Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-15
THE MAN WHO SMILES.
An AifabIe RORd-Agent-."Gentie-
men, Please Climb Down."

There is in the Detroit work-house
to day a prisoner whose smile is as
soft as a woman's, and the stranger
who meets him is i%nstinctively drawn
toward him by his clear, blue eyes,
soft voice, and gentle srAlle. And yet
that man is acceuted the shrewdest,
sharpest, and mos. - ervy" prisoner Of
the lot. The fact that two officers
rode over a thousand miles with him
h~andcuffed and shac kled aud con-
stantly watched is proof of the above
assertion, When they turned him
over at last to the custody of the
superintendent they left the following
record on the books:
Prisoner has been engaged in one
train robbery at least and in a half a
dozen stage aud highway robberius.
Has broken Jail three times and
bears the scars Of several wounds.
HAS the reputation of being .
shooter and fighter; has killed at
least three men; was a pal of Wild
Bill; is supposed to know all the lead
ing outlaws in the far West. Is sharp
and crafty, and has great nerve. Look
out for him. 0Gense highway rob
berry"
The "smiler' has not yet exhibited
the slightest desire to see the outside
wall Of the wOrkhouse, but is reported
as III of the most orderly :Gnd quiet
prisoners in the institution.
The first Deadwood-li Lint stage rob.
bed was the work ola single man. and
if that man was not the prisoner we
write Of, then he has a t win brother.
The robbery occurred jus t at sunset,
six miles from DeadwOod.. The stage
contained seven men, all we'll armed.
1t was just rounding a hicket when a
mar stepped IL front of the horses,
halted them, and quie tly said to the
driver:
IF you pull a line until I'm through
III send a bullet through your
This was accompanied by such a
soft, bland smile that the astonished
driver yelled back:
Stop your fooling, or I'll run over
you"
But the smile was deceivi ing. Up
came a navy revolver on a line with
the drivers eye, and his te eth chat
tered as he loosened the r ems and
soothed the horses. Yells al I'd shouts
were heard inside the stage, but none
OF the passengers suspected what was
happening until the road age mt pulled
open n of the doors and G allied out:
Now, then, gentlemen, please climb
down."
"Who the - are your was
shouted at him by three or four in
chorus, and his smile was hone itself
as he answered:
III introduce myself directly.
Como, g~ents-these shooters arc in a
hurry to hurt some one"
He backed of a few feet, a revolver
in either hand, and the passe myers
began climbing down.
Leave your arms in the stage y
shouted the "smiler." I'm pop the
mar who brings out any sort Of weapon
with him Come, nOIE-sun's going
down fast"
There were seven evt lvers and three
Winchester rifles among the passen-
gers, but that one nan had the bulge
on the crowd. Men are half disarmed
when surprised. Coop them up in
addition TO the surprise, and plnck is
gone. The road agent knows this,and
the fact is as good as b alf a dozen men
behind him. One by one the seven
climbed down and stood in a row, aud
as the last man left the coach the
'smiler" confronted tb c line and softly
remarked:
Il will NOV trouble you to deposit