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Page: of 12
levaca Coun
odin 1924 .
oO, A
M.J. Brock
LM ht) 1
VW ,
(WM he
Wee ani
7
his men and ordered him to leave the camp before morning,
upon pain of being shot. The man remained, however, and during the night drew the bullet from Webster's gun. When morning came, the man was sitting on a stump; and Webster, exclaiming ''So you didn't go?" seized his rifle and fired at him
with the blank charge. The man then coolly raised his gun
and shot his would-be slayer dead. Such, as all events, is
the traditional account of Jim Webster's final end.
OTHER HIGHWAY ROBBERIES
Both the North San Juan and the Washington stages were
robbed by highwaymen on May 6, 1866, and the North San Juan
stage again on May 15. As the stage was on the brow of the hill
south of the Yuba River and above Black's crossing, at halfpast four on the morning of the latter date, it was stopped by
three masked men, the passengers were ordered out, and the
drive: was commanded to unhitch his horses. Two attempts
were then made to blow open Wells, Fargo & Company's treasure-box, the second of which was successful, After appropriating
its contents, which amounted to $7900, the box was returned to
the stage, the horses were again attached, and the stage was
allowed to proceed. All haste was made to Nevada City to give
the alarm; and a posse, consisting of Sheriff R. B, Gentry,
Stephen Venard, James H. Lee, Albert Gentry, and A. W. Potter,
started in pursuit.
Venard and Lee soon found the trail, which they both followed for a mile and a half over extremely rough ground, until
it became necessary for Lee to take a more circuitous route
with the horses. Venard, armed with a Henry repeating rifle
then followed the trail alone. Ke soon came to Meyer's ravine,
where it opens into the Yuba. Up this the robbers had evidently
gone to a crossing that lay above. Along this rugged gorge he
proceeded, with precipitous mountains frowning down on either
side, while shrubs, trees and rocks on every hand offered ample
concealment for an ambushed enemy. Where the waters of the
ravine came rushing over their bed of rocks, there rose a rock,
towering to a height of twenty feet and surrounded by smaller
ones, all forming an island upon the lower end of which several
trees raised their knotted limbs, the foliage screeningthe jagged
rock above. Here he decided to cross the torrent, and passed
along a log to a rock in the center of the stream, above which
rose the huge mass of granite, the approachto which lay between
two smaller rocks in front. Glancing up this alley, he saw
George Shanks, alias Jack Williams, the leader of the bandits,
sitting upon the ground and in the act of taking aim at him with
his revolver. Quick as thought, Venard ajmed his rifle, and at
the same instant discovered that another robber was aiming
at him from over the top of a rock. There was no time for hesitation. He fired, and the leader fell dead with a bullet in his
heart. The other, Bob Flynn, alias Caton, endeavored to shield
himself behind the rock; but as soon as his head appeared above
in the effort to aim his pistol, a bullet from the unerring rifle
sped swiftly through his brain. Venard sprang forward, determined that the last of the three bandits should not shoot him
down from an ambush. An instant, and he was among the rocks.
Here lay the treasure and the bodies of the two robbers, but the
third had escaped. he covered the treasure with earth and leaves,
took the pistols from the lifeless bodies, and dashed across the
stream. The fleeing outlaw was seen hastening up the side of a
hill some sixty yards in advance. The fatal rifle was again
leveled, and a bullet brought the fugitive to the ground. Another
shot, and George W. Moore rolled lifeless down the hill,
Venard soon found his companions, and related to them the
incidents of the fight, regretting that he had wasted a shot on
the last man when one ought to have been enough. They repaired
to the scene, uncovered the spoil and by two o'clock in the afternoon it was returned to Wells, Fargo & Company, at Nevada City.
After the departure of the posse, the express company
had offered a reward of $3000, whic Venard promptly received.
They also presented him a gold-mounted and tastefully inscribed
Henry rifle. He was also appointed on the staff of Governor Low,
with the rank of lieutenant colonel, for "meritorious services
in the field."" Mr. Venard still makes Nevada City his residence
where he is respected by all for his bravery and good qualities,
Upon the bodies of the robbers, when brought into town and
identified, was found the property taken from the passengers in
the stage.
(To be continued next week)