At the latter end of the month of November, 1863, Oliver's Salt Lake coach, driven by Thos. C. Caldwell, left Virginia for Salt hake City, carrying as passengers Leroy Southmayde and Captain Moore. There was also a discharged driver named Billy. At about three p. m. they reached Loraine's Ranch, where George Ives rode up and stopped. He wanted to get a change of horses, but could not obtain them. He then ordered grain for his horse, standing beside Southmayde all the time. Suddenly he said, ''I have heard of Tex; he is at Cold Spring Ranch," and then ordered his horse. Steve Marshland was in his Company. Between Loraine's and Cold Spring Ranch they passed the coach, and sure enough there the three were, in conversation at the Ranch, as the stage drove up.
Tex, alias Jem Crow, afterward stated that they told him they were going to rob the stage that night. Old Tex was watching the coach when it started from Virginia, and Captain Moore observing him and knowing his character, told Southmayde that he did not like to see him there. Circumstances and conclusive testimony have since proved that he was the spy, and being furnished with a fleet horse, he rode across the country at full speed, heading the coach, as before described.
They drove on to the Point of Rocks, and there they lay over till morning. At Stone's Ranch the road agents made a circuit and passed the coach unobserved. Ives had been joined, in the meanwhile, by Whiskey Bill and Bob Zachary. About eleven a. m. the travellers overtook the three road agents. Each one had his shot-gun lying over his left arm, and they appeared, from behind, like hunters. As the stage came up they wheeled their horses at once, and presented their pieces. Bill Graves drew a bead on Tom Caldwell; Ives covered Southmayde, while Bob Zachary, keeping his gun pointed at the coach, watched Captain Moore and Billy.
Southmayde had the opportunity of looking down the barrels of Ives' gun, and could almost see the buckshot getting ready for a jump. As a matter of taste, he thinks such a sight anything but agreeable or edifying, and if his luck should bring him in the vicinity of road agents in pursuit of their calling, he confidently informs us that he would prefer a side view of the operation, as he would then be able to speak dispassionately of the affair. To report without "fear, favor, or affection" is rather hard when the view is taken in front, at short range. Without "favor or affection" can be managed; but the observance of the first condition would necessitate an indifference to a shower of "cold pewter," possessed only by despairing lovers of the red-cover novelette class, and these men never visit the mountains; alkali, sage brush fires, and "beef straight" having a decidedly "material" tendency, and being very destructive of sentiment. Ives called out, "Halt! throw up your hands," and then bade Zachary "Get down and look after those fellows."
Accordingly Bob dismounted, and leaving his horse, he walked, gun in band, up to Southmayde. While engaged in panning out Southmayde's dust he trembled from head to foot (and that not with cold).
The appearance of the road agents, at this moment, was striking, and not at all such as would be desired by elderly members of the "Peace party." Each man had on a green and blue blanket, covering the body entirely. Whiskey Bill wore a "plug" hat (the antitype of the muff on a soup-plate usually worn in the East). His sleeves were rolled up above the elbow; he had a black silk handkerchief over his face, with holes for sight and air, and he rode a grey horse, covered from the ears to the tail with a blanket, which, however, left the head and legs exposed to view. George Ives' horse was blanketed in the same way. It was a dappled grey, with a roached mane. He himself was masked with a piece of grey blanket, with the necessary perforations. Zachary rode a blue-grey horse, belonging to Bob Dempsey ("all the country" was their stable) -blanketed like the others -and his mask was a piece of Jersey shirt.
Ives was on the off side of the driver, and Graves, on the near side. When Zachary walked up to Southmayde, he said "Shut your eyes." This Southmayde respectfully declined, and the matter was not pressed. Bob then took Leroy's pistol and money, and threw them down.
While Southmayde was being robbed, Billy, feeling tired, put down his hands, upon which Ives instantly roared out, "Throw them up, you ." It is recorded that Billy obeyed with alacrity, though not with cheerfulness.
Zachary walked up to Captain Moore and made a similar request. The Captain declared, with great solemnity, as he handed him his purse, that it was "all he had in the world;" but it afterward appeared that a sum of $25 was not included in that estimate of his terrestrial assets, for he produced this money when the road agents had disappeared.
Continuing his search, the relieving officer came to Billy, and demanded his pistol, which was immediately handed over. Ives asked, "Is it loaded ?" and being answered in the negative, told Rob to give it back to the owner. Tom Caldwell's turn came next. He had several small sums belonging to different parties, which he was carrying for them to their friends, and he had also been commissioned to make some purchases. As Bob approached him he exclaimed, "My God! What do you want with me? I have nothing." Graves told Zachary to let him alone, and inquired if there was anything in the mail that they wanted. Tom said he did not think that there was. Zachary stepped upon the brake bar and commenced an examination, but found nothing. As Caldwell looked at Zachary while he was thus occupied Ives ordered him not to do that. Tom turned and asked if he might look at him. Ives nodded.
Having finished his search, Zachary picked up his gun, and stepped back. Ives dismissed the "parade" with the laconic command, "Get up and 'skedaddle'."
The horses were somewhat restive, but Tom held them fast, and Southmayde, with a view to reconnoitering, said in a whisper, "Tom, drive slow." Ives called out, "Drive on." Leroy turned round on his seat, determined to find out who the robbers were, and looked carefully at them for nearly a minute, which Ives at last observing, he yelled out. "If you don't turn round, and mind your business, I'll shoot the top of your head off." The three robbers gathered together and remained watching till the coach was out of sight.
Leroy Southmayde lost $400 in gold, and Captain Moore delivered up $100 in Treasury notes, belonging to another man.
The coach proceeded on its way to Bannack without further molestation, and on its arrival there Plummer was in waiting, and asked, "Was the coach robbed today'" and being told that it had been, as Southmayde jumped down, he took him by the arm, and knowing him to be Sheriff, Southmayde was just about to tell him all about it, when Judge G. G. Bissel gave Leroy a slight nudge, and motioned for him to step back, which he did, and the Judge told him to be very careful what he told that man, meaning Plummer; Southmayde closed one eye as a private signal of comprehension, and rejoined Plummer, who said, "I think I can tell you who it was that robbed you." Leroy asked "Who'" Plummer replied, "George Ives was one of them." Southmayde said, ''I know; and the others were Whiskey Bill and Bob Zachary; and I'll live to see them hanged before three weeks." Plummer at once walked off, and though Leroy was in town for three days, he never saw him afterward. The object of Plummer's accusation of Ives was to see whether Southmayde really knew anything. Some time after, Judge Bissel -who had overheard Southmayde telling Plummer who the thieves were -remarked to him, "Leroy, your life is not worth a cent."
On the second day after, as Tom was returning, he saw Graves at the Cold Spring ranch,* and took him on one side, asking him if he had heard of t,he "little robbery." Graves replied that he haa, and asked him if he knew who were the perpetrators. Tom said "No," adding, ''And I wouldn't for the world; for if I did, and told of them, I shouldn't live long." "That's a tact, Tom," said Graves. ''You wouldn't live fifteen minutes." I'll tell you of a circumstance as happened to me about bein' robbed in Californy.
* Afterwards to become the property of Elling & Hindman, on the road from Twin Bridges to Laurin.
"One night about ten o'clock, me and my partner was ridin' along, and two fellers rode up and told us to throw up our hands, and give up our money. We did it pretty quick I guess. They got $2,000 in coined gold from us. I told 'em, 'Boys,' sez I ','t's pretty rough to take all we've got.' So the feller said it was rather rough, and he gave us back $40. About a week after I seen the two fellers dealin' faro. I looked pretty hard at them and went out. One of the chaps hollered me, and sez he, 'Ain't you the man that was robbed the other night?' 'No,' sez I, for I was afraid to tell him the truth. Sez he, 'I want you to own up; I know you're the man. Now I'm a going to give you $4,000 for keeping your mouth shut,' and he did, . Now you see, Tom, that's what I got for keeping my mouth shut. I saved my life, and got $4,000."
Ives made for Virginia City, and there told in a house of ill fame that he was the Bamboo chief that made Tom Caldwell throw up his hands, and that,, he would do it again. He and a Colorado driver who was a friend of Caldwell's went together to Nevada. Each of them had a shot-gun. Ives was intoxicated. The driver asked Ives whom did he suppose to be the robbers, to which he quickly replied, "I am the Bamboo chief that robbed it," etc., etc., as before mentioned. The man then said, "Don't you think Tom knows it?" "Of course I do," said George. As they came back to town, the driver saw Tom, and waved to him to keep back, which he did, and sent a man to inquire the reason of the signal. The messenger brought him back information of what had passed, and told him to keep out of Ives' way, for he was drunk and might kill him.
That same evening, Tom and his friend went to the Cold Spring Ranch together on the coach, and the entire particulars came out in conversation. The driver finished the story by stating that he sat on his horse, ready to shoot Ives, if he should succeed in getting the "drop" on Caldwell.
Three days after, when Southmayde was about to return from Bannack, Buck Stinson and Ned Ray came into the Express Office, and asked who were for Virginia. On being told that there were none but Southmayde, they said, "Well, then, we'll go." The agent came over and said to Leroy, "For God's sake, don't go; I believe you'll be killed." Southmayde replied, "I have got to go; and if you'll get me a double-barreled shot-gun, I will take my chances." Oliver's agent accordingly provided Leroy Southmayde, Tom Caldwell and a young lad about sixteen years of age, who was also going by the coach to Virginia, with a shot-gun each. Leroy rode with Tom. They kept a keen eye on a pair of road agents, one driving and the other watching.
The journey was as monotonous as a night picket, until the coach reached the crossing of the Stinkingwater, where two of the three men that robbed it (Bob Zachary and Bill Graves) were together, in front of the station, along with Aleck Carter. Buck Stinson saw them and shouted, "Ho! you road agents." Said Leroy to Tom Caldwell, "Tom, we're gone up." Said Tom, "That's so."
At the Cold Spring Station, where the coach stopped for supper, the amiable trio came up. They were of course fully armed with gun, pistols and. knife. Two of them set down their guns at the door and came in. Alee Carter had his gun slung at his back.
Rob Zachary, feigning to be drunk, called out, "I'd like to see the man that don't like Stone." Finding that, as far as could be ascertained, everybody present had a very high opinion of Stone, he called for a treat to all hands, which having been disposed of, he bought a bottle of whiskey, and behaved "miscellaneously" till the coach started.
After going about a quarter of a mile, they wheeled their horses and called "Halt." The instant the word left their lips, Leroy dropped his gun on AleckCarter; Tom Caldwell and the other passenger each picked his man, and drew a bead on him at the same moment. Aleck Carter called out, "We only want you to take a drink; but you can shoot and be -----, if you want to." Producing the bottle, it was handed round; but Leroy and Tom only touched their lips to it. Tom believed it to be poisoned. After politely inquiring if any of the wanted any more, they wheeled their horses, saying, "We're off for Pete Daley's" and clapped spurs to their horses, and headed for the Ranch, going on a keen run.
Before leaving Cold Spring Ranch, Leroy Southmayde told Tom that he saw through it all, and would leave the coach; but Tom said he would take Buck up beside him, and that surely the other fellow could watch Ray. Buck did not like the arrangement; but Tom said, "You're an old driver, and I want you up with me,
The two passengers sat with their shot-guns across their knees, ready for a move on the part of either of the robbers.
At Loraine's Ranch, Leroy and Caldwell went out a little way from the place, with the bridles in their hands, and talked about the "situation." They agreed that it was pretty rough, and were debating the propriety of taking to the brush, and leaving the coach, when their peace of mind was in no way assured by seeing that Buck Stinson was close to them, and must have overheard every word they had uttered. Buck endeavored to allay their fears by saying there was no danger. They told him that they were armed, and that if they were attacked they would make it a warm time for some of them; at any rate they would "get" three or four of them. Buck replied, "Gentlemen, I pledge you my word, my honor, and my life, that you will not be attacked between this and Virginia."
The coach went on directly the horses were hitched up, and Buck commenced roaring out a song, without intermission, till at last he became tired, and then, at his request, Ray took up the chorus. This was the signal to the other three to keep off. Had the song ceased, an attack would have been at once made; but, without going into algebra, they were able to ascertain that such a venture had more peril than profit, and so they let it alone. The driver, Southmayde, and the young passenger were not sorry when they alighted safe in town. Ned Ray called on Southmayde and told him that if he knew who committed the robbery he should not tell, for that death would be his portion if he did.