Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-05-02
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE,
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.

counter With Three-Fingered Jacks
Banda Man Kills a Bear With Stone
Probably one of the most remark
able affairs in the adventurous career
of Colonel James Stephenson, of
Omaha, pony express rider in pion-
eer days, was the ambushing of one
coach by the bandit gang of Three
Fingered Jack. This road agent, says
the New York Sun, was assisted at that
time by band of fifty Sioux Indians
under the leadership of Roman Nose
The story is well known in Nebraska,
though Colonel Stephenson does not
fancy relating it. In fact, he admits
that this is one of the few skirmishes
in which he had been engaged that
reminds him of brlmstone, even after
lapse of thirty years.
"You see," says Colonel Stephen
son. "our company had to send at
least one treasure coach over the Den
yer line. This was made necessary by
commercial intercourse. Sometimes
this coach carried 100000 in gold,
and then again it carried double that
sum. We would leave Omaha on Mon
day morning and get into Denver on
Saturday afternoon, making 600 miles
in the trip. All our big Concords had
six horses in those days, and you bet
a man had to pay attention to business
when he got his vehicle started.
"Well, on this particular trip we
did have rather warm time. You
see, we carried 100000 in gold for
the company at Denver, and the plains
were alive with Indians and outlaws.
The Sioux were in force everywhere
and express riders and stage drivers
were being killed every day on the
lines in Nebraska. For that reason I
took personal charge of the treasure
coach as far as Kearney, Neb. After
that we considered ourselves safe. We
carried, in addition to the money, five
passengers on this trip and one guard,
Ben Adams.
"We were making good time out on
the trail 200 miles from Omaha before
we saw signs of trouble. Then we
noticed Indian videttes, who were
evidently keeping us located. 1t was
the middle of the afternoon, and
slight rain was falling, when we were
attacked. IT was where Lexington,
Neb., now stands, at the top of the
high hill overlooking the Platte. 1t
was the plan to make the attack in
those days as the coach was going up
the hill, where it was ordinarily i'm
possible to run. The band of the no.
torious outlaw, Three-Fingered Jack,
blocked the road dead ahead, while
his Indian allies were not in sight.
There was station six miles away,
and instantly 1 determined to make
an effort to drive through the line of
road agents. My six tough horses
were quite fresh, as had not pushed
them very hard since noon. The out
laws were scarcely prepared for my
actions. They stood with drawn
rifles as we approached. When the
leader yelled out for me to pull up, l
reached forward to obey and at the
same time threw my big whip with
crack over the shoulders of the lead
horses. Say, that was the greatest
surprise those fellows were ever
troated to. Two of their number were
knocked down and run over before
they could spring aside. At the same
time Ben Adams fired both barrels of
heavily loaded shotgun into the out
law band as they were huddled to-
gether at one side. Three of their
number were killed by those two
shots. The passengers had been
warned of what was about to happen,
o,,1 arnio1 l. L.
name was George Golden-took charge
of things inside. The guard was on
the seat with me. From both sides of
our treasure coach the passengers
fired their pistols at the outlaws.
They did little execution, but the ban
dts evidently thought they had sur
prised an army from the way they
scattered. This gave me an oppor-
tunity to reach the brow of the hill
before the road agents were scarcely
ready to act with concert.
''Then they made up for lost time.
They poured volley into the rear of
our coach, which killed two passen-
gers outright and wounded Golden.
In spite of his wounds the brave fellow
climbed up to the rear window of the
coach, and as the great vehicle swayed
and rolled as we dashed wildly down
the hill poured shot after shot from
his pistols into the outlaw cavalry as
they dashed after us. This probably
saved the treasure and our lives, as it
kept the bandits at distance and
they were afraid to approach until
their Indian allies came up. But they
kept up rapid fire. The great hill
is two miles long. L think we CON
sumed about three minutes in making
that distance. 1t was the widest ride
I ever had. The horses had to run to
keep from being dragged along by the
heavy coach. The whee. horses were
in imminent danger every minute OF
being caught by the numbering stage
and killed, but it was death sure if
we slowed up, so I kept my hand off
the brake and let the wheels turn as