Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-11-19
The Man Who Smiles-A Road Agent
With a Record.

stranger who meets him is instinctively
drawn toward him by his clear, blue
eye, soft voice and gentle smile. And
yet that very man is accounted the
shrewdest, sharpest and most "nervy"
prisoner of the lot. The fact that two
officers rode over thousand miles with
him, handcuffed and shackled and con-
stantly watched, is proof of the above
assertion. When they turned him over
ut last to the custody of the Superin-
tendent they left the following record
on the books.
prisoner has been engaged in one
train robbery at least, and in half a
dozen stage and highway robberics
Has broken Jail three times aud bears
the scars of several wounds. Has the
reputation of being a shooter and a
fighter; has killed at least three men;
was pal of Wild Bill; is supposed to
know all the leading outlaws in the far
West. Is sharp and crafty and has
great nerve. Look out for him. Of
Tense, highway robbery"
The " Smiler" has not yet exhibited
the slightest desire to see the outside
walls of the Work-house, but is re-
ported rs one of the most orderly and
quiet prisoners in the institution.
The first Deadwood line stage robbed
was the work of a single man, and if
that man was not the prisoner we write
OF, then he has twin brother. The
robbery occurred just at sunset, six
miles from Deadwood. The stage con
tanned seven men, all well armed. 1t
was just rounding thicket when
man stepped in front of the horses,
halted them, and quietly said to the
driver:
I" If you pull a line until | am through
III send bullet through your head!n
This was accompanied by such soft,
bland smile that the astonished driver
yelled back:
"Stop your fOoling, or I'll run over
you"
But the smile was deceiving. Up
came a navy revolver on line with the
drivers eye, and his teeth chartered as
he loosened the reins and soothed the
horses. Yells and shouts were heard
inside the stage, but none of the passen-
gers suspected what was happening I'M
til the road-agent pulled open one of the
doors and called out:
Now, then, gentlemen, please climb
down."
"Who the dickens are you?n was
shouted at him by three or four in Choir
us, and his smile was honey itself as he
answered:
"I'llintroducc myself directly. Come,
gents-these shooters are in q hurry tC
hurt some one!"'
He backed off few feet, revolver in
either hand, and the passengers began
climbing down.
"Leave your arms in the stage!"
shouted the "Smiller." "I'll pop the
man who brings out any sort of weapon
with him! Come, now-sun's going
down fast!n
There were seven revolvers and three
Winchester 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, and the fact is as
good as half dozen men behind him.
One by one the seven climbed down and
stood in a row, and as the last man left
the coach the "Smiler" confronted the
line and softly remarked
81 will now trouble you to deposit
your watches and money on the
ground!"
With many groan and curse and
sigh the request was complied with.
Those who had wallets lost all; those
who had divided their money in differ
ent pockets saved half. Two of the
seven had no watches to lose. After the
last man had "deposted" the robber
pointed to the open door of the stage
and said
cts tough country, and ! won't
take your weapons. Please climb in.
As the last man mounted the step the
robber slipped behind the coach and
called to the driver to 90 on at gallop,
at the same time firing three bullets
over the coach to start things with Il
rush. Half 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 after the robbery
related above, the "Smiler" was half
asleep in a Custer City saloon, when in
came sharp known rs "Grizzly," ac-
companied by three or four men, whose
admiration for his brag and buster
made them his hackers. "Grizzly"
wanted to fight some one, but he want
ed to pick his man. When he saw the
"Smiler" doing away in his chair he
thought he had discovered q "tender-
foot" whom he could wallop. Without
a word of warning he advanced and
pulled the sleeper's nose. The soft
smile came to the little mans face as
he slowly rose up, and his voice was no
more than a whisper rs he inquired:
stranger, did ye mean thatP"
"You bet!n
"Then SIGH of this crowd as don't like
bullets had better git"
Three or four men rushed out Just as
the revolvers commenced to speak.
The "Smiler was alone-the bully
had three hackers. For three or four
minutes there was constant pop! pop!
of revolvers, and then two of "Grizzly's"
friends rushed out and ran away, both
wounded. Those who rushed in found
the bully down and severely wounded
and the other one stone dead, while the
"Smiler' was sitting on bench re-
loading one of his revolvers. Thirty
shots had been fired at him from dis
tancc of twelve feet, and yet he had re.
ceived only one slight flesh wound.
One day rs four men rode out from