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Buck English, was an American Old West outlaw, and one of Lake County's (Califorina) most notorious thief and stagecoach robber toward the end of the 19th century.
Unlike Black Bart, Lake County’s other notorious thief, Buck was rash and openly flaunted his overconfident capacity. He was only 18, when he and a companion held up the Lower Lake stage coach and took the Wells Fargo strongbox from the driver. But instead of the usual gold or silver pay money for the mines, the box yielded only two brass castings. The local newspaper later said, "Shortly before this robbery, he and his companion met four Chinese miners coming down from the Great Western Mine (near Middletown), and robbed them of their watches and money." The infamous life of the criminal, known as "Buck English", had begun.
The Wells Fargo strongbox was often the target of stagecoach robbers in Middletown. After the mid-1800s, the payroll money was brought in on the stage with an armed guard beside the driver. Not all the hold-ups in the area were the doing of Buck and his gang, although he was a scourge of the local vicinity for a number of years. Buck worked the road near Mountain Hill House, south of Middletown, or near the double bridge north of Middletown near Lower Lake. For 20 years, Buck roamed the countryside, making little effort to hide his identity in this disreputable enterprise.
Buck walked the streets of Middletown with a six-shooter strapped to his side, daring any who insulted his authority to a contest. One day he ran into Captain Good on the main street, and there were harsh words shared between the two men. Later in the day, they met again, and this time it was a shooting affair, with Buck coming out of the exchange unscathed. The captain was seriously wounded in the arm and legs. In another unrelated incident, Buck shot and killed a man in the Middletown skating rink, turning the arena into a scene of pandemonium.
After his release from San Quentin in 1882, Buck returned to Middletown, his prison term having done him little good. It was soon after his arrival that the Lebree store in town was robbed of some watches and jewelry.
Buck left Middletown for a few years, but upon his return, he showed he had not changed, for it was not long until he had held up the stage at the foot of Mt. St Helena, near the summer home of the mayor of San Francisco. The six passengers were ordered out of the stage, and stripped of their possessions. Buck made no effort to hide his identity. He greeted the driver of a passing wagon who quickly drove on when he realized a robbery was in progress.
This occurred on May 7, 1895. A posse was formed and they set off to capture Buck. They discovered him on a coach going from Berryessa to Napa, and a wild chase ensued. From the San Francisco Examiner of the next day, we read:
- "One of the robbers jumped to the horses ahead and leveled his guns. He waved weapons and spouted profanity, all the while threatening to 'blow' the driver off of the seat. The two robbers were armed with old style Colt revolvers, and he cursed at everyone, especially the Chinamen".
The capture of Buck by Sheriff Bell reads like a Wild West novel. He was so badly wounded, and had lost so much blood that many thought he would not survive the ordeal. He did recover, however, and returned to San Quentin to serve yet another sentence.
Buck was not as well known as Black Bart and other Western gunmen of the time, but he created fear wherever he went, whether it was on the streets of Middletown, or pushing the barrel of a gun at a stagecoach driver. Although he was arrested for his robberies and attacks on the general population, Buck had his hands in many other criminal activities including, cattle rustling. He was never brought to justice for any of these crimes, however.
Buck ended up living long enough to enjoy freedom again, after his release from prison. He would live to die of natural causes, unlike his brothers who all died of violent deaths. The lawmen who protected the citizens of Middletown breathed easier thereafter, for law and order seemed easier to maintain after the passing of Buck.
References
- Lake County Historical Society
- Lake County Courthouse Museum Exhibit