Vignette of the Canadian West - The Union jack bandits

[Buffalo Creek Law Dog]

On August 23rd, 1886 the stage, a four up, driven by a man named Braden, pulled out of Calgary for the long trip to Edmonton. At a point about 15 miles north of Calgary, the stage was met by two desperadoes on horseback.  Both were wearing bandanas, one of which was a torn off piece of the Union Jack. Hence the Name "The Union Jack Bandits".

The two ransacked the mail bags, robbed the passengers, then headed WSW towards Nose Hill.

The stage and passengers returned to Calgary and repoted the incident  to Supt. William Antrobus, Officer in command of the NWMPolice Det at Calgary.

After getting a description of the two bandits who incidentally fit the description of two men who committed a robbery earlier on the Elbow River SW of Calgary,  Supt. Antrobus with a contingent of NWMP and civilian volunteers headed to the scene and followed the trail of the bandits to the Nose Hill area.  In a coulee they found the two bandanas and a pair of pants.  One of the Mounted Policemen recognized the pants belonging to a person who was just released from the NWMP cell block on a charge of drunkeness.

The trail led south across the Bow River to the cabin of "Clinker Scott" Krenger at Shaganappi Point (now within Calgary City Limits).  Krenger said that the two men that they were looking for couldn't be the ones who robbed the stage as they were at his cabin when the robbery took place.

The search continued and two days later, Krenger was found shot to death in his cabin.  The two outlaws were never captured and it is believed that they crossed over the Medicine Line never to be heard from again.  It was believed that Krenger was associated with the stage bandits and his murder was never solved, making the myth a lie, that the Mounties always get their man.

Next Week or sooner.......When a Sioux War Party caught the Mounted Police wearing U.S. Army uniforms.

[Charlie Bowdre]

Maybe they did :oa


Great story
dutchie