Year: 1879




! ReportS OF the adventure OF General Bou-
ton with higbwavmcn near San Jacinto have
been coming in for some days, but tho Gen.
cral himself arrived Yesterday. General
Eollton was chief Of artillery under General
Sherman, who speaks OF him as having q
record as an artillery officer unsurpassed in
the world. He was engaged in forty-two bat
| ties and never lost gun. He tells OF his
thrilling experience OH the mountain top at
san Gorgonia in the following way:
! The General and j. {. Collins, his part


ner, started from Sana Gorgona for their


ranch at San Jaclnto in light wagon.


About three miles out, and when at the top
| OF the grade on the new road leading to San


Jacinto, three men suddenly rose out OF the


brush, which at that place grows close to
the roadside. and, two presenting revolvcrs
and one shotgun, cried, "Ha!t!" y" The
team was stopped, when they were ordered
| to give up their arms. They both promptly
| answered that they had no arms. although
each Of them had revolver in his pocket
unknown TO the other. Upon getting out
OF the wagon pieces OF chain were pro-
duced aad their hands chained behind them
and siX-foot chains placed about each OF
their necks. This iewelry was made
from the chain used about the straw-car-
rier OF Il threShing- machine. The links
are made OF heavy wire bent into shape but


not welded, and when they were placed


upon the prisoners the links were pressed


down with a pair OF shoemaker's pncers.


Collins was chained to the wheel OF his


wagon, with the chain about bis neck. The


man carrying the shotgun was handed a
| pistol by the other, who, taking hold Of the


chain about the Generals Ecck, said.


Come on" while the armed man fell in the
rear with his gun about a foot from Bou
| toms back. The third man had meanwhile
| been unIltching the horses, and taking
them ahead u short distance tied them to
some bushes. All this time-and the time
was not nearly so long as it takes lis to tell
1.-THE General bad been furtyely feeling
along tho slack Of the chain on
his bands trying TO find q link OF
the chain that was not entirely
closed. His touch, which must have been
intensified by the tight place in which
| he was placed, suddenly found link partly


open. He dropped the other link down,
and with the slight leverage which this af-
which bis life depended. Keeping his hands
| in the same position, ne then parted the
skirts OF his coat and put bis hand upon bis
pistol, which was Il seli-cocker OF the "bul-


dog" pattern. They had not yet gone more
than thirty PAGES, and had just turned out
of the road into the brush when the Gene
raj accomplished this, and it was just at this
time that the man in the rear noticed his
movements and cried "Halt J" At this
General Bouton whipped out his pistol, and,
half turning. fired at the man in the rear, who
fell. Quick as thought he whirled and bored
q hole through the one in front. He then ran
to release Collins, when the third man came
running toward the wagon, from where
he'd tied the horses. Bouton, thinking his
purpose was 10 shoot Collins, waited until
he had passed the rear OF the wagon, when


he bazed away and dropped him. 1t took
but moment to jerk the chain apart which


was about Collins's neck and to free his
bands. Then hitching up their team they
drove like wild1ire to the office OF Justice


Kennedy, some nine miles distant, with the


parted chains still dangling from their


wrists and necks, where they at once told


their story. With the aid OF file they were


relieved OF their iewelry, and as soon as


day broke posse started back to the scene
Of the tragedy.


Near by they found where three horses


had been tied and two masks On the ground.
Taking up the trail Of the horses, they found


about half mile further on the body Of


John Wakefield, who had dismounted. un-


saddled his horse, turned him loose, and


then lain down and died. He was found to


have been shot in the right side just below


the nipple, the ball lodging just beneath the


skin OF the back. On Wednesday young


Coyington went to his home. near EI Casco,


Immediately after tue shooting, with flesh


wound in the thigh, where he stated to his


friends that they did not intend to murder
! General Bouton, but only wanted to compel
| HIM to sign an order on his wife for five
thousand dollars, and intended to keep him
as a hostage until it was paid.