The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-08
BRAVE MccoNNELL's STORY.
Did the Best He Could to Answer
Shot With Shot.


STOCKTON, Feb. Treason E. Nc
Council, the express messenger, who
made such game showing when the
Jackson stage was attacked to-day, is
resident of this city and has been in
the employ of Wells-Fargo for twenty
five years. Mr.. Mcconnell was brought
to the city late this afternoon from
Jackson, and as soon as he reached his
home DR.. Cross was called in to attend
his wounds. A half-dozen buckshot
were removed from his left forearm
between the elbow and the wrist. The
front of his overcoat contained several
dozens of holes and quite a number of
the shot had remained in the lining of
the garment. He was in great pain
from the wounds.
Three months ago he met an acct
cent which confined him to his room
Tor weeks, and it was only last Sun
day that he resumed his work
Mcconnell is known to every officer
IN this section of the State. With him
on the front of stage with his sawed
OH shotgun robbers have generally
given it a wide berth. They evidently
thought that he was still in Stockton
When they planned the raid to-day. 1t
was Mcconnell who winged" BLACK
ing Barts arm caused the poet-robber
to drop cuff, which was the first clew
the officers got to his identity and
which eventually led to his identified
ton. Mr.. McConnelPs statement of the
attack to-day follows:
we left jackson at the usual time
ABOUT o'clock. We passed Cyclone
station; an abandoned place, and
reached Slate Rock, where we were at
tackled at about 7:10. 1 have always
been on the closest lookout for road
agents at this point, as the rocks so
near the road make a convenient point
for them to safely attack US.
Just as our leaders passed the rock
noticed man raise UP from behind
the rock and level gun. He fired in
stantly-in fact, fired as he raised nm
He aimed little too far forward and
the charge passed directly in front of
me and the scattering shot struck NV
arm and landed in the overcoat lapels
and front. AT the same instant the
team lunged and started on a iump
down the grade. One of the animals
had been In the team when Messenger
Toby was killed and led off in the run.
The second fire caught Driver Podesta.
The team was moving rapidly, and
what L judged to be a second man be-
gan shooting-at least, 1 thought so
from the direction of the shot.
we were moving rapidly and I was
at disadvantage trying to hold on
and turn around to get bead. This
succeeded in doing and, resting my
gun over the uninjured part Of my arm,
l let drive. l noticed one of the men
drop on the rock. Whether it was a
feint or not, 1 do not know, but he must
have been wounded. The lunging stage
was rapidly taking me out of range. so
1t was impossible for me to get in an
other shot at an advantage. There
were twenty-one shot in my gun, all
buckshot.
"Podesta lost all control of the team
and in his weakened condition could
not regain control of them, and it was
not till we reached Mountain Springs
that we regained control of them and
made an examination of our wounds
Podesta was taken back home and
Frank Goss drove the rest Of the trip
Mcconnell speaks of the affair in the
most matter of fact way, and his state
ment is confederation of that of the
injured driver. McConnelPs wounds
are not considered dangerous, the only
fear being from blood poisoning.
1t appears that late last week over
100000 was taken over the route one
day by the stage. The attack was evil
IDENTIFY ill-timed by the robbers from all
points Of view.