The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-12-26
From Blackwood's Magazine.
Mexican Highwaymen.

to be in England: they keep up the life in the
villages plumber wherever they can, cheat
where they cannot plunder,rdc stout horses,
and lead on the whole, n varied, and some
times very gay life. One Of the American
travellers saw, at one Of the villages where
the stage changed horses n dashing and pic
turesque figure, gaudily dressed, who rode
by on handsome horse richly cnparIsoned.
On inquiring if the coachman knew him, the
answer was that he knew him perfectly well,
and that he was the captain of band ofrob-
bers who had plundered the stage several
times since the whip and reins had been in
his hands. On the American urging the
question why he had not brought the robbcr
| TO punishment, the answer was, "that he
would be sure to be shot by some Of the band
the next time he passed the rond'' the honor
of Mexican thieves being peculiarly nice up
on this point. 1t nppeared that the dashing
horsemen had gone through the village on
reconnaissance but probably not Fixing the OBJ
vious preparations ofthe travellers, had post
poned the capture.
The mode ofmanaging things in this SOM
noent country is remarkable for its tranquil
ity. The American who narrates the cir
cumstance had taken with him from Vera
Cruz four Dragons; but on accidentally in
quiring on the road into the state of their
arms, he found that but one carbine had n
lock in fighting order, and even that one was
not loaded on which he dismissed the guard
and trusted to his companions who were all
well armed. The Mexican travellers, taking
the matter in another way, never carry arms,
but prepare small purse ''to be robbed Of"
of which they are robbed accordingly. A
few miles from Perote the road winds round
IA high hill. and the passengers generally get
out and walk. The Americans on this oc-
casion had left their arms in the carriage, but
their more prudent chief Immediately order
ed them TO carry them in their hands, and in
the course ofthe ascent they bounced upon
a group of rufiians whom the driver pro-
nounced TO be robbers; and who but for their
arms, would probably have attacked them
In less than a month after this, five or six A
mericans having left their arms in the stage
ut this spot, We're attacked and stripped of
every cent belonging TO them.
Ii must be owned that this country has fine
advantages for the gentlemen ofthe road.-
The highway between Vera Cruz and Mex
leo is the great conduit oflife in this country.
Nearly all the commerce goes by that way,
and ninety out of every hundred travellers
pass by the same route. The chief portion
of the road is through an absolute desert 1t
frequently winds up the sides of mountains.
aud then is bordered by forests of cvergreens
| IOIIillHH SIltlltG TOT inc luHt IbTulCy
the whole being combination of Hounslow-
heath and Shooters Hill on grand SCALE
and making highway robbery not merely n
snowy hut a safe speculation, the gaming ta-
bic being the chief recruiting office of the
whole battalion of Mercury.
| The statistics of gaming might borrow
chapter from Mexico. The passion for play
is public, universal, and unbounded. 1t is
probably even superior to the passion for
pulque. Every one plays, and plays for all
he is worth in the world and often for more.
But he has his resource-the road. A man
who has lost his last dollar, but who is de-
termned to play on till he dies. lays himself
under strong temptations of coveting his
neighbours goods. The hourwhen the stages
pass is known to every one; the points ofthe
road where they must 90 slowly up the hill,
are familiar to all highway recolections.-
Associates are eXpeditously found among
the loiterers, who after their own ruin, sit
round the room watching the luck of others.
The band is formed in moment: they take
the road without delay, post themselves in
the evergreens, enjoy the finest imaginable
prospect, and breathe the most refreshing air,
until the creaking of the coach wheels puts
them on the alert. They then exhibit their
weapons the passengers produce their little
purses, the stage is robbed ofevery thing port
able, or convertible into cash,the band return
to the gaming table, fling out their coin, and
play till they are either rich or ruined once
more.
Some time after an adventure, such as we
have described, the stage was robbed near
Puebla by gang, all ofwhom had the ap-
pearance of gentlemen. When the opera
ton of rifling every body and every thing was
completed, one of the robbers observed shat
they must not be looked on as professional
thieves, for they were gentlemen; but having
been unfortunate at play, they were forced TO
put the company to this Inconvenience, for
which they requested their particular par
dom"
An incident of this order occurring in the
} instance ola public parsonage, some years
before, long excited remarkable interest The
Swiss consul had been nssassinated at noon
day. A carriage had driven up TO his door
} out of which three men came one in the dress
ofthe priest On the doors being opened
they seized and gagged the porter, rushed in
TO the apartment where the consul was sit
, ting, murdered and robbed him, and then re-
treated. None knew whence they came OF
whittier they went; but the murdered man
in his dying struggle had torn button oil the
) coat of one of the robbers, which they found
5 still clenched in his hand. A soldier was
r shortly after seen with more money than h'
7 could account for. Suspicion naturally fel
! upon him; his qunrterswere searched, and ont
= of his coats was found with the button tori
, off. He was convicted bur relied on a par
don through the Colonel Yanez, chief abide
5 camp of the President Santa Anna, who wa
] his accomplce in the transaction. On bein:
e brought out for execution, and placed on tn
fatal bench where criminals are strangled, n
; cried out, ''stopI will acknowledge my nc
D completes" and he pronounced the name oi