December 29, 1971 (12 pages)

Malis or a £ & hebieed h The Nevada County -Nugget, Wednesday: December 29; 1971 re tue ' pee © ew Ae OOO FIR tr ete ye pew (Continued from last week) an exciting incident that was quite The day had furnished At that time the notorious Tom Bell out of the programme. and. his gang were robbing stages and holding up travellers, not hesitating to add violence and murder to their depredations. There was a reward of five thousand dollars offered for the capture of Bell, dead or alive, preferably dead, and various posses had tried their best to earn it, although without seccess. He was an audacious scoundrel, making many bold forays, and his operations had become a serious and intolerable tax on the mountaindwellers. Indignation rose to fever point that afternoon when he with his followers invaded the outskirts of the race course, where the gamblers had set up a tent and were running various games, cooly .covered the occupants with revolvers, gathered in the piles of coin, and rode off. with the booty, amounting to several thousand dollars. As the raid was: made during a race, there were but few in the tent and no resistance was offered. A hue and cry was raised, but before a posse could be organized for pursuit, the highwaymen: were miles away and out of danger of capture. Naturally, the incident was discussed in all its bear*ings, and the authorities denounced for not having run down and exterminated the robbers during the months that they had terrorized the country; but it was forgotten that this task had been attempted and half a dozen good men had lost their lives, when the gang, brought to bay, outfought and defeated their pursuers. eon The final race, which by process of elimination had brought together antagonists of fairly matched speed, was productive of the wildest excitement and the most reckless betting. The crowd backed its particular choice without remit, and thousands of dollars were wagered on the result. Hanchett, as the leading man of the camp, was a ‘favorite stakeholder. After filling all other receptacles with the coin forced upon him in that capacity, he was compelled to use his hat, which was soon loaded to the brim with slugs (locally coined gold pieces valued at fifty dollars) and became a somewhat embarrassing impediment, not only by its weight but also from the fact that in the confusion Hanchett lost all track of betters and the amounts, and could only trust to luck in the settlement, As it turned out, the race over, he paid off all demands made, and to his surprise found himself the possessor of a surplus of three hundred dollars, which remained unidentified and uncalled for. Altogether, the Moore's Flatters and the visitors were content with their entertainment. The San Juan livery man was paid a percentage of three thousand dollars for furnishing the stock, besides disposing of the speediest of the arimals at a handsome profit; the boys had a bushel of fun ano «. welcome relaxation from their toil; and as one of the philosophic put it, "if money circulated pretty freely, the winners and losers belonged to the local camps, and the coin stayed at home." Our party, somewhat wearied with the high tension of the week's events, rather welcomed the close and were quite willing to exchange it for the repose and comparative sedateness of their own abiding place. It was understood that on the next morning the return journey. should be made. Mike had come over on the last day, "just for a taste of the fun," as he ‘put it, and joined his friends at supper that.evening. To which, by the way, Hanchett and his good wife had been invited. A special and abundant feast was provided by the landlady, : It was supposed that Mrs. Wakefield had passed the day at their cozy home, she having pleaded fatigue anda waning interest in the amusement as an excuse for non-attendance at the track. The guests arrived without her, and they were surprised when the landlady explained that she had returned to the hotel early in the afternoon, had been met by Phillips, and that the pair had departed on horseback in company, presumably for a ride down the ridge. As it was by this time quite dark, her absence seemed strange, and Rance and Mike, with their knowledge of the relationship suspected to have existed between the pair, intuitively jumped at a similar conraiding the roads and trails of the section, © clusion and saw in the situation a premeditated flight. Shocked beyond expression, they refrained from comment until by a common impulse they had withdrawn from the table and met outside. Mike exclaimed:"There's not a doubt of it; they've gone off together and the divil's to pay, sure. There will-be an awful scandal unless we can manage to kape it quiet; but how can we explain our suspicions to the rist of them?" ; "Explain nothing! There is/ but one thing to do--follow them, kill the d----d scoundrel, and bring her back with as little fuss as possible. My God! How can I tell Dot? Think of the disgrace of it to the poor innocent girl." "What about the ould man?" speculated Mike. "Won't it make him looney again? Now, if it was me, I'd say, let her go, and good riddance; but ye can niver tell how the other fellow will take it. Still, he ought ‘to be killed, and I'll be glad to. do it. They must have taken the trail down the Backbone Ridge to Nevada, or one down the Middle Fork striking for Marysville, and they have six hours the start, «Let's call out Tex and Hanchett, confide the circumstances to them, and then follow." Rance, in an agony of rage and apprehension, agreed, and it was done. Tex was stupefied over the perfidy of the elopers, but as indignant and eager for revenge as his comrades. Hanchett, to whom it was all new, entered into the proposed pursuit heartily. , ‘ "Phillips is a heartless, cold-blooded scoundrel, and if . we overtake him we won't waste any powder unless it is necessary. I will take along my reata and we will hang him Ifke a dog to the nearest tree. Saddle your horses, and we will be off at once." “But what will we say to the women? We must make some excuse for departure,"' Rance said, "Tell them nothing," replied Mike, that is, don't drag in the man's name until we have to. Say she ‘went out a-riding on a little pasear, has probably got lost in the chaparral, and we will find her and bring her home very soon. Tex, you go in and give Mrs. Ruth the explanation and then join us as quick as you can," "That is sensible," interjected Hanchett; "and to avoid the outside talk tell my wife to take the ladies up to my house and wait there until we get back or they hear from us." \ IW ! «KS .

Malis or a £ & hebieed h The Nevada County -Nugget, Wednesday: December 29; 1971 re tue ' pee © ew Ae OOO FIR tr ete ye pew (Continued from last week) an exciting incident that was quite The day had furnished At that time the notorious Tom Bell out of the programme. and. his gang were robbing stages and holding up travellers, not hesitating to add violence and murder to their depredations. There was a reward of five thousand dollars offered for the capture of Bell, dead or alive, preferably dead, and various posses had tried their best to earn it, although without seccess. He was an audacious scoundrel, making many bold forays, and his operations had become a serious and intolerable tax on the mountaindwellers. Indignation rose to fever point that afternoon when he with his followers invaded the outskirts of the race course, where the gamblers had set up a tent and were running various games, cooly .covered the occupants with revolvers, gathered in the piles of coin, and rode off. with the booty, amounting to several thousand dollars. As the raid was: made during a race, there were but few in the tent and no resistance was offered. A hue and cry was raised, but before a posse could be organized for pursuit, the highwaymen: were miles away and out of danger of capture. Naturally, the incident was discussed in all its bear*ings, and the authorities denounced for not having run down and exterminated the robbers during the months that they had terrorized the country; but it was forgotten that this task had been attempted and half a dozen good men had lost their lives, when the gang, brought to bay, outfought and defeated their pursuers. eon The final race, which by process of elimination had brought together antagonists of fairly matched speed, was productive of the wildest excitement and the most reckless betting. The crowd backed its particular choice without remit, and thousands of dollars were wagered on the result. Hanchett, as the leading man of the camp, was a ‘favorite stakeholder. After filling all other receptacles with the coin forced upon him in that capacity, he was compelled to use his hat, which was soon loaded to the brim with slugs (locally coined gold pieces valued at fifty dollars) and became a somewhat embarrassing impediment, not only by its weight but also from the fact that in the confusion Hanchett lost all track of betters and the amounts, and could only trust to luck in the settlement, As it turned out, the race over, he paid off all demands made, and to his surprise found himself the possessor of a surplus of three hundred dollars, which remained unidentified and uncalled for. Altogether, the Moore's Flatters and the visitors were content with their entertainment. The San Juan livery man was paid a percentage of three thousand dollars for furnishing the stock, besides disposing of the speediest of the arimals at a handsome profit; the boys had a bushel of fun ano «. welcome relaxation from their toil; and as one of the philosophic put it, "if money circulated pretty freely, the winners and losers belonged to the local camps, and the coin stayed at home." Our party, somewhat wearied with the high tension of the week's events, rather welcomed the close and were quite willing to exchange it for the repose and comparative sedateness of their own abiding place. It was understood that on the next morning the return journey. should be made. Mike had come over on the last day, "just for a taste of the fun,"

as he ‘put it, and joined his friends at supper that.evening. To which, by the way, Hanchett and his good wife had been invited. A special and abundant feast was provided by the landlady, : It was supposed that Mrs. Wakefield had passed the day at their cozy home, she having pleaded fatigue anda waning interest in the amusement as an excuse for non-attendance at the track. The guests arrived without her, and they were surprised when the landlady explained that she had returned to the hotel early in the afternoon, had been met by Phillips, and that the pair had departed on horseback in company, presumably for a ride down the ridge. As it was by this time quite dark, her absence seemed strange, and Rance and Mike, with their knowledge of the relationship suspected to have existed between the pair, intuitively jumped at a similar conraiding the roads and trails of the section, © clusion and saw in the situation a premeditated flight. Shocked beyond expression, they refrained from comment until by a common impulse they had withdrawn from the table and met outside. Mike exclaimed:"There's not a doubt of it; they've gone off together and the divil's to pay, sure. There will-be an awful scandal unless we can manage to kape it quiet; but how can we explain our suspicions to the rist of them?" ; "Explain nothing! There is/ but one thing to do--follow them, kill the d----d scoundrel, and bring her back with as little fuss as possible. My God! How can I tell Dot? Think of the disgrace of it to the poor innocent girl." "What about the ould man?" speculated Mike. "Won't it make him looney again? Now, if it was me, I'd say, let her go, and good riddance; but ye can niver tell how the other fellow will take it. Still, he ought ‘to be killed, and I'll be glad to. do it. They must have taken the trail down the Backbone Ridge to Nevada, or one down the Middle Fork striking for Marysville, and they have six hours the start, «Let's call out Tex and Hanchett, confide the circumstances to them, and then follow." Rance, in an agony of rage and apprehension, agreed, and it was done. Tex was stupefied over the perfidy of the elopers, but as indignant and eager for revenge as his comrades. Hanchett, to whom it was all new, entered into the proposed pursuit heartily. , ‘ "Phillips is a heartless, cold-blooded scoundrel, and if . we overtake him we won't waste any powder unless it is necessary. I will take along my reata and we will hang him Ifke a dog to the nearest tree. Saddle your horses, and we will be off at once." “But what will we say to the women? We must make some excuse for departure,"' Rance said, "Tell them nothing," replied Mike, that is, don't drag in the man's name until we have to. Say she ‘went out a-riding on a little pasear, has probably got lost in the chaparral, and we will find her and bring her home very soon. Tex, you go in and give Mrs. Ruth the explanation and then join us as quick as you can," "That is sensible," interjected Hanchett; "and to avoid the outside talk tell my wife to take the ladies up to my house and wait there until we get back or they hear from us." \ IW ! «KS .