Show STAGE COACH TALES H B by y E C T A Y L 0 R the bandits bandit nemesis if JAMES AMES was the most noted 0 of all the stage coach drivers 0 on the old baraboo kilbourn line when when wisconsin was little more than a wilderness and the roads were quagmires and rough rocky trails through the forests tall T 11 and fearless currys carrys word was la law asness along the stage line and his bis fear le and the respect in which the new inhabitants of the country held him proved the undoing of one of the most desperate bandits and gunmen la in the old North northwest currys carrys stretch of the road was MI miles lea of sandy bandy trall trail north of baraboo lie a drove coaches over this route from esgo S T until the ch chicago cago north western e rn railroad extended its line from kilbourn to baraboo in 1871 during the last nine years af pf of this period he owned the stage coach line but continued to drive through the bad section in the late CO s the entire countryside a de lived in fear of rat pat wildrick one 0 of f tie the most noted bandits in the history of f the american frontier pat was leler leader of a band of lawless men who stooped to any crime to do his bis bidding baraboo was already a thriving community and the railroad line ran to kilbourn currys carrys stage coach line made its chief revenue by carrying money from the rall railhead head at kilbourn to towns along the route but principally to the bank at baraboo the people trusted curry so greatly that they never thought of having their packages of money insured and many a farmer or housewife would turn in money ney over to him after stopping his coach along the road and have him pay their bills or buy things tor for them at killbourn or baraboo curry received 50 cents for each 1000 cash lie transported across the country one night he was handed to be carried to the terrell thomas bank at baraboo just as lie he was leaving two strangers crawled into the stage coach sat in the rear feats coats and conversed to in whispers As the stage crossed the river and entered a section thick with pine woods the two strangers continued to talk in low tones curry recalled that pat wildrick and his gang some time before had attacked S S gates and his wife near the same spot and while the authorities were hunting bunting pat a pal of the bandit chief had murdered gates at this same spot on the road curry whipped up his horses fully convinced that besides the in cash he was carrying two of pats bandit gang ile he expected to be attacked at any moment arriving at baraboo bamboo curry breathed a sigh of ralef there he learned that the two strangers were law abid ing persons who talked low as a matter of habit the entire countryside was uneasy when pat was at large and curry was constantly on the lookout for or the bandit pat once escaped from the baraboo lall jail and posses searched the woods for miles around for him As curry drove his stage coach peacefully along the he road near park he spied the bandit leader hiding in the woods lie ile drove along for a short distance as though nothing unusual happened until he met some of the posse lie ila called to them and led them back to pats hiding place the bandit was vas speedily recaptured As pitt pat was hurried back to the baraboo jail he shouted to curry young man ill see you later the irish bandit had a habit of keeping his word and curry and all of baraboo knew what lie meant by saying he would see him later inter curry was wary thereafter but tile the irish bandit must mus shave realized that it would be dangerous for him to attack the stage conch coach driver as curry was well guarded constantly from the alie day of the threat by friends who liked the driver at any rate curry was tile the one man in the whole countryside whom pat lid did not dare raise a hand against pats career ended soon after that at tb the end of a rope in the hands of a mob at portage wis ne 1931 western Now union |