Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-12-25
DECEMBER. %, 1881
STAGE COACH
/, ,as,t TALES
Last Of the Road Agents
BY E. C. TAYLOR

ID AYMOND, aHOIAzSEl--he insisted
IN his name was spelled this way,
although 1t usually was spelled SoltE
by the police-was probably the last
Of the notorious highwaymen or road
/ agents who preyed upon the old stage
8 coaches in the Northwest. iia b8t#
He operated In Wisconsin and Mich
igan in the 1905, and was famous as
a crack shot. fIe practiced shooting
by firing at a BULBS eye while riding
swiftly on horse. Sometimes he
wonid toss up hazel nuts and crack
them with revolver shots. He was OF
the same type of gunman famous
through the Southwest few years
earlier.
In the spring of 1890 a stage coach
was held up between Pulcifer and Bud
mel Wis, with small loss. The holdup
was laid to Holzse.
One morning soon after that, Her
man Rafath was driving his stage
coach from the north toward Shawano
He looked around and stared into the
muzzle of a revolver pointed at his
face. Behind the gun was Holzse.
There were two passengers on the
coach. Thomas Ainsworth, known as
wit in that section, and Menomi-
nee Indian.
Rafath at once brought his horses
to stop, and Holzse ordered the
mail pouch be thrown out. Rafath
asked Ainsworth what he should do,
and Ainsworth advised him to obey
the command.
After the mail was surrendered, the
bandit ordered the driver to produce
all his money. Rafath handed him
$11. Holzse demanded more, but RAJ
faith insisted that was all he had. In
later years he said he had $45 In
vest pocket and had saved that by
lying to the bandit.
Holzse took $9.75 from Ainsworth,
all that gentleman had with him.
I'm sorry 1t isn't an even $1O,"
Ainsworth told the bandit. Il still
owe you a quarter. Come and collect
ii some time"
Holzse ignored the Menominee In
dian, and ordered Rafath, Alnsworth
and the Indian down the road. They
walked hundred yards away and
turned around to see Holzse ripping
open the mail pouch. They could hear
him swearing because the pouch con-
tanned nothing of value.
After that stage holdup, Holzse's de
scription was broadcast throughout
Wisconsin, and constant watch was
kept for him by police and stage coach
drivers. The sheriff q short time Ia
ter took Rafath to look at suspect
he had captured, but 1t was not Holzse,
and the man was released.
Rafath kept wary eye open for
the bandit after that, but never en-
countered him again. A youth who
often substituted for Rafath as driver
Of the coach, however, did not take
any chances. He whipped up his
horses whenever he saw suspicious
looking man standing by the roadside,
and many a prospective passenger was
left swearing when the stage ratified
past him at fast clip.
Holzse loved the limelight and 1t
plONIu uhuOihbs AAS hNAh Wy obu6Np
in a grand eloquent manner, and APP
parently treld to put on special show
whenever he was committing his
crimes.
Near Marquette, Mich, short time
after his activities had forced him to
flee beyond the state line of Wisconsin,
Holzse stopped stage coach, carrying
mail and filed with passengers.
He warned all aboard the stage
against shooting but one passenger
did not heed the warning, and fired a
shot at the bandit.
Holzse opened fire on the coach,
then, firing bullet after bullet through
the windows and walls Of the vehicle.
One passenger was killed and another
seriously wounded. Two bullets
pierced the hat of the driver.
Holzse was captured by posses who
were quickly put upon his trail, and
later was sentenced to the Michigan
state penltentiary for life He was re.
leased In few years, however.
TO- 1881. Western Newspaper Union.)