Shieldsville 4:00 PM 9/7/1876
A warning telegraph had successfully been sent to Faribault. A
four-man posse from there was swiftly formed and sent to
Shieldsville coming along the south side of Lake Mazaska (where the
cache is located.) Meanwhile the gang was coming from Millersburg
along the west shore. The posse arrived first and went into
Haggerty's Saloon to check for any suspicious activity and to get
some "liquid encouragement"; and they abided the "No Guns Allowed
On These Premises" rule. The gang arrived a few minutes later. They
made inquiries of a local boy who informed them of the posse's
presence. The posse was helpless. The gang rode on after watering
their horses and themselves and shooting up the watering tank
outside the saloon.
A few minutes later the posse was reinforced and gave chase. A
few miles southwest, long-distance shots were exchanged. One outlaw
fell off his horse but was not wounded. The gang rode down a ravine
and into the woods. Fearing an ambush, the posse held back. The
outlaws continued on towards
Kilkenny.
Note: Shieldsville was named for the Union general, James
Shields, who was the only person to serve as senator from three
states, viz. Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri. Ironically, prior to
the raid while in the Missouri house he had sponsored a bill
supporting amnesty for Frank James.
Hints: On the "Access Rules" sign in the Lake Mazaska PWA
parking lot, count the number of syllables. Walk that many steps to
the east from the ramp along the shore until you come to a
multi-trunked tree (at the posted coordinates) where the cache is
located.