The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-24
BLACK BART ABOUT AGAIN.
WORK RESUMED ny CALIFORNIA;
FAMOUS HIGHWAYMAN.

stage Robberies in the Yosemite and Else.
where That Bear HIS Marks Mystery and
Romance Of an Extraordinary Criminal
Captured Only Once Limping DICK
Practising His Profession Again Also
Los ANGELES, Cal, June D.-Many persons
believe that Black Bart, the most interesting
bandit the Pacific Coast has ever KNOWN IS
again at work. Down in Arizona there Is al
most positive proof that Limping Dick. admit
teddy thu most desperate highwayman known
there since the desperadoes OF Tombstone
mining camp days Is back again from his refuge
among the mountain Businesses oil Durango
and Sinaloa, Mexico. Since last January SIX
highway robberies Of unusually bold character
have been committed in central California and
In southern Arizona, and all bear the earmarks
OF either Black Bart or Iimping DICK.
Black Bart Is far and away the most motor
ious highwayman of the West, Among the
miners and the people in the mountain settle
ments OF California there is quite as much ro-
mantle lore about him a. there was about ihck
Turpin. Black Bart's j.nglcs. the bits OF dog
gercl he used to post up at the scenes OF his
robberies, are known by heart by school chill
drcn all over the Pacific Coast. No other ban
dit in America. possibly. was ever surrounded
by such an air Of romantic mystery rs he has
had for twenty years. His trial for highway
robbery at visalia, Cal. in May, 1884. revealed
a mass Of information about him, Although
he was the lone performer in some Twenty-Five
stage coach hold-ups in California alone. be-
tween 1887 and 1894. he was never once appre-
hendcd on the road.
His arrest came about in this way, In March.
1904 4, t,x. o,,,b uAipu from, IN gold mining
camp in the Sierras to Marysville. Cal. was
held up by n masked lone highwayman. whom
the driver and all the passengers recognized as
Black Bart. When the coach had rumbled out
of sight on It's way down the mountain side
Black Bart turned his attention to splitting
open the wooden box containing the Wells.
Fargo Express Coinpany's treasure, some
thing must have disturbed him in the midst Of
his work. for when a party Of officers hurried
back to the scene later that same day they
found among the papers. empty purses and
wrappings Of parcels dropped by Black Bart a
inen Gun. The robber had evidently dropped
it in a hurried flight to his refuge.
The cufY was turned over TO the express com
pany detectives. They found after weeks Of
inquiry that the laundry marks on the cuff
were those of a Chinese laundry on Bush street
in San Francisco and that the cuG belonged
To one Charles +. Bolton. Then ii appeared
that Bolton was a quiet. unobtrusive, spare
man Of about so years. He lived in a modest
boarding house, whore xdats and old-fash-
toned business men had rooms. and every one
there was his friend. When n detective went
10 live in the sam boarding house he found that
Col. Bolton was a studious man, lived a correct
life. was a reader of new books. dabbled in
poetry and every few weeks went away TO visit
one OF the several little mines about California
In which he had Investments. Bolton was an
expert whist player. and he had evidently trav-
eiled far and wide in his early life, His hobby
was water colors and he spent whole days in
painting pastoral scenes. alone in his rooms.
After dinner he generally went TO the theatre,
where he took the least conspicuous seat.
He never got any mail and he never sent letters.
but he dcvoured the daily newspapers at times.
When Bolton was arrested In his room one
day on a charge Of highway robbery. the land
lady boiled with Indignation. and the other
guests stormed. Col. Bottoms pastor wrote
a letter to a local newspaper denouncinR the
blackening of an honest mans name. When
II went abroad that Col, Bolton was accused
with being no less an outlaw Than tho notorious
Black Bart, the Colonel's friends were crushed.
They began putting together facts about Col.
Bottoms absences from his rooms and found
that these absences occurred when robberies
by Black Bart were committed. During Black
Bart's tI,al il came out that he was born at
Hannibal, Mo. in 1899: that he was educated for
thc law ard had spent one year al Oberlin Col
.egr. when he was expelled for gambling, He
changed MS naIne went 10 chicago and enlisted
n a Wisconsin regiment in The civil War, Next
ha mani tn tho IninpG in \nNnhl md driftnI
20 California, where he made n first attempt
Al highway robbery by holding up the pay
master OF a mine in Plumas county. The
Job was so easily done. and he got about $500
40 quickly, that he gave his whole time there
.fter T. planning highway robberies. He
confessed that he had gone rs deliberately
robbery as one goes about the practice Of q
profession.
For seventeen wears he kept half the sherins
and constables. q lot Of detectives ard all the
United States. Mar.hals in California cease
lessly. watchful for Black Bart. Like tho won-
dertul highwayman he, was, many a time he
fortune In his g%ripsack. the proceeds of a re-
cent affair out on the road, and passed hun
dredS Of San Francisco people while they were
excitedly discuSsing Black Bart's latest hold-up.
He told how he had often met face 10 face In
the parks and on the streets of San Francisco,
men who were in the stage coaches he had
book directly behind a Sheriff and several
expert criminal catchprs, who were at that
time working up a clue 10 the arch bandit of
the Coast.
Black Bart was convicted. and because Of
his confession and apparent determination to
lead a new life, h" was sentenced to San Quentin
Prison for only eight ycars. He was a model
prisoner and earned all the communication of
his sentence by good conduct. He was liber-
ated in July. 1889. For a few weeks he lived
In Sacramento. waiting. he said, until he got
some money from Eastern relatives. when
he meant to go to Seattle to earn an honest
living. Then he disappeared, Several San
Francisco constableS say they have seen him
l~elsurely. walking the streets in that city dur
ing the last few years, but they did not know
why. there isn't n shadow of n doubt that
Black Bart Is a highwayman again, said Sheriff
John W. Hunter, who secured the robbers
arrest in 1854. He Is an accomplished stage
successfully that we have no reason to believe
that he would be- willing to earn his living by
actual honest work. The recent one-man
stage robberies occurring, in this State bear
work tina, we are fully convinced that he has
resumed his former mining oper atoms and IL
again prospecting for bullion in express COM
pany treasure boxes, He is too subtle and
town as a place Of residence. for the reason
that his frequent absences would he noted
and discussed and he would naturally desire
70 avoid particulars in regard TO his trips.
For these reasons we believe that no has
selected some such city outside of California
~ Denver, Kansas City, Omaha. Salt Lake, or
even Chicago or 81. Louis, and without creating
surprise or suspicion makes periodical trips
for the purpose Of cleaning up his mine and
replenishing his excheduer and then returns
TO lead the same apparently innocent blame
less life, which he, pursued in San Francisco
under the name OF Col. Charles r.. Bolton for
over ten years, while police and peace officers
chased over mountains and through canons