The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-06-15
TOLD BY THE OLD
STAGE DRIVER

Bob Thorp OF San Antonio. Tex, is
one Of the few surviving stage drivers
OF the early days He is a 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 1853 | next
drove in Arkansas, from Pine Bluff to
Napoleon. From there | returned TO
Missouri and drove next from Colum-
bia to Centralia, Huntsville and Glas'
gov This was during the ciWl war
and in the time OF the Jayhawfers.
"On one occasion inst as | reached
the place the James and Anderson
crowd captured train, killing "A Of
the soldiers having charge OF It. They
ran the train on some distance and
robbed the passengers. There were
80 of the gang. They went into camp
near the place TO which they tee'H the
train. One hundred and fifty militia.
men we're sent to capture them. The
militia did not effect their capture. On
the contrary, sc Of the militia were
buried in a single grave.
Next drove for Barto3 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 '7Os, driving ahead OF
its terminus until it reached Sherman,
Tex
"was I ever held up? Yes. more
.han a dozen tines ! was more FIRE
quently held up by tho James and An
1srson gangs than by any others.
was never molested personally. The
,obbers always took the valuables Of
the passengers and the registered let
ter mail and rified the express. Some
tines the Jayhawkers would also rob
me OF my horses. leaving the stage
standing lonesome in the middle of the
road
once when the Jayhawkers held me
M 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 foi
n colonel of a regiment When Ande,
son opened the package and saw its
contents he sat down, pulled of his
own boots and tried the new ones be
longing 70 the colonel He empted the
cigars out of the box and handed the
cigars around. giving me several Of
them. He then told me after the rob
berry had been completed to give his
compliments TO the colonel
Anderson was picturesque char
pcter. remember one incident thai
occurred that impressed me with bis
admiration of grit and bravery. On this
occasion d tall. lanky raw bcned char
was among the passengers. Anderson
asked him for his valuables. He re-
piled:
4 hain't got none
Anderson then asked him where he
was going. He said he was going to
took for tho leader Of the Jayhawkers
a man by the name Of Andersen. 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
"Could you swim the Missouri
rlyerg
~ guess so, II had to-
Anderson next asked
"'Could you kill a man?' The would.
b. recruit replied:
~ Guess so, If had to-
Anderson then apat in the lanky
chaps face. He had hardly done SC
before the lanky one had knocked An.
derson down and was on top Of him.
Anderson's gang. who had been snick-
ering at the stranger, promptly pulled
him off and Anderson got up. shook
the dirt of him and said:
you'll do; I'll take you.
"The lanky one asked then:
"'Who are you?
"'Oh, I'm only Anderson, the leadoi
u those Jayhawkers you have Just
Joined
"The stage went on without the
.anky passenger heard afterward he
became one Of the most daring aad
blDHilHtil hltihN'io VI AAAt SOUS
"On another occasion, just as ! got
into Huntsville, the Jayhawker gang
was there, They had gone into a mum
ber OF stores. took what they wanted
and had either made the merchants
open their safes, which they rifed. OF
had broken the safes open with q
sIedgc hammer
George Damon was liquor drum
raer. He WIS in town when the Jay
hawkers were robbing the place. and
VAS about to 60 into the hotel They
ordered him TO halt and throw up his
hands. Instead he ran into the hotel
lust as he entered the hotel door he
was killed
During the many times / was
robbed there were frequently women
on the stage None of them was ever
robbed OF molested by the robbers
The women usually appeared at hrsl
to be badly frightened, but finally
wound up by laughing and filrtins
with the robbers or chatting with
them. frequently noticed the women
putting powder on their faces or fixinf
up their hair primping and straighteu
ing their attire while the men were
being relieved OF their yaluables"