Facing Down a Lynch Mob

Nellie Cashman saved a mine owner from certain death.

E.B. Gage was one of the most successful mine owners and businessmen in Tombstone during its heyday. He was a friend and supporter of Wyatt Earp, paying his bail related to the 1881 Tombstone street fight. In general, Gage was well-liked. But in 1884, a labor dispute threatened to get out of hand. Striking miners decided to lynch Gage. Local businesswoman Nellie Cashman came to the rescue. She drove a buggy into the mob, pulled Gage into the carriage and made a high-speed run to Benson. Within a few weeks, Gage safely returned to Tombstone.