White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-02-25
! STAGE COACH
! TALES
|By E. C. TAYL OR
Last of the Road Agents

N his name was spelled this way,
although it usually was spelled Solt2
by the police-was probably the last
of the notorious highwaymen or road
agents who preyed upon the old stage
coaches in the Northwest.
He operated in Wisconsin and Mich.
tgan in the 1905, and was famous as
a crack shot. lie practiced shooting
by firing at bulls eye while riding
swiftly on horse. Sometimes he
would 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 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 Rafatn 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 a 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
S11. HolZse demanded more, but Ra
faith insisted that was all he had. In
later years he said he had $40 in q
lying to the bandit.
Holzse took 1918 from Ainsworth,
all that gentleman had with him.
'Im sorry it isn't an even So
Ainsworth told the bandit. II still
owe you a quarter. Come and collect
| it some time"
Holzse ignored the Menominee In.
dian, and ordered Rafath, Ainsworth
and the Indian down the road. They
walked hundred yards away and
turned around to see Holzse ripping
open the mail pouch. They could heal
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 short time la.
ter took Rafath to look at suspect
he had captured, but it was not Holzse
and the man was released.
Rafath kept a wary eye open TO
the bandit after that, but never en-
countered him again. youth Wh'
often substituted for Rafath as drive
of the coach. however, did not talk
any chances. He whipped up nj
horses whenever he saw suspicious
looking man standing by the roadside
and many a prospective passenger wa
left swearing when the stage rattlet
past him at fast clip.
Holzse loved the imelight and i
proved his undoing. He held up stage
in grand eloquent manner, and ap
parently treid to put on special SHOW
whenever he was committing hi
crimes.
Near Marquette, Mich, short time
after his activities had forced him t.
flee beyond the state line of Wisconsin
HolZse stopped a stage coach. carryiil:
mail and filed with passengers.
He warned all aboard the stage
against shooting. but one passenge
did not heed the warning, and fired +.
shot at the bandit.
Holzse opened fire on the coach
then, firing bullet after bullet through
the windows and wallis Of the vehicle
One passenger was killed and anothe
seriously wounded. Two bullet:
pierced the hat of the driver.
Holzse was captured by posses wh'
were quickly put upon his trail ant
later was sentenced to the Michigan
state penitentiary for life. He was re
leased in few years, however.
Co. 1881 Western Newspaper union.)