The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-02-24
The END OF THE
JAYHAWKERS.
(Original.l


Daring the civil war a celebrated
Kansas jayha wker named Bugbee rode
at the head Of band of outlaws.
lea wing a desolated track behind him
Among his other crimes was the muir
der of the Hamblin family on their
farm near Marysvii!e. Mary Hamblin.
aged twenty, was engaged to Elliot
Frost, a soldier in the Union army.
Frost was discharged at the end OF the
war and went home to Kansas to find
only the grave of the girl he had ex-
pected to welcome him. Standing there
by the heaped earth. now covered with
waving grass, he swOre that he would
not rest till he had killed Bugbee.'
Bugbee, finding that Kansas was be-
coming too law abiding for further OPP
erations, crossed the line and went into
Colorado. He took with him seven or
eight of his jayhawkers with view
to operating on the different stage
lines in the region about Denver.
Frost went to Denver and heard at
once that the Bugbee gang was the
terror of every road leading out of
that town, but it was impossible to
locate them. At one time they would
operate on the route southwark to
Pixies peak and the next day would be
| heard of on the road leading south
eastward into Indian Territory. Then
| within q week a robbery would be
committed on the south fork Of the
Platte. and Bugbee would turn out to
have led the robbers. No vigilance
committee could locate them.
Frost, who had been Il cavalrNman
during the war, secured horse and
started for the last place the Bagbee
gang had left their visiting cards. The
country is an unbroken plain, and the
young man could ride where be
| pleased, but so could the road agents,
and it was more difficult to head them
off than If they had had to travel only
| by the roads.
After a months chase Frost tracked
| the gang to a point within the en-
! trance of the canyon directly west and
about twenty miles from Denver.
! Frost rode into Golden City one even
ing, fifteen miles west Of Denver, and
while eating his supper heard a miner
who had come down from Empire tell
Of meeting q prospecting party of eight
men in camp five miles up the canyon
who had asked him when the Denver
coach would pass up, they wishing to
take passage up to the mines. Frost.
putting this with information he al
| ready had, was sure the prospectors
! were the Bugbee gang and that they
would rob the next coach that passed
up. Since the coach would not pass
! the point where the miner had met
them till the next afternoon about 2
| o'clock, there was time to lay trap.
There was nothing at Golden City
except hostelry, but a fresh horse
was obtained. and Frost put spurs for
Denver There were several ex-sol-
diers of the civil war in Denver, one
Of them, Striker. who had served with
Frost. The two made up party con
sisting Of young veterans and three
other picked men, six in all. and. TAX
ing with them certain apparel they
intended to use. rode out in the early
morning to Golden City.
At noon the Denver coach came
along. and the passengers alighted fol
dinner. When they were about to re
enter the coach Frost asked them tt
remain awhile at the tavern. since ht
had a party of friends with him who
wished to take a short ride. The pas
sengers. consisting Of both men an(
women. demurred, but the riding party
were well armed. and they stepped
aboard, each with his baggage. bun
die done up in brown paper.
AS soon as they were out Of sigh
from the tavern u halt was made. tn,
driver informed that they expected tn,
coach to be robbed, and four Of tn,
men. opening their bundles. put OF
women.s attire. Then the coach wa
driven on. Frost, dressed as a WON
an, sat next the door, a Derringer pis
tol in each hand Striker sat next tn,
, other door with two revolvers conceal
ed under the folds of the dress b,
wore. All had their arms in som'
way concealed.
They had gone about four miles ant
were ascending rise when they heart
the word Halt followed by Throw
I'D your hands, The coach came to
dead stop. and two masked men open
ed the door. ordering the passenger
! to alight Surprising Frost to be
woman. each robber took hold of IL
arm to help him. His arms wer
1 l. la