The San Francisco call., 1897-10-10

standing alone on bluff about fifteen feet
high by the side OF the road Ieveled his
guL without crying halt and fired load
OF buckshot into the vehicle. The shot
killed LAZY passenger and wounded the
driver and the express messenger. With
out waiting TO see the result of his shot
or demanding any plunder the shoo;ist
took 10 bis heels and disappea ared in the
bush. The passengers were too pa-aIyzed
10 follow him and he has never been
heard OF from that day to this. AS rob
bery the operation was failure, but that
was small consolation 10 the poor lady
who was killed.
IN the same year and in the same vi
clnlty three other stages were held up.
Inc Sheriff OF Calaveras had man named
Mcclellan by the heels for charge oi
being concern ed in one of the cases, but
be was unable TO convict him.
In 1884 several hold-ups took place at
or near the fatal spot where the affair oc-
cured last month. On May 8 of that
year lone highwayman halted the stage
between Sonora and Milton, and having
stood up the passengers in q row pro-
ceeded TO blow up the express-box with
giant powder. Tne explosion was terrific,
and blew lady's seslskin jacket into
shreds, but 1t did not Kill aEy one or open
the box, and the robber retired with no
other oooty than what he found in the
passengers pockets. Just a fortnight
a1terward two robbers halted the stage be-
tween Angels and Milton. One OF them,
who was covering the passengers with his
gun, pTudently hid the bulk of his person
behind tree, which the express messen-
ger perceiving, he drew a bead on as much
OF the robber as be could see and shot
MIN dead where he crouched. His part
ner look fright and made for the WOODS !;
he was followed and caught that hour,
ana he met his deserts at San Quentin,
where he is now. His name is DowdIe
His pal, who was killed, was known as
John kinnear.
There have been some robberies on the
road from Milton to Angels since then.
but they have not attracted much atten
ton. The booty secured by the thieves
was small; such as it was, they got off
with 1t. None of The hoId-ups involved
any loss of life.
In the old placer days hoId-ups were not
infrequent in Placer and Nevada counties
Captain Lees still remembers the names
OF Owen Smith, Dixon, Cooper and old
Frank Smith, whose acquaintance he
m ade professionally when he was young
man and the most daring and successful
thief-taker in the State. Frank Smith
who stood up good many men in his
time, though he never shed blood, had
served in the United States navy and in
his old age drew his pension from the
Government until he died in the iunatic
asylum at Napa.
The case of Dorsey and Patterson oe-
CURED in Nevada County eighteen years
ago. They stopped stage anu required
the passengers to surrender their VAL
uables. One of the passengers, q man
named Cummings, who had been banker
in small way at Nevada City, had a con-
siderable sum IN gold in a vaIise. He
fatty refused TO surrender it, whereupon
Dorsey shot him dead and Patterson laid
hands on the valise. Both men were
taken and tried, and by way of illustrating
the bumors of the jury system, Dorsey, the
murderer, was let off with few years in
the penitentiary, while Patterson was
sentenced to the capital penalty and was
hanged accordingly.
NJ. A. Sharp had FIVE stage robberies to