University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1913-10-03

| ly, there was removed one of the
pioneer coach drivers of Missouri. Be
fore the time of the railroads, Thorpe
was boy in this county and learned
to drive his first stage coach between
here and jefferson City. A Waco,
Tex, paper tells the following story
of the career of the old man.
He was almost born on a stage,
his father having been a driver be-
! fore him. and when he vas little
! fellow used to hold the lines. AS he
grew older he became very pro-
fcient driver, and when his father
caught the gold fever" in '49, and
went to California, Bob took his
place He was only IA years old at
that time. The stage he drove was
drawn by but two horses and was
called the mail hack. 1t piled be-
tween Columbia and Jefferson City,
! Mo. AS he grew older he was pro-
NOTED TO drive a four, and later a
siX-horse stage between Columbia and
Providence. This was in 1858 and
1853. He drove stage for a time
in Arkansas after this and later re-
turned to Columbia and drove out
of there to Centralia, Huntsville and
Glasgow.
Held Up BY Jesse James.
Bob Thorpe liked to recount Incl
dents of his exciting career and used
10 tell of many experiences he had
with bandits. Shortly before his
death he told of the first time he
encountered the James boys and the
Anderson gang. 1t was after he had
| returned to Missouri and occurred
along the road near Glasgow. This
was during the Civil War and the
! "jay-hawking" times, and short
time before they had captured a
train, killing fourteen Federal SOL
diers in charge of it, and in a fight
with militia men killed eighty-seven
of them and buried them in one grave.
They used little ceremony in hold
ing me up and robbing me-" said Mr..
Thorpe, "as little as was used in
burying the militia men. They am
bushed me and surrounded the stage.
They called on me to throw up my
hands. l did not hesitate Both
hands went up at the instant that
one OF the gang grabbed the bride
bits of the leaders of my team They
! got all the money the few passengers
had, all the money that was in a bag
in the boot, and after rifling the let
ters in the mail sacks, which they
made me help them do, they let me
go. l did not tarry, either, nor did
l look back.
They told me not to, but to drive
! straight ahead. This was such an ex-
citing experience that | stopped driv-
ing for while, but l just couldn't
quit. l resumed driving again after
the war. | next drove for Barton &
Sanderson from Fort Scott to Kan
sas City from 1868 to 1870. After
ward drove on ahead of the Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas railway as
it was being constructed through
Kansas and into Texas, my last ter
minus being Sherman.
Over Dozen HoIdups.
i suppose during my career as a
stage driver 1 was held up more
than a dozen times, although l have
never counted them.
THE James and Anderson boys
held me up oftener than any other
gang while 1 was driving in Mis-
souri, l must say that no personal
violence was ever done to me. This, |
suppose, was because l was only a
boy, and even after l was full-grown
and had attained my majority l had
very youthful appearance. which
may have made the robbers think me
younger than l really was. was
known all over the country as being
the youngest stage driver on any
line.
"On one occasion when 1 was held
up by Anderson and his gang. the
leader looted the express bundle.
which contained a pair of very fine
boots. Anderson pulled off his own
boots and put on those he took from
the bundle. They had been made for
the colonel of one of the regiments in
the service of the Government. There
was another package containing
box of fine cigars, also being sent to
this colonel. Anderson opened the
box, filled all of his pockets with
them. Anderson said to me:
1 don't like to see no man go
bare-footed, not even burned Yam
kee officer, so you can take him my
boots and tell him with proper cob
blin' he can get a good deal of wear
outen 'em. They'll last him several
months, especially if he's a cavalry
colonel and stays on his horse
This same Anderson was a pic