The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-08-31

and she tore her finger nails try
ing to close it. With one deli
cate hand grasping the leather
hanger she sought to catch the
swinging door with the other and
bring it to position. Just at this
Juncture the coach was tilted up
nil, throwing the heavy door back
securely, SO the frightenen girl
could not bulge it. To increase her
terror an arrow flashed into the
window and stuck quivering into
the cushion opposite her. At last
she fell in a heap on the floor.
rage. But he held on and SO did
Il got through said Hodges,
with gleam in his eyes as he tolG
the story, but
Tile girl9"
"Oh, she was landed in Los An
geles all right, and married-un-
fortunately! said the old man in
whom this was the first romance.
Hodges came to California in
1888, continuing as a stage driver,
and in time was given the famous
Placerville road, running from
sacramento through Placerville to
virginia City, New. On this road
he drove mail and express coaches
and on many of the trips carried
treasure amounting to 100000.
AS a result he was the victim of
half a dozen of the most celebrat-
ed holdups in the history of the
Pacific Coast.
one day on the Bodie road in
nevada, between Bodie and Carson
the treasure box was laden and the
coach well filled with passengers.
| Ihere were guards outside and in,
perched on the box beside the
driver. The strong defence gave
the passengers a sense of security,
ana one of them, Il woman started
TO while away the hours by sing
ing.
Romance was in the air. The
caroling of the girl awOke response
In the nerve of the guards and
thelr guns lay negligently upon
their knees. Suddenly the concert
was brought to an abrupt halt by
the reSounding report of a slug
Loaded shotgun. Down went the
nigh leader. The other horses
plunged and kicked and the shock
nearly unseated the driver and
messenger. Even the highwaymen
were astonished at the instant re-
suit of the shot and heSitated for
a traction of a minute and in that
time the messenger fired. One of
the robbers prying at the lock of
the treasure box dropped. while the
other took to the brush.
Fourteen times Billy Hodges was
called to stand" He was the
first victim of the notorious Black
Bart. who began his operation at
q point near Reno. Hodges was
gathering along at good pace
when the robber stepped out firm
Dehlnd a rock, pointing a double
Darreled shotgun at messenger and
driver.
IF they Shoot cried Bart,
give them solid volley, boys"
The guards, gazing round and
about them, saw a dozen rifle bar
rels peeping out from the bushes
and cheerfully help UP their hands.
Later a ripple Of laughter swept
the State when it was learned that
Black Bart had worked the neatest
OF bluffs, the supposed boys in
the underbrush being suggested by
the protruding ends of wooden
SUCKS fastened to have the ap-
pearance of genuine fire arms
Again in 1888 Billy Hodges was
held uU by Black Bart ard his
coach robbed
Another famed bandit who ex-
changed the courtesies of the
road with him was Tirburcio Vas
quez, heartless wretch, who af-
ter long criminal career was cap
tured and hanged at San Jose in
1875. Before the interesting event
however, Vasquez introduced him.
self to Hodges by shooting a hole
through his hat.
On the famous Geiger Grade
about four miles from Virginia
City. Billy faced the rifles of six
bandits and the treasure box was
oyhamited the robbers carrying
away more than $4,000. Again he
was stopped near Virginia City.
This was in 1865, and in Six Mile
canyon, below the Gould & Curry
mill. The team was forced to stop
by barricade of old sluice boxes,
which the bandits had placed across
the road. The five desperadoes
robbed all the passengers save one,
a pretty schoolma' am.
The notorious John Wheeler and
party undertook to stop Hodges at
ROBBERS Bend, near the Nevada
line. Whether the Infamous DR..
La Barr and his wife were with
the gang at the time he does not
know. At any rate, he says, the
two were under the command of
John Wheeler, the woman often
dressing in mems clothes. Hodges
was held up five times in one year
(18S2) each time on the Sonora
Milton road in California.
By the beginning of 1884 he had
saved up considerable money and
decided to quit the highway. He
had made money on the side by
taking orders from ranchers, as
did his associate drivers. Frequent
ly, he said, his hat was filled with
memoranda, embracing orders from
case of rum to a piece of blue
ribbon.
Hodges tells many anecdotes of
the men he has known and asso-
clated with, both famous and no.
torious, drivers and robbers. He
yNf