The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-11-22
THE MAN WHO SMILES.
Gentlemen, Please Climb Down.

There is in the Detroit workhouse to-day a
prisoner whose smile is as soft and sweet as a
woman's, and the stranger who meets him IS
instinctively drawn towards shin by his clear,
blue eye, soft voice and gentle smile. And
yet that mau is ccounte the s'arpest,
shrewdest and most "nervy'' prisoner of the
lot. The fact that two officers rode over a
thousand miles with him handcuffed and
shackled and constantly watched, is proof of
the above asser ton. When they turned him
over at last to the custody of the superintend-
ent they left the following record OH the
Dooks:
'Prisoner has been engaged in one train
robbery at least, and in half a dozen stage
and highway robberies.
"Has broken Jail three times, and bears the
scars of several wounds.
"Has the reputation of being a shooter and
a fighter; has killed at least three men; was a
pal of Wild Bill; is supposed to know all the
leading outlaws ia the far West. Is sharp
and crafty, and has great n Look out
for him. Ofience: Highway robbery"
The "Smiler" has not yet exhibited tbs
slightest desire to see the outside walls of
the workhouse, but is reported as one of
the most orderly and quiet prisoners in the
institution.
The first Deadwood line stage robbery was
the work of a single man, and if that man
was not the prison we write of then he had
a W in brother. The robbery occurred just
at sunset six miles from Deadwood. The
stage contained seven N IN all well armed
1t was just rounding d thicket when a man
stepped in front of hoI es, halted them,
and quietly said to the driver:
off you pull a line until l am through I'll
send a bullet through your head"
This was accompanied by such a soft,
bland smile, that the astonished driver yelled
back:
"Stop your fooljng or I'll run over you'll"
But the smile was deceiving. Up came a
navy revolver on line with the drivers eye,
and his teeth chartered as be loosened the
leins and soothed the horses. Iells and
shouts were heard inside the stage, but none
of the passengers suspected what was hap
peuing until the. road agent pulled open one
of the doors and called out
Snow, then, gentlemen, please climb
down."
"Who the - are you !" was shouted at
him by three or four in chorus, and his smile
was honey itself as he answered:
an introduce myself directly. Come.
gents-these shooters are in a hurry to hurt
some one ~
He backed off a few feet, a revolver in
either hand, and the passengers began climb
inc down.
"Leave your arms in the stage! - shouted
the .'omiler.' ':l'il pop the man who brings
out any sort Of a weapon with him! Come,
now-sun's going down fast :"
There were seven reyolvers and three Win
chester rifles among the passengers, but that
one man had the bulge on the crowd. Men
are half disarmed when surprised. Coop
them up in addition TO the surprise and pluck
is gone. The road agent knows this, ana the
fact is as good as half a dozen men behind
him. One by one the seven climbed down
and stood in a row, and as the last man lett
the coach the "Smiler' confronted the line
and softly remarked:
II VIII now trouble You to deposit youf
watches and money on the ground!'
With many a groan, and curse, and sigh,
the request was complied with. Those who
had wallets lost all those who had divided
their money in different pockets saved half.
Two of the seven had no watches TO lose.
After the last man had "deposited" the rob
49,, ,.s,t,l d, thn ana, J,nr 81 Tho otaUn anH
said:
dts a tough country, gentlemen, and l
will not take your weapons. Please climb
ill.,"
AS the last man mounted the step the rob-
Der slipped behind the coach and called to
the driver to go OH at a gallop, at the sa'ne
time firing three bullets over the coar'' 10
start ihings with a rush. Half a mile away
the coach halted, and the seven victims
jumped down with their arms, but The
"Smiler" had disappeared with his booty.
Less than a month ago after the robbery re-
lated above, the 'Smiler' was half asleep in
a Custer City saloon when in came a sharp
known as "Grizzly," accompanied by three
or four men whose admiration for his brag
and buster made them his hackers. "Griz
z,y' wanted to fight some one, bat he wanted
to pick his man. When he saw "Smiler"
doing away in his chair he thought he had
discovered a stenderfoot' whom Re could
wallop. Without a word of warning he adj
vanced and pulled the sleeper's nose. The
soft smile came to the little mans face as he
slowly rose up, aud his voice was no more
than a ' whisper as he inquired
s'Stranger, did you mean that ?"
W. Lat ~