The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-23
DEADYOOD COACH WRECKED.
THE OLD RELIC SMASHED INTO
kINDLINO WOOD.


Two Government Clerks Thought II Would
he Pun TO Run u Up and Down the
Pertice Of the Post Ofllce-wbseis
swerve and II Pitches Down the STEPS.
bering stage coach. the arrow-scarred and
bullet-riddled relic OF the pioneer days
OF the Postal Service In the Far West.
and the most cherished possession In the
Post ONCE Department Museum, was
smashed into kindling wood and scrap
iron last night. as the result Of its last and
most inglorious trip. Instead OF the six
horse team Of it's halcyon days, two frolic-
some Government clerks furnished the
motive power for the vehicles last trip.
and the Deadwood coach. which, under
the guidance Of drivers whose names are
famous In the annals Of the West. missed
many a precipice, gulch and gully by a
hairs breadth, came to grief down the
steep stone flight Of the Post Office De-
partment steps.
The motive power. William c. O'Brien
and Hamilton Connors by name. ard
Government clerks by occupation. Is now
under arrest and will be brought to trial
tomorrow, but, as an old forty-niner re-
marked to-day when he heard the story:
THAT won't rebuild the coach and the relic
was the last of the Deadwood stages. I'm
sort Of glad, though, that the old coach
followed the principles Of 30 many Of it's
passengers and died with it's tires on
Until recently the Deadwood stage was
kept In the Post Office Department Museum.
but since It's return from the Charleston
Exposition, and In anticipation Of its re-
moval TO the National Mus cum, IL has been
housed in big recess on the eastern portico
Of the Post Office building. There 1t was
until about midnight last night, when
0'Brien and Connors happened to stroll
up Eleventh street. They saw the cid
vehicle, and for some reason that hash I
been explained, as the coach Ia rusty and
dusty and weighs a ton or more, they
thought 1t would be fun. to run it up ard
down tho portico. They found that IL was
almost as hard to move as q Pullman car
and that it squeaked a protest from every
axle, wheel and joint, but they persevered,
and finally, by heroic efforts, got it going
At pretty good gait down the portico.
But there wasn't an expert ON the box,
and when just in front Of the bread stone
steps the front wheels swerved and the
coach pitched down the flight and landed at
the bottom, heap OF tangled and twiste
wreckage. The crash woke up the post
ONCE Waterman, who arrested the froic-
some clerks and the bits OF what had been
the last of the Desdwood stages were car
ried into the Post Office building.
The old coach was built in 1858, and as far
as looks 60 was twin Of the much abused
vehicle which Is now used as drawing card
in Buffalo Bills Wild West show. and Is at
tackled by Indians at every performance
1t was the first coach IN carry the United
States mails In Montana, and ran regularly
Indians. road agents and weather per-
mittlng-on weekly trip between Bozenlan
and Helena In that State.
In 1877 the stage was captured by band
OF Nez Perces Indians under Chief Joseph,
the Indian chief whose war paint and feath-
cred splendor attracted 20 much atten-
ton at a White House reception a short
time ago, and was only recaptured at the
conclusion Of a long campaign under Gen.
Howard And besides this experience the
old coach had been In innumerable small
skirmishes with Indians and had been
held up BY road agents q least . score OF
times. lite heavy oak sides were splintered
and furrowed by arrow marks and per- ]
forated with bullet holes, and on its thick
leather cushions were dark stains.
At one time or another nearly all Of the
noted characters Of early Western days
were passengers In the Deadwood coach
and among those distinguished In other
ways who are known TO have used 1t in
actual transportation are Presidents Gar
field and Arthur and Gen. Sherman, the
latter on . tour Of inspection, when behind
q tbree-spanned team OF Western broncos
the numbering vehicle made the phenomenal
record Of los miles In eight hours.