The Coolidge examiner., 1931-10-16
STAGE COACH
TALES
The Gun Girl
B y E. C. AYLOR


ance along the National pike as
early as 1884. She was accompanied
by four men, and 1t was only the
courageous conduct of Samuel Lu-
man, stage coach driver, that this
highway girl and her highwaymen
aides were repulsed.
Samuel Luman was one of the
best known and best equipped driv-
ers on the old National road. He
was a giant in stature, and reputed
to be fearless. He began driving a
stage coach in 1882.
On August II, 1884, his coach was
waylaid in the mountains between
.Piney Grove and Frostburg. Md. 1t
was night, and humans teams al
most ran into a rude obstruction of
logs, stumps and brush that had
been placed across the road.
The spot was lonely, and sur
rounded by thick growth of pine
trees. Luman was unarmed, and
the only gun among the passengers
In the stage coach was an old brass
pistol, which, however, was not
brought into play.
AS the stage coach reached the
barrier across the road. one high
wayman stepped forward. seized the
bride and ordered Luman to de-
scend from his seat and surrender
the mail and money the coach car
ried. Luman refused.
"What do you want?" he temper
lied.
"We are traders" the highway
man answered.
Il have nothing to trade" said
Luman. II am satisfied with my
trappings and not desirous of ex-
changing them"
The highwayman holding the lead
team thereupon called out to one of
his companions hidden In the trees
by the roadside to shoot Luman.
The robber leveled his pistol at
the stage coach driver and pulled
the trigger. There was a snap. and
Luman owed his life to the fact
that the night air was damp and
the powder would not explode.
While the highwayman holding
the horses was turning the lead
team around so that 1t faced the
opposite direction from the stage
coach. the girl called out from the
darkness of the roadside, and or
dered another highwayman to bind
the driver.
One of the ribbers mounted part
way to the drivers seat, and
wrapped the reins tightly around
humans arm. Luman saw an ad-
vantage, and started violently lash
ing the highwayman with the ends
of the reins. The beaten robber
backed off, and as he did so. the
horses still attached to the stage
coach leaped forward, broke from
the lead team, and leaped over the
barricade on the road. The coach
came within an ace of capsizing,
but humans skill with the reins
kept it on its wheels. and the coach
and its passengers flew into Frost
burg.
Luman told the authorities that
the bandits he saw were all heavily
disguised. He did not get look at
the gun girl or two of the high.
waymen with her who had remained
in the dark shadows of the pine
trees. The robber who held the
brides of the lead team, he said
wore long dress like a Mother
Hubbard, and the one who bound
the reins around his arm wore a
white vest, dark pantaloons and a
black mask. They were never cap.
tured.
When the attack was first made
on the stage coach, Luman told the
passengers of the impending dan
ger and asked their assistance, but
they crouched in their seats and
made no effort to help him or de-
fend themselves.
They were all western merchants
travelling east to buy goods, and
between them they carried 100000
in cash.
When they reached the Highland
house in FroStburg, of which George
Evens was proprietor, the grateful
passengers took up collection
with which to reward the brave
stage coach driver 1t was so lu
dicrously small, though, Luman said
later, that he Indignantly refused it
"They were a mean set" was his
comment.
Luman gave up driving stage
coaches in 1889. and for severa
years after that interested himself
in detective work and Furnishing
robbers of the mail coaches thai
ratified along the National road.
His life was threatened so fire
quently, however, that finally Lucius
w. Stockton, president of the Ma
tional Road Stage company, feared
for humans safety. Luman ther
moved east of Cumberland, where
he continued his activities, and un
til recently lived in UniontOwn, Pa
"a. 1881. Western Newspaper Union.)