The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-14

stage from silver CHI camp. DQuHQ IQE
the railroad, sixty miles away. In the
coach were a dozen other passengers,
none of whom knew him. AS they
reached the narrowest paTtof the gorge
that leads out of Wet Mountain valley,
a loud command of Hold uD your
handsI brought the stage to a sudden
standstill, and every passenger in II TO
a swift realization that unless quick
action was taken he would go broke.
One crammed his, wad of bills down his
bootleg; another hurriedly thrust his
roll down the back Of his neck: a third
took of his hat. put his wallet inside
and set il back on his head. Every
man jack of them attempted 10 secrete
his money except Pat ClOhesy.
In a few moments a rifle barrel ap-
peared at the window and there came
the order, Hands up and all Outr Out
the passengers tumbled and stood in
line with lifted hands Pat at the far
end. When the searching highwayman
went through the first man they found
nothing Irritated at this. ne started
through the second, with the same lack
Of success. Angry at this, the bandit
turned to his fellow robber, who stood
covering the line with his Winchester.
They have been trying to hide their
stuff, On, emf he exclaimed. Well
just make 'em strip and then Wen go
! through the stage They'll pay for put
tin US to all this troubler
Then up spoke Pat Clohesy from the
] far end of the line. Gentlemen he
said. addressing the highwaymen. L
know you're in a hurry and I know I'm
a poor miner with all my property in
/ the world just the SIS I've got in my
| pocket If you'll leave me that little
roll I'll tell YOU where these other fell
lows have hidden their swag SOS you
| can collect it quick and skip out. 1t is
bargain?'
Sure said the man with the guard
/ ing rifle. Fifteen dollars meant nothing
/ to the band compared to the risk. Well.
said Pat, calmly pointing to the first in
/ line, that fellows money is stuffed
down his right bootleg
THE hold-up investigated and drew
forth plump roll of bills from the boot
/ leg. The next man., went on Pat, has
got his money hid under the hind seat
| in the stage The bandit found a fat
wallet stuffed under the cushion. The
next has got his money in his hat and
/ the next crammed his stuff down the
/ back of his neck, and the next Pat
went down the line of them. while the
/ highwaymen drew forth money from all
manner Of places. Swiftly collecting
their booty. they bundled the passen-
gers back in the coach, set driver and
guard back on their seats and told them
to go ahead not. however. before they
had given Pat a $40 bill and hearty
/ slap of thanks on his broad Irish back
The storm that broke over his head
Inside that coach after it had rolled a
safe distance from the bandits threat
ened his very life before he could get q
hearing. Had it not been that the rob-
bers had dfsarmed them all and Pat was
a huge man. he never would have es-
capped.
Each Of you figure up just how
much you've lost, he said to his fellow
passengers when at last they would
listen, and I'll pay you back, not only
what that is but an equal amount il
addition for the bother I've given you,
and he pulled from an inner vest pocket
a huge roll of bills. In bewildeTmen
the travellers counted up their losses
Collectively il was about 1000. Pa
peeled of two 81 900 bills from the bulky
mass Of money, and handing them to {
responsible passenger, asked him &
make correct division when they
reached the railroad.
I'm sorry for the unpleasant quar-
ter hour I caused you he continued
but il was the only thing I could do t,
save myself. I have just sold a min'
back in Silver Cliff for $4,000 cash, anC
had no other way to bring the none!
out except in my pocket. Here is tn
bundle of it,, and he held up the fat roll
When I heard the hold-ups outside
thought it was all up, for you can't hid
money from those hounds But whel
you fellows pulled out your money t
hide it and I saw that none of you hat
any large amount, 1 thought I wOuiC
work a game on the road agents ant
give you away to the villains in Orde
to save myself I surely did They'v
got 81 000-but I've saved my money!
1T was the treasure box of the Wells
Fargo company which transported prac
tically all the gold and silver from tn
camps that was the special object o
the old-time highwayman- A shTewt
| band Of robbers would not hold uD
stage unless they had good reason t
think it carried d large shipment OF gold
and they used every means to find on
when these shipments would be made
The company, on the other hand, trie
to deceive and trap them, and Their
was a war Of wits as well as weapons
A favOrite method Of the company
when their stages had been repeatedl
robbed by some band whose success
showed they had inside information a
to the times Of shipment. was to let
rumor leak out that on a certain day
large amount OF gold dust would be sc
cretly sent out by special stage. This
of course. would reach the ears of som
of the band and a robbery would be OF
gained A spy would see a number G
heavy boxes placed aboard and repoI
all well. When the highwaymen halle
. the stage the driver and guard woul
ImeekIv give I'D and crawl TO the GROUND
Then, just when the bandits had grow
careless from easy success. there poure
. from the lOOphOled coach a deadly fir
that at such short range wiped out tn
= entire gang at the first vOliey. For tn
b coach was a decOy, filled not with sol
Z but with men expert with the rifle.
1866 three bands were thus blown [
p perdition on the old stage line betwee
Virginia City. New, and Sacramento,
2 SIDELIGHTS ON N. Y. SENATORS