b'TERRITORIAL STAGE BANDITSTERRORIZE 1870sPART 1 By Bill Roberts Reprinted from The TravelerW hen stagecoach service was established in Arizona Territory in the early 1870s, stage robbery became a profession for some of Territorys less-than-honorable citizens. The Prescott to Ehrenberg, Wickenburg and Phoenix route and the Black Canyon route along the Agua Fria were popular wagon and stage trails and saw much of the stage traffic in the early days of the Territory.These two routes were the locations of numerous stagecoach robberies. Mine shipments, payrolls, passenger valuables, and the mail proved tempting targets for highwaymen, aided greatly by the lonely terrain and long desolate stretches between Territorial towns. Some of these robberies were unique and had a strange twist to them.One of the most unusual of the early stage robberieshave enlisted Mantel to assist him and captured theMantle managed to infiltrate the gang planning the occurred on the Prescott to Ehrenberg trail somewhereother two perpetrators on the spot since Mantle couldrobbery and the gang permitted him to go along on between Black Tanks and Wickenburg in mid-1877. Innot have refused without revealing himself as leader ofthe stage holdup. Those involved included William Prescott, at the time, was a man named John Mantle.the highwaymen. Bloodshaw, alias Poker Bill, the leader Charles Bush, He had been commissioned by the Postal Service inC.C. Hatch, and Frank Lee. According to testimony Washington as Director of the Postal Service in theThe feral Grand Jury indicted Mantle, Sutton, andat the trial of Bush in U.S. Circuit Court, the group Territory and was given the mission of investigatingBrophy for the robbery. Sutton and Brophy were triedplanned to ride from Prescott to Ehrenberg on the stage mail robberies and bringing justice to the highwaymenand convicted and sent to Territorial Prison in Yuma.trail through Skull Valley, Kirkland, Date Creek, Black who were foolish enough to pillage the U.S. mail duringU.S. Marshal Standefer had investigated the robbery andTanks, and Wickenburg to examine the road and pick a their robberies. uncovered Mantles involvement along with trackingspot for the robbery. They then would return to that spot down and arresting Sutton and Brophy. The Grand Jury,to stage the actual holdup.Only two or three stage agents were informed of Mantlesin its indictment, strongly condemned Pierson for his mission, by a secret letter from Washington, accordingfailure to inform Sheriff Bowers of Mantles mission andAt Ehrenberg, a disagreement developed among the to findings of the 2nd judicial district Grand Jury thatthe knowledge Mantle had given Pierson that the stagegang. Hatch and Lee returned to Prescott. Mantle, convened in Yuma late in 1877. No officials of thewas to be robbed. Bush, and Bloodshaw went to Walters Station near Territory knew of Mantles mission, nor did any U.S. orIndian Wells. At Walters Station, Poker Bill, a wanted Territorial lawmen, the Grand Jury found. It also foundUndercover Agent or Highwaymen man, was arrested and taken to Los Angeles. Bush that Mantle, while in Prescott, planned with others toMantle was involved in another stage holdup out ofwas becoming desperate. He arranged with a man rob the Prescott to Ehrenberg stage, its mail and itsPrescott on March 7, 1877. Mantle, in addition to beingnamed Gibson to act as a sentinel while he and Mantle passengers along with any cargo of value. employed by the U. S. Postal Service, took a job as arobbed the stage. They stopped the stage about one detective for the California and Arizona Stage Company.mile from Walters Station. They took the mail and The planned robbery took place on May 12, 1877. MantleRumors reached the company in some mysterious way,the Wells Fargo box. When driver Jesus Lujan handed had two accomplices, men named Sutton and Brophy.probably through Mantle, that there were plans afoot tothe box down to Bush, the bandits mask fell from his rob the stage from Prescott to San Francisco. face and the driver recognized him. Mantle and Bush One of the passengers on the stage was Edward F.went through the mail and rifled the box. They made a Bowers, Sheriff of Yavapai Country. Bowers had not beenfire out of some of the letters in the mail to give them informed about Mantle and his secret mission. He hadenough light to work by.in custody on the stage a woman who had been judged insane and who he was escorting to Stockton, CaliforniaBush gave Mantle $315 in currency to divide with to be institutionalized. One who had been informed wasGibson, the lookout. Bush himself kept $9,500 in Army the stage agent in Wickenburg, one Doc Pierson, whodrafts as his share. Some $2500 of those drafts were later would become famous after it was revealed thatdrawn to pay to the order of Livingston & Company he poisoned passengers staying at his station, relievedwith various other amounts to pay to L. Bashford & them of their money and gold, and buried them onCompany, Jones & Company and other merchants in the hill behind the Wickenburg stage station. He hadPrescott. Bush wanted to take his plunder and ride to been informed of Mantles mission but had told no one,Mexico. Mantle persuaded him to go with him to San including Sheriff Bowers. Bernardino to purchase horses. In San Bernardino, Mantle bragged of the robbery. He and Bush were The Sheriff was relieved of the $450 he was carrying byarrested and taken to Los Angeles to jail. Gibson soon the stage robbers. He testified that if he had known ofwas arrested and jailed.Mantles mission for the U. S. Postal Service, he wouldcontinued on page 20ArizonaRealCountry.com November 2019 19'