Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-11-16

! HIGHWAY RoBBERY.-The Phtllspbmg
.JourRGI Of the 18th inst, says: A daring
robbery and most high handed outrage was
committed, on the Tyrone pike, about two
miles distant from this place. on the even
ing of Wednesday, the oh inst. james F.
| SEoop, an old resident of this place, who
| follows the occupation Of teaming has been
engaged during the summer in Huntingdon
county hauling bark, &c, with two mule
teams, and having flashed his seasons Ia
Dor, started homeward on Monday, with the
proceeds Of his labor and the sale OF one
mule, amounting in all to $4,000, in his
pocket. Nothing occurred on his journey
out Of the ordinary line of events until he
was within two miles of home. about eight
clock in thc evening, when he observed
three men on foot coming up the road to-
wards him. When opposite to him, the
largest, powcrfullooki man, stepped
forward, at he same time producing and
cooking revolver which he pointed at the
head Of Mr.. Shoop, ordering him to halt
and demanding his money. A second of
hind him ana thrust gag into his mouth
fastening it behing his head This gag was
stout chestnut limb, about one and one
half inches in diameter and twenty inches
in length. They then bound his wrists be-
fore him with halter chain taken from
the harness of one of the mules, pulling
down the cuffs Of a pair Of gauntlet gloves
which he wore, in order, as ore them said,
to make him comfortable. He wss
searched, the money taken from his pocket
book and the empty receptacle thrown back
into the wagon.
The robbers led him to a stout sapling,
the top Of which they bent over and inserted
under the chain between his wrists, allow
ing it to spring back as far as possible to its
upright position, the weight OF Mr.. Shoop
barely suifcing to sway it sufficiently to give
him foothold upon the ground, his arms
being extended at their full length above
his head by the tension, and his head
thrown back by the long gag striking his
arms. In this position OF extreme torture
he was left by the robbers, 1ho-after they
had securely tied the lead and one Of the
wheel mules at the side of the road-made off
with their booty, the poor mans earnings
Of summer of hard labor. He was
discovered in this situation on Thursday
morning ABOUT six o'clock by Mr.. Isaac
Hill, of Clover Run Mills, four miles dis
tant, who was driving to town for a workman
TO repair the nili-haying been suspended
in this horribly torturing manner for ten
hours during cold November night, his
only relief consisting in having, by his eff
forts to free himself, removed the gag from
from his mouth about four clock. The
fingers of his hands were swollen SO that
they stood ont from each other, and from
stoppagc Of circulation were paralyzed and
useless,
Mr.. Shoop offers a reward cf 800 for the
return OF the money and the apprehension
of the thieves, whom he describes as fol
lows One about > feet 10 or IL inches in
height, weighing about l65 pounds, and
having a bushy beard the second was about
the same height but not so heavy, and was
smooth faced the third was about feet 6
or ! inches in height, portly built, and wore
a moustache, and had on a gray coat The
others had on dark coats. Each one had a
hayersack at his side, such as are usually
carried by soldiers or hunters, and all three