The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-11-23
PRESENCE OF MIND
IN Time OF DANGER
Helped One Stag. Coach Pas
senger in Retaining His
Coin.
WATCH AND MONEY sAvEC
When Road Agent Was Making Fellow
Passengers Give Up V%aluables,
This Man Dropped His Down
Trousers Leg.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.

rom tne san Francisco Chronicle.
j. v. Dusenberry was one of the victims
Of the Yosemite bandits who held up the
passengers of five valley stages in one con-
tinuous performance.
Dusenberry lost only 60 cents, but on his
person when the highwayman searched
aim were ten twenty-dollar gold pieces and
l gold watch and chain.
Dusenberry had left the stage shortly
before 1T reached the bandits ambush. He
was following Slowly behind, gathering
wild flowers and intending TO take a cross
country path later on and head off tho
stage, which was obliged to follow the tor
tuouS road.
The hiShWayman stopped the five stages
one after the other. AS he stopped one he
ordered the driver to pull off the road in
such a way as to conceal the coach and
horses from the sta ge following. The pas
sensers he lined UP behind a clump of
trees Dusenberry. ignorant of the excite
ment ahead, was dawdling along enjoying
the beauties of nature and adding blossom
by blossom to the bunch OF wild flowers in
his hand.
He turned a sharp bend in the road and
found himself looking into the barrel of a
rifle. Behind the rifle was a tall, STOPPING
Inquire with head, face and neck swathed
IA cloth. Through one of the c~revices in
the face covering CLEANED an eye.
The First Command.
Hands up!" came In a quiet tone Of
voice from another crevice.
Now stand at the head of that line"
continued the voice.
TIL -highwayrnan then resumed the op-
GRAFTON of stripping the passengers of their
wealth which Dusenberry's unexpected an
pearance had Interrupted.
Instead OF standing at the head of the
line, however, Dusenberry sauntered down
to the. other end and joined those who al
ready had been robbed. Behind the friend.
ly shelter of an old lady's parasol Dusen-
berry made a Encouragement OF his per-
sonal property. The $500, part of which be-
longed to a fellow Traveller, and the watch
and chain he dropped inside the waistband
of his pantaloons and a sudden chill
around the ankles told him of the safe
ARRIVAL in his socks of his ~valuables.
1t was not until all the passengers had
been ordered back into the stages that the
bandit rernembered Dusenberry. He found
the passenger agent and demanded his
money. Dusenberry gave up the 60 cents
and a knife.
Better let me keep the knife" said Du-
senberry. If you take it 1t might cut
friendship"
The knife was returned and after sound
Ing the outside OF Dusenberry's pockets
for more coin the h-ighwayman told him to
chase himself"
VaIuables in Bush.
While standing in line many of the pas
sengers. says ~Dusenberry, threw their val
tables into the brush. They returned later
to find them gone. They had been picked
up however, by the detectives who took
the bandits trail, and We're restored SUBJ
sequently to the owners
The highwayman opened the Wells Far
go box, but refrained from taking the $50
ne discovered there. His modesty, he ex-
planned, was due to a dislike to Interesting
the express company in his capture for so
small a sum-. He borrowed Dusenberry,s
linen buster, spread it on the ground and
On it laid all the loot he did not want. He
turned this bundle over to one of the pas
Sengers for distribution later to the own
ers.
H was very COOL" said Dusenberry.
but took no chances either Of surprise or
subsequent identification. The mask he
wore hid even his hair and disguised the
shape of his head. He wore a loose fitting
suit and his feet were swathed in gunny-
sacks. The detectives found that after we
aad left the fellow had discarded his mask
ind the loose-ftting clothes and burned
hem. He was a tall man, but maintained
L crouching position and I did not suppose
my who saw him could guess his height
within a couple Of inches. In the valley
nobody seems to think there is much
chance Of capturing him.