The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1899-09-14

While road agents are busy in the
Vest holding up trains and securing
from $4,000 to $4,000, every fifteen
,avs an express train brings into
omaha. Neb., from the great Home
take mines more than 100000 in gold,
md the extraordinary aggregation of
lerasure is never disturbed by high
Taymen.
Probably no proposition in the West
Il surrounded wit. greater halo of
romance and exciting adventure than
.forts of the Homestake people to get
their treasure to Eastern banks. and
though the advent of the railroad
,obbed the affair of much of its roman
Nc features, the semi-monthly trip of
the treasure guards from the Dead
wood mines to Omaha with from $780,
boo to 100000 in pure gold is not
wholly devoid of interest. For more
han decade Shotgun" Dick Bullock,
brother of Deadwood Dick, the famous
old sheriff of pioneer fame, has had
charge of these shipments, and he
boasts that he never lost dollar.
About the fifteenth and the last of
each month Shotgun Dick" as Bull
locy. is Familiarity known to hundreds
Of people between Omaha and Dead
wood can be seen sitting in the rear
. Of dray loaded with the small treas
IRE box, termed the strong box" of
the Homestake company, sauntering
along from the company's Office to the
express office. He carries with him
the old-style Winchester pump shot
gun. 1t is loaded with charges of
buckshot twenty to the cartridge, and
its explosion has about the same eff
feet as would the firing of charge of
shrapnel. To the express car Dick
Bullock follows the money, and sits
with his feet dangling from the door
Of the car while the men lift the heavy
safe into the receptacle which is to
carry it to Omaha. From Deadwood
to Rapid City the distance is so miles.
the treasure was carried overland in
the stage coach, and half dozen shot
gun messengers accompanied each ship
ment
1t is considered marvellous that this
Homestake treasure has not been taken
from the train, or at least, that an at
tempt in that direction has not been
made in these fifteen years. In fact,
only once has an effort been made to
rob the train carrying Deadwood treas
lre in twenty years. Bullock was not
aboard that day, but Sam Wilson,
another gritty" man, was. He prompt
iy shot the leader, 10 Wells, and his
only assistant at once surrendered.
This occurred in the big gulch between
Deadwood and Rapid City.
The last great hold-up Of the Dead
wood treasure coach was in 1873, just
before the road was completed to
Deadwood. At that time the treasure
was transferred by stage. At Buffalo
Gap the gang of Laughing Sam"
Carey and "Curley" Wilson ambushed
the messengers. Wade Ellis, the gam
est shotgun messenger that ever de-
Tended pile Of gold for pay, was in
charge and he had three assistants.
mountains, and some most inviting
cuts for hold-up purposes. For this
distance Shotgun Dick" pays some at
tention to business, for II the treasure
box is overtaken by bandits 1t will be
In this piece of mountains. After the
train has passed beyond Rapid City
and Is speeding toward Omaha, Dick
Bullock makes himself at home. Some
times he is to be found down in the
passenger coaches, but wherever he is
he carries his old shotgun.
Dick Bullock is one Of the few old
express messengers left who guarded
millions in the old days on the lum-
bering old Concord coaches. He has
been under fire from Lame Johnny's
gang, Laughing Sam" Carey's men.
"Curley" Wilson's notorious outfit and
a number Of other desperate bands of
road agents Of lesser fame. But that
was quarter of century ago, when
They were in one of the first iron
coaches put into use by the Wells-Far-
go people. 1t was common old Con-
cord coach, lined with quarterback
IRON for protection against the bullets
of bandits.
The messengers felt so secure that
they boosted of the vast treasure they
would carry-$100,000 in pure gold
and even sent word to the bandit gang
OF Laughing Sam" that they were
coming. The bandits in a moment of
recklessness concluded they would
show the Homestake people that their
old iron coach was no better as
treasure box than any other. The out
laws went to the stage station at the
gap ahead of the stage, and bound the
men in charge, then hiding them
selves in the station awaited the ar
rival Of the stage coach. When the
horses raro dra hxr Hanl1 Rinh.