Show S STAGE I 1 COACH TALES B by y E C TAYLOR the gun girl TUG HE gun gua girl a little more daring perhaps but not so quick oi on the trigger as the gun girls of the large cities today made her appearance along the national pike as early as 1834 she was accompanied by f four 0 ur men it and nd it was only the courageous conduct of samuel luman stage coach driver that this high highway wity girl and her highwaymen highway meiji aides were repulsed samuel luman was one of the best known and best equipped drivers on the old national road ile he was a gla giant at in stature and reputed to be fearless ile he began driving a stage coach in 1832 on august 12 1834 his coach was w waylaid a in the mountains between alney ney grove and Frost frostburg burg md it was tins night and lumans Lun ians teams almost ran into a rude obstruction of logs stumps and brush that had haa been placed a cross across the ro road a d the spot was lonely and surrounded by a thick growth of pine trees luman was wag unarmed and the only gun among the passengers geis in the stage coach was an old brass pistol which however was not brought into play As the stage coach reached the barrier across the road one highwayman stepped forward seized the bridle avd and ordered luman to descend from his r seat eat and surrender nender su the mall mail and money the coach carried luman refused what bat do you iou want vant he temporized we we are traders aders ti the highwayman answered 1 I have nothing to trade said luman 1 I am satisfied with ft ath my trappings and tot not desirous of exchanging them the highwayman holding the lead team thereupon called out to one of his c companions 1 hidden in the trees by the roadside to shoot luman the robber leveled his pistol at the stage coach arh er and pulled the trigger there was a snap and luman owed his life to the fact that the night air was damp and the powder would not explode while the highwayman holding the horses was turning the lead team around so that it faced the opposite direction from the stage coach the girl called out from the darkness of the roads roadside de and ordered another highwaymen highwayman to bind the driver one of the robbers mounted part way ft ay to the drivers seat and wrapped the reins tightly around lumans arm luman saw an advantage and started violently lashing the highwayman YIN with the ends of the reins the beaten robber backed off and as lie he did so the horses still attached to the stage coach leaped forward broke from the lead team and leaped over the barricade on the road the coach came within an ace of capsizing but lumans skill with the reins kept it on its wheels and the coach and its passengers pis hew flew into Frost frostburg burg luman told the authorities that the bandits he saw were nil all heavily disguised lie ile did not got get a look at the gun girl or two of the highwaymen highway men with her who had remained in the dark shadows of the pine trees the robber who held the bridles of the lead team he said wore a long dress like a mother hubbard II and the one who bound the reins around his arm wore oie a white vest lark dark pantaloons and a black mask they were never captured when the attack attach was first made on the stage coach lunian told the passengers of the impending danger and asked their assistance but they crouched in their seats and made no effort to help him or defend themselves they were all western merchants traveling cast to buy goods and between them they carried in cabi when hen they reached the highland house in Frost frostburg burg of which george evans was proprietor the grateful passengers passenger s took up a collection with which to reward the brave stage coach driver it was so ludicrously small though luman said later that lie indignantly refused it they were a mean set was his comment luman gave up tip driving stage coaches in 1830 1839 and for several years after that interested himself in detective work and punishing robbers of the mall mail coaches that rattled along the national road ills life was w as threatened so frequently his however io wever t that hat finally luclus W stockton president of the national road stage company feared for lumans safety luman then moved east of cumberland where lie he continued his activities and until re bently lived in Union uniontown town pa A 1831 1931 western acor union |