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Note: THE ROBBERS CAUGHT
Captured After a Fierce Battle at the Summit of the Wooden Valley Grade
Both are Wounded, the tall one seriously.
Under Sheriff Brownlee, District Attorney Bell, J. N. True and John Williams the Captors
The men who robbed the Middletown stage were captured this morning about 10:30 at the summit of the Berryessa grade about six miles from Napa, by Under Sheriff Brownlee, District Attorney Bell, J. N. True and John Williams. One of the robbers is badly wounded and Under Sherriff Brownlee, John Williams and J. N. True slightly scratched. The robber will probably die. JOHN GARDNER, the stage driver, was shot in the thigh. The wound is a painful one, but not dangerous.
Word was received by telephone this morning early that the robbers had camped on P. D. Grigsby's place in Berryessa valley all day Wednesday and had taken breakfast this morning at Chas. Moore's place, this side of Monticello and said that they would take the stage for Napa.
John Gardner, the driver of the stage, sent word that if he ran across them he would ask them to ride in to Napa. Brownlee, Bell and True, armed with shotguns took a double seater and started for thesummit of the grade, where they expected to ambush the robbers. On arriving at the summit the intention was to place the posse in an advantageous position and wait for the stage to come along, but the stage came sooner than expected, meeting the officers just as they drove to the top of the ridge.
The teams were almost opposite when Mr. Brownlee said to Mr. Williams, who sat on the front seat with him, "There's the fellows, stand them up." The tall robber, who sat on the driver's box with John Gardner, recognized the officers and raised his gun at the same time Mr. Williams did, and the two shots rang out almost simultaneously. The robber's charge, which was birdshot, scattered considerably, and a few shot took effect in the Under Sheriff's and Williams' legs, but the main part of the charge struck the butt of Mr. Brownlee's gun which he held between his knees while driving and the shock threw him out of the rig.
District Attorney Bell immediately got out on the other side of the wagon to get a better shot at the robbers, and the short robber tumbled out of the stage and made for the brush, but was stopped by a shot from J. N. True's gun, which peppered him slightly. He immediately turned and threw up his hands, shouting "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
The tall robber, after the exchange of shots; put a pistol to Gardner's side and ordered him to drive fast--the stage had been moving slowly up the hill until that time--and Gardner whipped up his horses. Mr . Bell (district attorney) then dropped on his knee, took deliberate aim at the robber and fired at a distance of about 15 yards. The robber fell over on Gardner and then straightened up again and the stage passed out of sight around a turn. Mr. Bell gave chase and followed on foot for a distance of about 500 yards, until the other officers, who had captured the young robber, came along.
The stage was soon overtaken. The tall robber had fainted and was leaning on Gardner. Messers. Brownlee and Tue brought the young robber into town and Mr. Bell and Mr. Williams came in the stage. The robbers were taken to the County Jail and Dr. Springsteen attended the wounded man. The younger robber was locked up. The tall man is about 40 years of age and his name is Buck English. The short one is not known around here. He is about 24 years old. The younger man carried two pistols but did not attempt to use either of them. The other relied altogether on the shot-gun.
Bell to reporter: "When the wagon with the officers caught up with me, I yelled, "He's done for; go down quick." I was afraid I had shot Gardner also, as the stage jolted so it was hard to draw a steady bead. Several of the shot did hit him, but I do not think he is badly hurt."
TALE OF THE STAGE DRIVER:
John Gardner was seen while on the operating table of Dr. Hennesey's office. He had extracted several buckshot, but one was so near an artery that he thought it best to let it stay for a time at least. There were six wounds but two were probably caused by bullets going clear through the fleshy part of the leg.
Mr. Gardner said he took the robbers on at Capelle Valley about halfway between Napa & Monticello and that they paid him for their ride at Windy Flat, about 8 miles from Napa. They talked incessantly about various topics but did not mention the robbery. The tall robber sat in the front seat and kept the shotgun across his knees. The other was in the back seat.
May 17, 1895 Napa Daily Journal
John Gardner took a turn for the worse Thursday am and for a time was in critical condition. Improved during afternoon.
May 25, 1895 Napa Daily Journal
Another shot was taken from John Gardner's leg. It had begun to work out of a hole from which another bullet had been extracted. It is now thought there is yet another bullet in his leg. His condition much improved.
CENSUS RECORDS: JOHN H. GARDNER
1900 United States Federal Census -- Garden Valley, Boise, Idaho
John H Gardner 46 Farm laborer
Harry H Pothoff 46 Tinner
John Blum 39 Head of household
Harlan Fanshier 26 laborer
1910 United States Federal Census --: Garden Valley, Boise, Idaho
John H Gardner 56 Hay farmer
Amelia Gardner 44 b.1866 Birthplace: Idaho Father b. Germany Mother b. Germany
Johanna B. Gardner 8 b. abt 1902 Idaho
George G Gardner 5 b. abt 1905 Idaho
Genevieve R Gardner 3 b. abt 1907 Idaho
1920 United States Federal Census -- Garden Valley, Boise, Idaho
Amelia Gardner 54 Widow, Farmer, general farm
George Gardner 15
Genevieve Gardner 12
Amelia dies sometime between 1920-23, and George and Genevieve are adopted
1930 United States Federal Census--Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio
Robert D Maddox 53 Physician
Helen B Maddox 49
Robert B Maddox 16
John Blair 81 father in law
George G Gardner 24 b. abt 1906 Idaho -- adopted son
Catherine W Carman 65 servant
OBITUARY JANUARY 1920
JOHNNY GARDNER, Former Well Known Napa Resident Dies
Was Wounded in Battle With Buck English Many Years Ago
Johnny Gardner, former prominent resident of Napa, passed away at his home in Garden Springs, Idaho, on January 24th. He had never been in good health since the battle on Mt. Geroge east of Napa twenty-five years ago with Buck English, the notorious stage robber and outlaw, who was captured in that fight by a posse composed of Under Sheriff Brownlee, J. N. True, District Attorney Bell and John Williams. Mr. Gardner drove the stage upon which English was making his ay out of the mountains on that occasion adn he was sounded by buckshot in the leg.
Deceased was born in Solano county an was age 68 years. H is survived by a wife and hthree children. Two brothers, George F. Gardner and J. B. Gardner of Napa and two sisters: Mrs. Mary T. Johsnon of Wooden Valley and Mrs. Ada Hill of Oakland, also survive him.
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