The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-02-11
IFrom the Mesilla IN. NJ News.l

lhioiit ic ~ NH't W
About 9 o'clock Wednesday morning,
January IL, as the coach which was
coming from Silver City to Mesilla, N.
NJ, was slowly going up the bad rocky
hill at Cooks Canyon, three white men,
masked with handkerchiefs tied above
their eyes and below their eyes, with
blankets on, stepped out from behind
the rocks, aimed their guns and revolt
vers at Lancaster, the driver, and said:
"Get down and stand ut the head of
your mules, and don't you move or let
the mules move, or we will shoot you"
lie quietly complied with the order.
Upon being asked, the driver told them
young Fred. Kaiser wa the messenger,
and they went to the front boot, told
him to &" get out OF there" and % he
looked out he found a revolver in close
proximity 10 his head, and was ordered
90 "get down on the ground" which
he did, and one asked him show many
passengers you got?" lie told him two.
lie then said: "Tcll them to jump
out" There were in the coach at the
time John s. Chisum, Esq, the Scat
tie King" OF the West, and Hon. r. +.
Conway, attorney-at-law, and were both
asleep.
Mr. Chisum woke up, heard the last
remark, and thinking it was the driver
talking to the messenger, and wanting
them to walk up the rocky canyon,
threw back the curtains and jumped
cat, but Immediately found q revolver
aimed at him, with the order, "Ilalt!
don't you move" and "Have you got
any arms?" to which he replied, "No,
he never carried any arms, but had to
step to the side of the road," 10 which
they did not object, but got Mr.. Con-
way out, and then started for the treas
nre in the express box, which was I'M
der the front seat, having obtained the
key from the messenger.
There was only one revolver about the
coach, and that was in the front boot.
Mr.. Chisum had 1000 in greenbacks
in his inside coat pocket, and while the
silver bricks were being taken out he
kept taking from 600 to S2O0 ut time
from his pocket-book, without taking it
out of his pocket, and would scatter
it around in the seat Of his pants and
drawers, leaving about 800 in the
pocket-book. One soon came, got the
300 and a very fine gold watch, mark
ed "G. Co.; also a heavy gold chain. lie
told them ait would prove q bitter pill
for taking It," As the robber was about
to start away, Mr.. Chisum said: "Now,
this is pretty rough; I am a long way
from home; l don't like to beg; please
give me enough to buy .grub' on the
road" and the fellow gave him 81,
saying, "Small favors," etc.
Mr.. Conway, who has been quite sick
ly and weak Of late, wa next visited and
relieved of S25 in small bills, while they
left him s35 which was not found, and
also took a fine gold watch and chain,
for which Mr.. Conway would not have
taken $500.
The messenger was relieved Of about
800, while the driver was not molested
they probably thinking that he had
nothing worth asking for. They secur
ed about $4,000 in silver bricks, and,
with the other things, amounting to
$4,000. Three bricks were marked
'From II. NJ. Porter" and three "From
j.. F. Bennett" and all addressed:
Kountz Bros, N. Y.
After getting through all operations,
they ordered the driver to ''turn and
take the back track to Hot Springs, and
if they passed there before daylight they
would shoot all aboard" The driver
remarked that it wa impossible to turn
there, but he would be compelled to go
ahead a short distance to turn, when
they dropped their guns and pistols on
him and he turned easier than he first
thought he could, and started back but
after travelling about an hour, Mr.. CHS
UNI insisted on resuming their proper
course, saying, 'the coaches generally
passed each other in the canyon, and if
they were taking in the other coach, lie
wanted TO see the fun"
They turned again, met the coach
coming from the east, which had been
delayed in crossing the river, and they
said they passed the party about a mile
east of where they robbed the coach
coming out of the canyon on their
horses, but it not being very light, they
passed without a word, as the coach
going west seldom has any thing of
much value aboard.
This bold and daring robbery &C.