The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-02-10
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there ssnd Oh Course fny fnrd dsiI M . "a
tfoE Zone Time When they beaa., % ino, la'
fof mems names and occupations / Val III ny
lqnergs To know hos. ms nau,a and 4. ,et,.s.
ton would pass among ffsse aentie,rs s>p =
masked faces. But as 1 could "a M ha.s..
fhenghtI would !" face tue nusle0 g hai1
JHssg before they rot 40 ma tbaa oRilyy..
to mixing men 4 to 8 show tSe,r .ue 30!
and a. number q had pa.sed -, n 's'Isd
test. ] then thought 20 good ir i" tsas
meat the last station car 81 co, gen ioi
caught fire, and / worked IN ff,e NH aa1
water for abont hour to assisf N Nd: ana
it out and got by face flushed nm nj hai
dirty and considerably covered viii, nv
wanted 10 stop at the brook and ~ ,r a.la.
bus the conductor said that would noysa Tp,
\ time. l thought that the burning coy NV
the CONDUCTOR, and Providence, without nv
knowing it, had prepared o sraootb.bsn:... ~
pi .eacheT to "pass muster" under ni.to y
where never was before. BUtwhen tia 49, "h; ;.
came to nae be said, muddy as wa, g VIII VII
who are youW Did net ask anything a %e"
my hands. ], however, by the blesss, nD' ~
God, was ready with an answer: 81 as VI
minister, sir :" ooh well, we dont w',s
10 disturb you! Boys, d,n't mole, t" ,i'is
minister; we will let him pass.u "s.n WY )
moment, my friend" said. "IyouJJ y H.. :
TO pray with yen boys" "No. never ~, IKE
row we haint time" "Have you , rnn
ther?" asked. "Yes, sir,'' said tho sh I5'
< Does she pray: asked. ~Yes. sir .. ne;
good one,n he aaid. swell. I boz, S S.m
VIII remember her INSTRUCTION" I said. ~ Va
answered: I" z on pray for US tonight sna
hope your pra yers silI be answered i, o o,'.
behalf, and that ne nsy all get tothe oond
country" e"''I
AS shey came t1 the iadies they made ,,e-,
polite bow, and sri1. "Don't be alarmed -;
dies, we will not disturb. you" The hd;ss
.breathed much freer, ane.I for them, int.
then. They approached swo different inan ,
in our coach quite roughly, aud said. cir
you are the man think ysn are, I viii crd
your days right here, on the' spot. show
your papers, and be honest abou. il on. -
After pretty rough tnlkins%and searchin~
they passed them, and said they guessed thew
were mistaken.
After they bad got through with the good.
natured brisbman Of whom spoke, he said.
"Won'G you have drink, boys?'' "No..
SIR; lam afraid you might have IL spkaj.'
said the chief. l think the men were al Der.
fectly sober. They took no watches or lew.
elry that heard OF from the train. think
there. was nearly as much value IN these
things as they are said to have got in money.
Except ia, the use Of rough and profana Ian.
guage, the men acted as gentlemauly as they
could in, their line of business. They did
not appear disposed to destroy anything nor
to modest anything, but simply to get few
greenbacks to help them along these hard
times. They appeared in good clothing, and
their Language was not the boorish language
heard among dishonest men. As the chief
left the coach he repeated few lines OF
Shakespeare, and acted 1t out as though hs
knew howto'doH.
Their masks were thin cotton cloth drawn
over their faces and under their Chin, tied
back Of their necks. They all had hats on.
Holes were cut out for the eyes in the shape
of cone, the base being At the eyebrows and
the psin. down beside the nose. There WIS
no hole for the mouth. aud breathing through
the cloth dampene6 it, which soon collected
dust, causing it to- look black. They were not
by any means good-!ookiug Ia their outfits.
wonder the ladies did not scream or sSoon
away. Their rerolvess were tinc, large, new
ones most all OF them had three sometimes
one in each hand. or one In the right hand
and two in the belt. Is'w one OF them take
a bundle Of bills out Of bis pocket rs large
as bis double-fstsr aud rea Just it and
then put it back again. AS he went out Of
the door he said he bad only got u little mo.
ney, but $4,000 would do them little
while. Thought ut the time it was simply
an eXtravagant Boosting upon his pirt. It
was supposed by the officer asked that
they had got about $4,000.
When they got through with the search
they walked on as leisurely as any other
men toward the house in the rear Of us;
our whistle sounded, and the train started
on South.
Upon the whole, think the "job" was
done up about as finely as such "jobs could
be done by any. set Of men.
Since the "masked men" were bounl t,
have money, without giyias Vi or the rail.
road authority any warning, they have my
thanks for treating us and the ladies 80 kind
". should be glad to meet the boys again,
and give them some good advice. In The
mean time I will pray for them TIA. they
may be led to forsakc their evil course, re-
pent Of their SINS. and harden their hands
with work and honest industry Instead OIL
their hearts with crime aud robbery.
II this should fall under the eye Of any OF
them let them, remember that have no
hardness laid up against them, but shall
pray for their conversion.
This statement Is not made through any
sordid motive, or to crafty any ylndlciive
feeling upon my part, but TO show-iirs',
that it is the best way for persons ia al In
defensive condition 10 act coolly and kindly;
and, secondly, these g masked men, were
not destitute OF bouor aud sense Of The gel-
tlemanly. Tue train might have been Tired,
and there was no relief. Our satchel' c'lld
have been burned, watches aud jewelry
might have been crushed and thrown away;
the ladies mighr have been insul.cI, and
there would have been no relief, except III
the loss of life and wasted blood.
No one was. insulted, so far aS saw. NOT
q CENTS value was wasted or destroyed-noe
even paper. Alf along the road afterwards
we found many gentlemen who told Us what
we should have done. Suffice II TO say
think there were men on the train with rs
much courage and presence OF mind as y
usually allotted to men, to say the least, ana
they said, Be quiet" trust may never
see the like again. L. ID. HAGERfY.