The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-06-13
TOLD BY THE OLD
STAGE DRIVER


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 frcIr Columbia
to Providence. on the Missouri river.
This was In 1858 and 1859. | next
drove in Arkansas. from Pine Blun to
Napoleon. From there returned to
Missouri and drove next from Colum-
bia TO Ccntralia, Huntsville and Glas
gov. This was during the civil war
and in the time of the Jayhawhers.
"On one occasion just as ] reached
The place the James and Anderson
crowd captured a train, killing IA Of
the soldiers having charge of It. They
ran the train OF some distance and
robbed the passengers. There were
so of the gang. They went into camp
near the place to which they took the
train. One hundred and fifty militia.
men we're 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 I drove for Barton and San
derson from 1868 TO 1870. from Fort
Scott to Kansas City | also drove
ahead of the Missouri. Kansas g.
Texas railway when it was being con-.
structed in the '7Os driving ahead Of
tf- 4o~,,,f,,,,, ,,rtf1 a. ,oocbod Chairman
Tex.
WAS ever held up? Yes, more
.han dozen times. | was more fire.
quently held up by the James and An
1erson 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 riied the express. Some
times the Jayhawkers would also rob
me Of my horses, leaving the stage
standing lonesome Ia tho middle of the
road
once when the Jayhawkers held me
up their leader. who was named Ander
son. went through the express bundles
One Of them contained a pair of vert
fine bots and a box of good cigars for
a colonel of regiment. When Ander
son opened the package and saw its
contents he sat down, pulled off his
own boots and tried the new ones he
longing to the colonel He emptied 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 complpted to give his
compliments to the colonel.
Anderson was picturesque char
scter. remember one incident that
occurred that impressed me with his
admiration oi grit and bravery. On this
occasion tall, lanky, raw-bl ned char
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. He said he was going to
took for the leader of the Jayhawkers.
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
river?
"'I guess so, It I had TO-.
Anderson next asked
could you kill man? The would.
be recruit replied:
Guess so, if 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 snick.
ering at the stranger, promptly pulleG|
him OFF and Anderson got up. shook
the dirt off him and said:
You'll do; I'll take you
"The lanky one asked then:
"Who are your
"'Oh, I'm only Anderson, the leader
II those Jayhawkers you have just
Joined
The stage went on without the
,anky passenger heard afterward he
became one of the most daring and
prominent members of the gang.
"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 rihed. or
had broken the safes open with
sledge hammer.
George Damon was a liquor drum
Ger He was IN town when the Jay.
hswkers were robbing the place. and
vas about to go 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 l was
robbed there were frequently women
on the stage. None OF them was ever
robbed or molested By the robbers
The women usually appeared at first
70 be badly frightened. but finally
wound up by laughing and flirting