The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-04-05
FOR FORTY YEARS A BANDIT
OLD BILL MINER, STAGE COACH
AND TRAIN ROBBER.
Has Left Criminal Trail Over West,
and at Age of 65 Is Sent to Geor-
gia Prison for Long Term.

forth across the state Of California
hegan to come in from their lone
mountain journeys with cash boxes
rifed of their contents, sometimes
with a horse shot, and in every case
with the same story. A lonely spo
on the road, sometimes in the day
time. sometimes at night, single
hiehyavman and the magic words
Hands up" The tale never VaLleu
For want of a better name the lone
highwayman came to be known Ia
and wide as California Billy. =,
The exploits Of California Buy
continued for several years. All et-
forts az his capture were IN VAIN
Many possess hunted the lone out
law. tempted by offers OF generous
rewards. But he seemed to bear a
charmed life.
It was not until 1863 that he was
caught. The driver of stage that
ran in from the hills of Sacramento
iumped from his seat in font of the
Office early one morning in the spring
of that year and breathlessly told
how he had been held up but few
hours before The strong box of
the stage had been heavy with the
gold dust sent in by miners. Never
before had California Billy dared
attack a coach so close to town. Al
ways before he had chosen a stage
further up in the mountains, where
many hours must elapse before a
posse could even start after him.
In 20 minutes from the time the
driver told his story a heavily armed
posse was riding hard back over the
trail. 1t was not difficult to pick
up the traces of the bandit. Before
nightfall his hunters were close upon
him, and as the sun sank behind
the hills they surrounded him. The
posse expected a fight. To their sur
prise the outlaw offered no resist
ance, but surrendered at their com
mand. Miner could fight when
fight would do any good but, like
good poker player who knows when
to lay down his cards, he knew when
fighting would be folly.
In triumph the posse took their
captive into Sacramento. His trial
was speedy, and in less than a week
after his capture he began serving
a term in San Quentin prison. While
Miner, or California Billy" as he
was still called, was in prison not a
single stage coach was held up in
that part Of California.
Lone Bandits Hand.
When Miner was released he left
California as rapidly as possible. The
wilder country of Colorado offered
greater attractions. In this new field
of operation his methods were the
same as in the old. Time after time
did lone bandit, masked and heav-
lily armed, stop the stage coaches
that ran through the mountains.
In 1878 Miner, single-handed, held
up the Del Norte coach and COM
PEELED the driver and several passen-
gers to stand aside while he rifed
the money box of SO, 900 in currency.
It was such a haul as Miner had
been coveting for some time. AL
though almost a thousand men
sought him he escaped with his
booty and got quickly out of the
state.
Early in the spring of 1881 Miner
and a confederate by the name of
Jones again stopped the Del Norte
chest and got away to the Businesses
or the mountains. Soon after the
second Del Norte hold-up a third
uesperado joined Miner and Jones'
HIS name was James East, and his
career was as short as it was vio-
lent. Having eluded the deputy sher-
iffs who were seeking them Miner
and his two confederates started on
horseback for California. They had
stolen their horses. For their living
they depended on the farmers,
So bold was their trip and so wide
spread their depredations that the
entire country was aroused. A posse
of determined men was organized
and in the hills near Villa Grove
pitched battle was fought, which
resulted in the capture of the three
outlaws. The nearest prison stout
enough to hold them securely was
back at Del Norte, and for there
they started. To make escape i'm
possible the three men were tied
together with baling wire and placed
in blackboard wagon. All day Ions
the cavalcade marched back through
the country over which the outlaws
had previously ridden roughshod
The first nights camp was to be al
Wagon Wheel camp.
A Daring Escape.
1t was a little after one o'clock in
the morning. The outlaws, still
bound together with the heavy wire
were supposed to be asleep. Theil
guards, heayy-eyed, sat surrounding
them, rifles within reach. Suddenly
the quiet of the camp was broken
The three huddled figures of tht
stage robbers sprang to their feet
Silently and unnoticed they hat
broken the wire that bound them
secured a single revolver and were
prepared to fight for their freedom
or die in the attempt.
The fight was sharp and brief
Completely thrown off their guar
the members of the posse were SLOW
to realize what was taking place
Before they quite regained their fac
ulties two Of their number la,
wounded on the ground and the out
Il