The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-06-01
TOLD BY the OLD
STAGE DRIVER

Biit Ol lilt lev tuiNANAhh oAt'0t AAAftf'
of the early days lie is native Of
Missouri, and for several years drove
a mail hack between Columbia and
jefferson City. In relating his expert
ences recently Mr.. Thorp said:
THE first regular four and six-horse
stage that drove ran from Columbia
to Providence. on the Missouri river
This was In 1858 and 1883. next
drove in Arkansag, from Pine Blum to
Napoleon. From there I returned 70
Missouri and drove next from Colnm.
bia to Centralia, Huntsville and Glas
Cow. This was during the civil war
anu in the time Of the Jayhawkers.
"On one occasion just as ! reached
the place the James and Anderson
crowd captured a train, killing "a OF
the soldiers having charge OF Il. They
ran the train of some distance and
robbed the passengers. There We're
so Of the gang They went into camp
near the place TO. which they took tho
train. One huadred and fits militia
men were sent to capture them. The
militia did not effect their capture On
the contrary. S6 OF the militia were
buried in a single grave.
Next | drove for Barton and San
derson from 1868 to 1870. from Fort
Scott TO Kansas City. ] also drove
ahead OF the Missouri, Kansas &
Texas railway when 1t was being con-
structed in. the 70s, driving ahead of
Its terminus until It reached sherman
Tex.
"was ever held up? Yes, more
than dozen times | was more fire.
quently held up by the James and An
derson gangs than by any others.
was never molested personally. The
robbers always took the valuables OF
the passengers and the registered let
ter mail and rified the express. Some
times the Jayhawkers would also rob
me Of my horses, leaving the stage
standing lonesome in the middle'of the
road
once whom the Jayhawkers held me
up their leader, who was named Ander-
son, went through the express bundles.
One of them contained pair of very
fine bots and box of good cigars for
a colonel OF a regiment. When Ander-
son opened the package and saw its
contents he sat down, pulled off his
own boots and tried the new ones be-
longing to the colonel He empded the
cigars out of the box and handed the
cigars around. giving me several OF
them. lie then told me after the rob
berry had been completed to give his
compliments to the colonel
Anderson was n picturesque char
acter. ! remember one incident that
occurred that impressed me with his
admiration of grit and bravery. On this
occasion tall, lanky, raw-bcned chap
was among the passengers. Anderson
asked him for his valuables. lie re-
| piled:
"'I hain't got none
Anderson then asked him where he
was going. lie said he was going to
look for the leader of the Jayhawkers,
a man by the name OF Anderson. An
derson asked him what he was going
to do with him after he had found him.
The lanky chap said:
"'Jine him and his gang
Gould you swim the Missouri
riyer?
~ guess so, IL I had to-
Anderson next asked:
"Could you kill a man?' Tho would.
be recruit replied:
Guess so, IL had to-
anderson then spat in the lanky
chaps face He had hardly done so
before the lanky one had knocked An
derson down and was on top of him
Andersons gang who had been snlclS
ering at the stranger. prCmptly pulled
him OFF and Anderson got up, shook
the dirt of him and said:
"Youll do; I'll take YOU.
"The lanky one asked then:
Who are your
"'Oh. I'm only Anderson. the leader
Of those Jayhawkers you have jusi
joined
"The stage went on without ths
lanky passenger. heard afterward h'
became one Of the most daring anC
prominent members of the gang.
"On another occasion, Just as | go
into Huntsville. tho Iayhawker ganl
was there. They had gone into mum
Der OF stores took what they wanted
and had either made the merchants
open their safes, which they riiled. o.
had broken the safes open with ;
sledge hammer.
George Damon Was a liquor drum
mer He was in Town when the Jay
hawkers We're robbing the place, an,
was about to go into the hotel The.
ordered him to halt and throw up hi
hands. Instead he ran into the hotel
t Just as he entered the hotel door h
was killed
4 During the many times / wa
robbed there were frequently womel
, on the stage None OF them was eve
robbed or molested 10y the robbers
The women usually appeared at firs
70 be badly frightened, but finali
wound up by laughing and flrtin
with the robbers or chatting wit
them | frequently noticed the wome
/ putting powder on their faces or nxin
up their hair, primping aud straighteI
I ing their attire while the men wer
being relieved Of their yaluables."