The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-10-14
''SHOT-Gl)N D | c K"
Sketch of a Man Who Carries
His Life in His Hand.
GUARDING TREASURES
His Experiences in the Dead
wood Coach" Days.
GUARDING
TREASURES


And every rustler and thief, every road
agent and train robber from the Cana
dian line 10 Kansas knows that shot
gun and the man behind it,
Il fact, they are so wen acquainted
with Shotgun Dick that not a single
effort has ever been made TO hold up a
'.Homestake train"
Bullock is dead shot with rife, shot
gun or revolver, and in a fight would
easily thin out" half dozen such men
as are usually concerned in the holding
zap Of trains and the robbing Of mail and
express cars.
Since his employment with the mine
Shotgun Dick" has guarded out of the
Black Hills more than 500. oO0,090 worth
of gold without the loss Of a single
ounce
AS long as he can squint along the bar
rel OF his old shotgun it is not likely
that any attempt viii be made to rob the
: Aomestake.
When ready for shipment the gold is
moulded into bricks about ten inches in
length siH-inches wide and five inches
In thickness at the plants of the mining
companies. Sometimes the bricks vary
as 40 pounds. The customary practice
OF the guard to receive the bullion at
the Office of the mining company, where
it is receipted for, and then taken, under
armed guard, to the Office Of the express
company over whose lines it is to be
shipped east.
From there. after being securely wrap
ped, sealed and placed in the treasure
box. it is taken, again under armed guard
to the railway station and placed in the
express car. The guard, armed with a
Winchester repeating shotgun loaded
w:ih buckshot, and a six-shooter, accom-
panies the bullion until it reaches a place
Of safety.
On several occasions cases have been
known where Shotgun Dick has guard
Ell shipment of bullion as far as Oma-
IA or Kansas City. When he was first
temployed as bullion guard his route was
by stage from Deadwood TO Whitewood
and beyond by train. Whitewood then
being the terminus or a railroad which
was constructing line into the Black
Hills
A tinge of romance surrounds the stor-
fes told Of Shotgun Dick and the 9th T
guarded the gold bullion SHIPPED from
the Black Hills. These brave men hour
IL held their lives in their hands dur
ing pioneer days. when the only means
of transportation was by the numbering
stagecoach and over roads which ran prin-
cipally through deep and winding ravines, /
skirted on both sides by a dense growth (
OF pine trees and underbrush. which af-
fo-ded a safe and convenient shelter FOR /
tie proving savage and desperate road /
agent
In the days before the advent Of the
railroad in the Black Hills country that
region was infested by as desperate and
lawless bands OF road agents and robbers
.as ever inflicted their presence upon
newly discovered mining country. The !
human vultures, upon the discovery OF I
gold in the Black Hills hocked in from I
ell directions. anticipating a rich harvest /
as the result of holding up and robbing 4
prospectors and others who braved the,
perils Of an overland trip into that wild 4
region I'm the hope OF becoming wealthy 4
during the scramble for gold.
The first large shipment Of goblin the /
form of gold dust-from the Black Hills (
was made in the fall Of 1S76. The owners /
Of the gold decided To employ an armed /
guard TO convoy themselves and their
gold ont Of the Black Hills The guards
were selected from old and tried noun
taineers. who were paid about s25 day
for their services until the nearest rail
read was reached. From this shipment
dated the employment Of bullion guards,
the last of whom is Shotgun Dick
In the early days OF Buliocks employ
ment regularly organized band of road
agents and robbers made their home in
the Black Hills and robbed stage coaches
between Deadwood. Cheyenne and Sid
ney. Neb.
As a last resort the express company
had a trea sure coach constructed IS
peciaIly for the purpose Of defeating any
the robbers might make upon it.
The coach was very strongly built and
in addition was covered with plate iron.
After being completed and placed in use
this coach. designed expressly for the
safe shipment OF sold. went out once a
week.
Five picked men. Under charse Of Bull
lock all fully armed. acted as escort Of
the coach on these perilous trips.
The coach was named johnnie Slaugh-
ter. in honor of driver who had pre-
viously been killed in hold-up near
Passengers entering or re-
turning from the Elack Hills b. the or
binary passenger coacbes-known as
"Dcadwood coaches. which are famous
in sons and story-did not carry thei.
with them. but fer grester Sc
curity shipped them on the treasure
coach where the chances for loss were
naturally considered much less.
The armed coach had made several
trips without an attempt being made TO
rob K when. with an empty treasure
box, il wheeled up as usual 70 the staSe
station II Geld Springs to change horses ,
Everything about The place bore its ac-
aspect. and there MAS no evil {
ience of the presence q robbers.
The horses were halted the driver I
brew the reins 10 the sroUad and those z
N the coach We're preparing II dismount /
nd enter the stage station. when sud =
Ierly from the door OF ths nearby sta &
lie the report OF firearms TanE out ana (
deadly hail of bullsts hurled about /.
he coach. q
campssiI. q telegraph operator. vh2
vas riding on the coach. was killed By d
he voiley Gale I'M. ore OF the guards, &
YES also shot and wounded. shotgun I
)scb' took in the SITUATION at 2 glance y
nd jumped to The ground on the ONO
ite side Of the coach from where the 4
esperadoes were statio.ed.
He succeeded IN reaching the heavy G
irber in the immediate vicinity and G
gllen under cover promptly opened FIRE