Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-04-30


The old west had plenty Of nervy Z
bad men, but the two bandits who
staged q six-unit highway robbery
Ia Yellowstone park Aug. IA, 1886,
climaxed all the thriilerS of the
west for sheer nerve bravadO. The
hOIdup yielded q ludicrousIy small
return for the effort. Poor judg-
ment in remaining near the park
resulted in capture and conviction
Of the bandits.
It was not unusual in the old, wild
days for q group of road agents, or
even a single bandit on occasion, TO
hold up and rob stagecoach at some
lonely spot where interference was
not likely.
But the Yellowstone park bandits of
1896 conducted q progressive hoioup
party for five laden stage coaches and
q government ambulance.
Just as the big yellow BUSES today
travel en- convoy about the PARK loop
on a schedule, so did the old multiple
team stage coaches travel together,
keeping more or less intact the parties
which entered the park at the same
To have knocked over" single
coach would have been mere routine
for nervy road agent, or pair, with
the sparse travel Of the ninetles, but
to take five of them and then top OFF
with a government ambulance carrying
military officials keeping each vehicle
ignorant of what was going on until
its turn came, was an accomplishment
which probably made Henry Plummer
and his erstWhile bloOdthirsty road
agents squirm with envy in their
Vigilante-made graves.
AS the first coach Of the days convoy
approached Sol Futura plateau between
Canyon and Norris Geyser basin two
o~fra err n 10
fired revolvers to emphasize their order
for the driver to halt.
Ladies Unframed
In the first coach the LADIES were
Gained by the information that they
would not be disturbed. but all the
men were required to disgorge their
money. Watches and other Valuables
were not wanted The haul was much |
lighter than had been expected, and
in later coaches the ladies were re-
ouired to yield up their money along |
with the men, Only one coach escaped. |
When it was stopped it was found 1t
contained only women passengers, and
it was allowed to pass.
Finished with the first vehicle, the
driver was ordered to drive on, not so
rapidly, nor should he pass q given
point too soon; a third man, hidden
In the woods, would kill the horses to
stop him. The driver took no chances.
He drove on at a deliberately controlled
speed.
The other coaches received the same
treatment, and the drivers were given
similar instructions.
The government ambulance was last,
driven by a soldier and carrying as
Colonel Hawkins from Fort
Leavenworth, Kan, and Lieutenant
Godfrey, attached to troops in the PARK.
After the ambulance, the last vehicle
In the convoy, had been attended to the
bandits disappeared into the woods
along the old freight road toward !
Mount Washburn.
AS soon as the two men had diSap- j
reared Colonel Hawkins secured re- {
volver from his luggage and, with the
soldiers attending the ambulance, took I
I'D the trail Word was rushed to Fort |
now called Mammoth Hot /
and all available soldiers were s
sent on the search. Only one Of the
park scouts was available for the chase. {
Troops Unfamiliar With Park
Service in the park was not perma-
nent assignment for any body OF troops, :
and the personnel was almost complete ,.
ly changed at intervals. This had oc- :
Cured at the beginning of the 1896 !
park season, and the new troops were
still unfamiliar with the regions away >
from the regular roads and trails. ANY :
foray into the uncharted regions would
probably have required a rescue party
To find the parks guardians.
For the moment, at least, capture Of {
the bandits seemed hopeless, for 1t was :
apparent the two men knew their park {
wilderness and would elude any attempt 9
at pursuit.
Then, as now, firearms we're not per- !
mitted in the park Visitors to the
possessing guns must sub
NIT to having them sealed at the en-
trance and, at the discretion of the I
park administration, surrendering them s
TO be received again on leaving the I
park. For this reason no one in the
convoy, including the military men,
possessed readily available guns.
The park visitors were taken to Fort |
Yellowstone where many of the ladies 7
required medical attention for shock 1
and hysteria. In Livingston late that T
night some Of them again sought med I
cal comfort.
Humiliation of the military over the /
affair was countered by some OF the 9
amusing incidents
one man had $1,40O on his person.
ae saved it by proffering only the loose c