Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-07-05
A Robbers Story.

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metallic ring at each movement, Henry
w. Burton confessed murderer and mail
robher. sat wearily on the bench ia n
cell iu the Central station, where he was
brought from the prison in Detroit, last
evening by United States Marshal
Matthews, of Michigan. Burton never
smoked cigar or pipe, or use / tobacco
in any other form, nor has he ever taken
a drink OF Intoxicating liquor. He never
swears, and he said last evening that
the sound of an oath cuts him like a
knife. He was born IN Texas. My
father was a ranchman,' SAID he: hi'
name was White, aud my right name
is Samuel White. When [ WAS thirteen
yeals of age my father was sho. by
James Brown in quarrel. 1t was
when | was tweuty-one years oil age
that [ met Brown for the first tiue. Ii
was in a camp in Rockdale county,
Texas. | was told who he was. Step
ping IN front Of him exclaimed, You
are ny falher's murderer and before
he had tried 10 draw pistol, shot
him through the heart. l was arrested
afterward for the offence, and served a
short term Of impris sonment. Alter a
discharge l began my career as a mail
robber, or train.agent. l stopped a
mail express 10 Rockdale county, Tex
as. There were fourteen passengers
in the stage. You would hardly think
it possible that one man should intimi-
date so many, but 1 erected dummies
that in the dark looked Ike men sur
rounding the vehicle. Then l made the
passengers step out Oft coach, one
bv one. after first attending to the div
er and the guard by crippling them with
n shot apiece from my revolver. AS
the passengers alighted threw black
hoods over their eyes and fastened their
hands behind their backs. l got $4,000
from this haul, but was arrested soon
after and sentenced 10 an Imprisonment
for life. 1 was pardoned through the
influence Of friends within two wears.
4 went to Colorado. l cannot tell
how it was, but after drifting about for
q time returned 10 my old pursuits
One dark night about year ago learn
ed that the stage On the road between
Dreadnought and Aramosa, in Colora-
do, was full of passengers and carried a
rich mail. ! erected several canvass
tents and built dummies looking Ike
men on both sides Of the road. bar
red the road with two poles fastened
forkwise. Shortly after midnight the
vehicle came dashlng along the road.
The horses caught on the stakes and
rolled to the ground. Oae by one l
ordered the driver and passengers TO
alieht. There were fourteen passengers
any one of whom could have knocked
me down, for | am cripple, remember
but out they came as gentle as lambs
looked at my dummy men and tremb
led with fear. After my trial III the
september term Of court, 1881, ID Col
orado, was being taken from Chicago
10 Detroit when l disarmed the sherin
and bis two deputies who had me IL
custody. This was in the cars, nae
the sherif7s revolver pointed at his
head. In an instant more would have
blown his brains out, but passenger
Miss Alice Smith, q lady whom nae
never seen before, aud whom L have
never met since, threw herself upon me
begging for The sheriff's life. L think
am too tender hearted. Escape wal
omen for me, but Miss Smith called out
Think of tie mans wife and children.
Without q word handed the revolYe
hack 10 the sheriff, and submitted with
out any sound of complaint 10 havln!
shackles placed upon my hands an
feet.