The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-03-31
LONE BaNDsT.s NERVE.


Held Up tho Coaches and Stole
s1O.os0.0O.
The Wylie stage coach Of the Wylie
Tourist & Outing company wound It's
way slowly upward toward the summit
of the high divide that lies between
the Old Faithful Inn and Lake Yel-
lowstone. In the far-famed Yellow
stone Park. s. P. Gaskin, OF Orlan-
do. Fla. turned to the driver for the
purpose Of asking some trifling ques-
ton In regard to the innumerable
points Of interest that were In evil
dence upon every hand. The question
was destined to remain unspoxen,
for even rs the words trembfed upon
MIR. Gaskin's lips the driver slammed
the heavy brake forward to the last
notch. at the same time swinging back
upon the lines Of his four horse team
with q suddenness which stopped the
coach abruptly, causing the eight
passengers 1t contained 20 perform
various acrobatic feats in their efforts
to regain their equilibrium.
The cause Of the sudden halt wa
the wholly unexpected appearance In
the road ahead Of q masked man.
who. gasing over the long. blue tubes
Of . couple Of very business-like re-
volvers, shouted sternly. Stand and
deliver!"
The holdup occurred about I'VE
miles from the Upper Geyser basin
on the morning Of August -, 1908,
at q lonely spot along the banks of
Spring creek, q tributary Of the Fire
hole river. where the road narrows
suddenly, being bounded on one side
by . high cli6 and on the other by q
deep gulch. The coach on which Mr.
Gasksn rode was the first of q long
string, for the tourist season was at
its height. It had Just wheeled round
q sharp turn which occurs at this
spot when the incident befell.
Staring in amazement at the
stranger. the passengers saw that he
was q roughly dressed fellow, with
q bandanna handkerchief covering his
face below his eyes.
Stepping briskly up beside the
horses, he ordered the tourists to
Climb down and shell out" q com
mand that was promptly complied
with.
The halt was made, Mr.. Gaskin
says. 90 that the front wheel Of the
coach Just touched . small log which
Was fastened across the road. This
stopped the coach in such q manner
that the rear wheels Of the vehicle
were hidden BY the rock point round
which It had Just turned.
The driver and passengers. as they
descended. stepped down cut Of sight
Of the following coaches, the occu-
pants Of which q they saw them pre-
pare to alight, would merely think
that an ordinary stop had been made
TO view the wonderful scenery.
Mr.. 0askin describes what happen
cd q follows:
I vas ordered to come out and
hold . sack which the bandit had
slang over his arm to contain the
plunder he collected from his victims.
The first man who came to the front
With hin enforced contribution vaa
ray stepfather, Mr.. Drew. He lost
$50 in cash in the deal. Thereafter
the "fun." from the brigand's point
OF view, grew fast and furious. do
not think that IL took more than
three minutes for the pillasing Of
each coach from the time II wa
halted until It vas sent on its way.
Each driver was warned under PEN
atty Of death not to start hin team
until he was told. The solitary ban
dts Language was picturesque In the
extreme, and 10 kept up running
IRE Of quaint and Characteristic re-
marks that would hare been highly
amusing under any other circum.
stances.
Al the third coach came up and the
astonished and frightened passengers
began tumbling out with more haste
than grace. one Of the gentlemen in
the rear seat was struck by the conf
cal aspect Of the affair and burst ont
laughing. Instantly one Of the grim
looking revolvers swung around in
hne with his head, and the outlaw
remarked: what are yuh laughin'
at. yuh blamed idiot? Come over