The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19


and valuables, the road agent" was a
fixed feature in the life of the great
West They were a regular bonanza
for the bandits when the virgin wealth
of the mountains was first disturbed
by the miners pick and the treasure
was being shipped out of the noun
tains to San Francisco and other set
Elements.
An occasional report from the noun
tain counties of a stage robbery serves
=. to remind the public that the mountain
bandit still exists, and that the rail-
road has not entirely replaced the OLD
six-horse vehicle as a means OF com
munication with the miners. Only last
week the news came down from jack
son that two desperate robbers had at
tackled the driver and shotgun
guard as the Jackson and lone stage
was bowling down the mountain side
near a point known as Slate Rock.
The story of this attempt has again
brought before the public heroic hg-
.ure who has ridden with Wells
: .Fargos treasure boxes for quarter OF
century and carried them through
adventures both numerous and eXclt-
ing. This man was Reason Il. NC
: Council. AS shotgun" guard he was
in his accustomed place, as the stage
= came down the grade, on the seat by
the driver, with his trusty gun, well
charged with buckshot, across his arm
Suddenly, just as the men on the seat
were opposite the big black rock, a
man rose up and let drive at them with
. a load of BIB shot. Mcconnell and the
= driver were both struck. The major
= :ity- of the bullets passed little ahedu
. of them but some shattered Driver 20
9. Ia 80 -;rrI,T lore
arm of the guard was also filled with
=. shot, while the front of his overcoat
was fairly riddled.
The gun which the messenger was
: holding with his left hand dropped be-
tween his knees, and as he glanced
:. around to find the assassin second
load of shot came his way. But While
-. he was making the hasty survey OF the
rock he was raising his gun with his
1ininiured right arm. He turned ana,
- resting it across the wounded member,
: hastily sighted it and let drive. A man
:. standing by the rock threw UP ms
: hands and fell forward. One of the
suspects now under arrest at jackson
was certainly wounded by buckshot-
The firing had set the horses Irantlc'
:. and before the messenger could get a
second bead on the robbers the stage
:. was whirling along in wild ride down
q. the mountain side. Each man had out
one good hand The blood was run
:, ming down the lines and freezing in the
: cold mountain air. Each man grasped
a line with his uninjured hand, put
=. they were powerless to check the team.
:, They did avoid allowing the stage to
. go over, but many times they were all
: but thrown off the high seat
:. When the stage came dashing into
the next station the men on the box,
- covered with blood and with clothes
riddled by bullets, presented terrible
= sight The plucky messenger wanted
10 go back and assist in hunting down
.. the would be robber, but his friends in
sisted on taking him to Stockton, where
he could be cared for by his family
Mcconnell drove a stage betWeer.
q stockton and Sacramento before the
railroad was built On July 4, 1871. when
.: the first Passenger train, reached Mil
ton over the Stockton and Copperopolis
road, he took out the stage from the
terminal point and used to double be-
tween Mokelumne Hill and the railroad
terminus While driving along on the
"trip of January 6, 1872, he was stopped
by a lone highwayman near North
America and politely asked to drop out
the treasure box AS the robber was
behind a tree and undoubtedly had the
advantage of him, the driver complied.
The highwayman picked up $1,000 for his
adventure. The money was from the
Sheep Ranch mine in Calaveras County,
at that time owned by Ferguson q
- Wallace Mcconnell never met this
= agent again, but his name proved TO be
On March 5, 1872. a bandit named
'Lawlor stopped Mcconnell at the same
place. a man named Jarvis was on
the seat with the driver. He had put
: his gun in his OvercOat pocket. About
It hree fourths of mile below North
America a man jumped out and level
: ing his gun on Jarvis, gave the COM
inland, Halt. and hands up" He then
:. told the driver to throw out the box
,;;,l,
:: .language of the driver.
= AS the stage drove away the driver
-.glanced back and the robber called out
= aYou ---, if you look back here
: III kill you"
=: The driver later Ventured another
=. look and Lawton made good his threat
: by. shooting. The bullet cut the long
= hair off the horses ear. The company
- Sustained a loss of not over 81, as the
- box was empty, but it paid $500 for the
*.capture of the robber and gave Neon
nell a $3.50 watch, which he still car
ries.
=: :: The adventure of the next day was
more than a scare, however Bob
- Everson and his wife and boy were the
passengers inside the stage. When at
o. q noint about 100 yeards from where
). the first hold-up occurred. Everson put
:: his head out at the window and asked
the driver to point out the exact spot
TO him. Mcconnell laughingly re-
= that maybe the fellow was there again
Even as the driver was making the re-
:. mark he espied a man waiting down at
the point. EversOn was delighted to
:; be informed that the robber was at his
:: former post. The driver found him
;. self between two prospective fires.
Everson took out his siX-shooter and
called to the driver to go ahead and he
e.: would fix the bandit At the same time
the robber cooked his gun. The man
:: fon the seat heard the ominous clicks
.: plainly from both directions. About
=. this time old man Wheat of Double
Springs overlook the stage. He was on
. horseback.
Mcconnell hastily told Wheat there
was a robber down the road waiting for
them He then told Everson to get out
and get behind a tree, as his presence
In the coach with disposition to fight
might cause the rObber to fire on his
wife and child. Wheat said he would
ride around and take up a position on
the hill in order to see that the robber
MN(rn~,,an fol- h fc