The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-07-11
TALES OF THE LAST FRONTIER

lily oil pioneers ana fighters, anu 10 IoihlS'
TO Maj. Reno OF Custer massacre 1ame
His earlier years were spent IN the tur
moll OF frontier life In Arizona. where N
Sasr for some es .is ssPny MARSHAL
Tucson. His efforts In enforcing tho Chl'
nese exclusion act on the Mexican DOT
Washington authorities, and recognlzet
by the Highbinders- who placed pIlc.
OF $4,000 on his head which stands today
or late years he has held n highly re,
sponsible position with one of the largest
bank protective associa tons In the United
States, and superintendent OF Its Sc
cret service has established an enVlaoie
record of success in running down bank
burglars. These stories are confined 10
his earlier experiences in the west, the
S Mor,So OF whS are the eaS MeHcan Soper
The Last Frontier, which until recent
years was wild and lawless, and where
lhe typical bad man" OF pioneer days
made his last Stand.)
1t was during a temporary soJourn
in the capital city of Mexico that I
made the acquaintance of Jim Clark
sou, or, as he was better known TO the
inhabitants of both California and
Arizona, "Black Bart. Under the
latter name. for a period extending
over four years, this man, the most
devil-may-care rascal that ever sung
out to a traveller TO "stand and de-
liver" held up stage coaches, plum
dcred passengers and relieved the
guards OF the bullion in their care, the
products of the gold mines. and set at
defiance all attempts on the part Of
the authorities TO catch him. At the
time 7 speak of, the country around
where Black Bart played his audacious
chances of escape from the posses that
took the trail after him were, as a mat
ter of course, much greater than they
would be at the present day,
Nevertheless, his exploits were none
the less extraordinary on that account.
In vain did the express companies
offer large rewards for the apprehen-
sion Of this daring malefactor, who
appeared TO take a delight in bidding
his enemies defiance. Detectives famed
for their cunning and skill in running
down dangerous criminals came from
far and near TO join in the chase; sher-
ifs and deputies known In the western
country as men of proven courage and
dead-sure shots followed close on the
heels of the elusive outlaw, burt always
he managed to give his pursuers the
slip.
In the beginning of things Black
Bart opened his campaign of plumber
in company with three associates. and
while at the head of this little band
executed some astonishing coups This
robber confederacy endured for about
year, and is believed to have been
broken up through a quarrel and shoot
ing affray which ended iu the death
Of two of the members. The third man
fhereupon deserted his leader and left
mat section of the country forever |
Who these men really were has never
been actually ascertained, as Black |
Bart always refused doggedly 10 give
any information regarding them But |
the loss of his companions did not deter
HIM from following out tho career of |
crime upon which he had embarked. |
The big Concord stages, laden with
express matter, were his favoritc prev,
panylng them. were repeatedly com
pelied TO dIsgorgc their valuable con
tents at the bidding Of the nervy ont
law. Armed with shotgun he would |
lie IN wait behind a convenient rock. |
usually picking out spot where the |
stage was climbing SLOWLY up an in
cline; and then stepping suddenly into |
view get the drop on The messenger
and force hlm TO deliver up his pack
ages. Strange as 1t may seem, nobody |
ever ventured 10 disobey the road |
agent lmperlous mandate Black |
Bart had established n genuine reign
of terror. and the sight Of that tan
masked figure standing with levclcd
gun. lonely, sinister figure on the
dreary landscape. appeared to exercise
bcnumblng influence on the hearts
of men whose courage had never be
tore been doubted.
The victims Of the outlaw one and
all agreed that he was n man of nn
common origin. His voice was that of
person of culture, and he seemed 10
take cynical delight in testing with
Inc untorl rlunates who were persuaded
10 surrender their valuables at the
point Of his menacing weapon. It was
only. howcvcr, while plying his trade
Of highwayman in the company OF his
three confederates that he devoted anv
attention TO the occupants of the
stages. During the latter part of his
career. while playing tho game single
handed, he robbed only the express
messengers aud took no chances with
he passengers, His first big venture,
IN conjunction with his three allies,
was executed in 1856. and rad for its
object the holding mp of the stage run
ming between Angel Camp, Calaveras
county. California and Milton.
There were five passengers in the
siege coach, huge, solid affair, resem-
bling an immense box, 1t rested on
enormous leather straps that allowed
it TO swing with a diagonal motion
All five passengers were riding inside,
for it was day in November and
rather chilly. Military titles are fairly
plentiful in the west. and two of the
inmates of the coach addressed each
other as s'Colonel" and "Major." OF
the remaining three, one was a mine
owner known to fame as ''Cactus" Bill
Crosby. New England surgeon. and
a middle-aged Chicagoan, the latter a
keen raced business man who took an
Immense amount of interest in the
glowing descriptions given by the burly
Crosby Of the unlimited possibilities
of hidden wealth in the surrounding
country. People cramped into the mar,
row confines Of stage coach become
acquainted very rapidly, and in less
than half an honr after the vehicle
started every passenger was on familiar
terms with the past history, present oc-
cupation: size Of pile and name of each
of his fellow travellers.
On the coach was an express box.
said TO contain $4,000 in bullion, the
product of the Utica gold mine, the
largest in the state. In rack near
the driver feet hung two Colts re.
volvers and n Winchester rife The
e.