Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-02-04
Threw up your Hands.

llshed, but none so accurate, detailed
and amusing as that gwen by the ven
erable frontiersman himself before hi;
departure for Europe.
L was on my way cast said be, in
a four-horsc stage-the mail-stagc that
runs between Sante Fe and Las Vergas,
the terminus Of the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fc Railroad. Ny only fel.
low-passenger was Mr.. J. L. Strahan, a
New York lawyer. We had ridden all
day, and were within five miles CT Las
Vergas. 1t was just getting dusk,
when suddenly the coach stopped.
What's the matter?' called out.
Get out here, and you'll sec what's
the matter, the driver answered.
i did get out, and was met by a
masked man with a double barreled
shotgun. He ordered me to throw up
my hands. said that | would not do
it. Then he ordered me to 60 to the
side Of the road and sit down. 1 told
him l intended to stand up and sec
what was going en-. lie swore some
and ordered one Of the other men (lhere
we're three Of them) to search that old
feller.' They did so, and found NY
greenbacks. How much? Well, Alright
smart bunch-some that | had got to-
gether to go to Eugland With. They
didn't get my watch or my silver that
time.
Don't point that gun at me- | said.
4 don't know but it's loaded. 1t might
20 Off and kill me, and l tell you if you
kill me You'll get yourselfln trouble
I've got lots of friends around here. and
they'll make it warm for you, 1 tell
you.' He laughed and SAID he wouldn't
get hung if he did. He'd only get sent
up twenty years. told him if l had a
pistol I'd send him up in about twenty
seconds: You know / never carry a
plstol-I don't believe in it, aud am q
nonresident on principle. My people
were Quakers. We'll, after we had this
conversation the leader and his men
were rummaging around. We'll, l
guess you'd better search the antedilu-
Wan, again. The man looked me over
again. and pulled my gold watch out Of
my pocket.
Now, don't take that l said, lit has
got my name on it, and will lead 10
your detection
'D-n his watch, said the leader.
so they left it, and, turning to
Strahan, took his watch and chain and
$500 in money. All this time the
leader was covering me with the shot
gun. saw one of the men beginning
10 overhaul the mail-bags, land l stepped
forward.
Stop said the leader.
L told him 1 wanted to see what the
man was doing.
Stay where you are,' he said.
'ButI wanted to see, and so walked
along as l talked, and stood by the
mall-bags. Then 1 advised the man
not to cut the bag, but to cut the strap.
He did so. Then 1 told him to pour
out the letters and he did that. He
began to tear the letters 10 pieces.
Now stop said I, tear of the ends
carefully. You won't get any thing
there, this is Mondays mail, and no
one sends money in Mondays mall
Most all them letters are love letters.
Our boys out here having girls in the
States, and l hate to have their love
torn up
And so the fellow did tear off the
ends carefully. He didn't find any
money in the first bag, and that was all
he opened. 1 told him the other bags
contained only newspapers and way
mails, and he believed me. l had a
basket Of lunch in the stage, and | said
to the leader:
There is some lunch in there. We
might all take bite
oh. you shut up, he said, and laugh
ed, and then said:
L guess you'd better go through that
reverend gentleman again. and they
did, and got bag OF silver 1 had
While the man was searching me he
he turned his side to me, and l saw the
butt of pistol IN his belt. l made a
grab at it and he jerked around. AS
he did SO the cloth he had over his face
was pushed aside, and saw his face.
afterward identified that man. Well,
by talking and joking kept those fell
lows there an hour and quarter by my
watch. Within a mile Of us there were
3. 900 men at work on the railroad, and
I hoped some would come. At last
eightmen did come along-Mexicans
with hay. When one saw us he picked
up two stones and ran toward us. The
leader threw up his gun.
'Ifany of yeu can speak Spanish, he
said. tell that fellow if he comes here
shall shoot him. Some one did tell the
man, and he and the rest ran away
Then the robbers ordered the dryer L
take the harness off the horses, anC
throwing our blankets and Overcoats OF
them the robbers rode of. They tool
that Navajo blanket there that an
gong 10 take to England with me, anC
give to Queen Victoria. Two day
later the blankets were found along tn,
railroad, and the shotgun broken.
drew eighteen buckshot from one bar
rel. From these blankets the mel
were tracked to a dance house, an,
found dancing. These trousers wer
covered with hair from the horses. o.