Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-04-18
ODD YARNS OF THE
BORDER DAYS

Bob Thorp. of San Antonio, Tex, is
one of the few surviving stage drivers
of the early days. He is native Of
for several years drove mail hack
between Columbia and Jefferson City.
In relating his experiences recently,
Mr.. Thorp said:
THE first regular four and six-horse
stage that l drove ran from Columbia
to Providence on the Missouri river.
This was in 1858 and 1859. / next
drove in Arkansas, from Pine Bluff to
Napoleon. From there l returned to
Missouri and drove next from Column
bia to Centralia, Huntsville and Glas-
cow. This was during the civil war
and in the time of the Jayhawkers.
"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 off some distance and
robbed the passengers. There were SO
Ut the gang. They went into camp
near the place to which they took the
train. One hundred and fifty militia
men were 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 Barton & Sander
son from 1868 to 1870, from Fort Scott
to Kansas City. also drove ahead of
the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railway
when 1t was being constructed in the
7Os, driving ahead of its terminus un-
til 1t reached Sherman, Tex.
WAS ever held up? Yes, more
than dozen times. was more fire.
quently held up by the James and
Anderson gangs than by any others.
was never molested personally. The
rof bers always took the valuables of
the passengers and the registered mail
ard rified the express. Sometimes the
Jayhawkers would also rob me of my
horses, leaving the stage standing lone
some in the 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 pair of very
fine boots 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 emptied the
NJ 90 IF NJ hon he
cigars around, giving me several of
them. He then told NE after the rob-
berry had been completed to give his
compliments to the colonel.
Anderson was picturesque char
acter. remember one incident that
occurred that impressed me with his
admiration of grit and bravery. On
this occasion tall, lanky, rawboned
chap was among the passengers. An
derson asked him for his va,uables.
He replied:
81 hain't got none
Anderson then asked him where he
was going. He 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
"'Could you swim the Missouri
river?'
az guess so, IL had to-
Anderson next asked:
"'Could you kill a 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.
Anderson's gang, who had been snick-
ering at the stranger, promptly pulled
hin" off and Anderson got up, shook
the dirt off him and said:
You'll do; I'll take you
'eThe lanky one asked then:
"'Who are your
"'Oh, I'm only Anderson, the leader
of those Jayhawkers you have just
joined
1.-THE stage went on without the
lanky passenger. l 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 num-
Der of stores, took what they wanted.
and had either made the merchants
open their safes, which they rifled, or
had broken the safes open with
sledge hammer.
George Damon was liquor drum
mer. He was in town when the Jay
hawkers were robbing the place and
was about to go into the hotel. They
ordered him to halt and throw up his
hands. Instead he ran into the hotel.
Just as he entered the hotel door he
was killed.
During the many times / was rob-
bed there were frequently women on
the stage. None of them was ever
robbed or molested by the robbers.
The women usually appeared at first
to be very badly frightened, but finally
Wound up by laughing and flirting with
the robbers or chatting with them.
frequently noticed the women putting
powder on their faces or fixing up their
hair, primping and Strengthening their
attire while the men were being re-
lieved of their valuables."
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