Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-25
Thirteen FuIl.Gr0wn Men Quietly
Robbed by q Mellow-Holced
Brigand.

BrIgand.
II. NJ. Burton, the alleged stage rob-
Der, who was arrested in Pueblo and
brought to Denver, had his preliminary
examination before Judge Brace yes
terday afternoon. Burton Is charged
with robbing the stage running be-
tween Del NOrte and Alamosa about
midnight on the night OF June 20. The
robbery was one of the most audacious
in the annals OF highway robbery, and
links the name of the perpetratOr with
that Of Billy lie Roy. The story of the
deed is best told in the words Of j. b.
Mcmillan, OF Del Norte, one of the VIC
Tins of tho robbery. and who was the
first and principal witness for the pros
ecution In the examination Of yester-
day. He said in substance;
There were eight men and n
inside the coach. and four men
beside the driver on top. was among
the latter, sitting beside the driver. Ii
was about midnight, 1 should think,
and about twenty miles from nel
Norte, when we were halted. II was
very dark. and we were Just turning a
bend In the road when the word came
TO halt. There was only one man visi-
BILE, to the left and about ten feet ahead
OF the coach. The robbcr was stand
ing behind q piece of canvas stretched
alongside the road, and had a revolver
pointed directly at myself and the
driver. He told us calmly to deliver
ourselves and he would not harm us,
but that If we made q bad break he
would shoot. was on the side next 10
the robber, and ] Immediately gotdown
from my seat followed by the driver.
After we got down the robber came
from behind the canvas and placed
over our heads n cloth cap, which
came down 10 ouT shoulders and COM
pletely blinded us. He then ordered
va 10 stand still, and himself
went TO the stage door and
ordered the occupants to come
out, one at q time, and take their
positions In line alongside the driver
aud myself. Ho told the passengers
not TO make any unnecessary move
ments, rs they were all covered by the
gum of his men in concealment, and
their lives were in jeopardy. After the
passengers were Ell in line. he put caps
similar TO mine over their faces, tied
their hands behind their backs, and
then proceeded TO rifle their pockets.
He took nothing but money. Every
thing else he would replace just where
he got IL from. l do not know how
much money he got. From me he got
about $40, which he took from my
pocketbook, replacing the pooketbook
after taking the money out. He had q
light burning in front of the canvas,
behind which was n reflector, which
shed tho rays directly in our faces. He
occupied about fifteen minutes in the
search. He then ordered us 10 kneel.
which we did. all in n row, and he pro-
ceeded TO rifle the mail-bags. The
woman, at his bidding, held the light
for him while he did this. He opened
only two sacks, / believe, He kept us
knceling about half an hour. He kept
talking all the time, using good Ian
guage. In fact, during the whole time
of the robbery he was very gentleman
ly. He had n soft. mellow voice. He
was not nervous or quick, but did the
work in q busincsslike manner He was
q man nearly six feet in height, smooth
face, had n heavy light mustache, and
would weigh perhaps 1876 pounds. lie
had on a dark hat and coat, and was
not disguised in any way. After no
had robbed the mail he skipped of into
the darkness. When we found he had
left, W. removed our caps, united each
others hands, picked up the remnants
O the mail-bags and the mail, and pro-
Ceeded OF TO Alamosa. II is my opin-
ion now that he did the work alone, and
that his comrades being in the bushes
was all a hoax.n-Deaver Republican.