
men We're able to depart by this after
looms train.
The total amount obtained by the rob-
'ers probably did not exceed 5000. All
If the local officers are in pursuit of the
hghwaymen, but the scene of the hold-up
wild and rugged, making pursuit diff
ult