The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-11-28
MEXICAN BRIGANDS.
A Description of the Way They Capture n
Stage-COach
Laborins on Railways More Remunerative
Than Highway Robbery.

| The country that MOntezuma ruled and
Cortez conquered is the paradise of robbers, :"
| he quoted.
| "Realy?'
| No, not now. The past tense should be
used by this author, Campbell believe. But
1t was once, and not many years ago. In 1873
| from the petty thief who stole ones handkcr-
chief to the daring highwayman who swoopcd
upon a convoy OF bullion and was eager for Il
Tray with Its escort. Then in every quarter of
| the land OF God and liberty when night hung
| its sable mantle over the impurities of the in
habitants. the rObber and bravo issued from
MS lair with knife, sword and laSSO Even the
glare OF the monday sun was insufficient for
protection. remember that the press repeat
cdly called the attention Of the authorities to
the holiness and the frequency of deprrda
| tons committed during the time for the sicstn
mere was scarcely a road in Mexico not
infested with bandits and travellers had
some years since, in the City of Mexico under
inc eye Oh the highest authorities of the land
the denlIcns were kept in Il frenzy of appr,-
| hensi0n by band of robbers by midnight
called EuSdbadocS, who piled their nefarious
vocation for months before they were over
taken by tardy justice, They had Il habit of
stripping stark naked and rubbing their skins
with grease, thus rendering their seizure and
retention almost impossible. Many towns were
pllaged. The robbers invariably pretended to
| De inGcnscd patriots, whose rights had been
| tralnpled ON by the temporary government
against whom they declared they would soon
issue Il prOnunciamentO.
| ITO Mexican pilladO the sight of a mcscal
>n0p, Oh whose tempting beverages he was I'M
ape 10 lftrtakc, was sufficient incentive to
the commission of any crime which would en-
lDie MN 10 ct his ScnSlality run riot and WOO
the hckle goddess at the monte table. Break
laSllng ON sunbeam and dining ON a cigar
ette he had nothing to lose 10y Imprisonment
Though polite to his victims the order 'caya en-
Terra uace 10 the groundl was always followed
by the thought FL cuchillO no serena nj trlI-
cna the knife makes no nOiscJ. He had the
rnbblllg OF stage coaches reduced to Il science
The process, however, was very simple. Thirty
or forty mounted mcrrSuddcniy appeared, each
with a.lotdcd rifle presented al the prisoners
Someoi these, a mcricans, might have thought
as Americans who are prone to blu1ling, do
tilat all that would be necessary was to pull
bowie or one or those nccdc-pOntcd Catalan
knives found in the country, rub the mlIZze of
colts revolver under brigand's nose ana
| cry, Villain, bcg"nc" but if they did
their plan OF defence. But let me read the
| narrative OF IL friend of mine. Here it is.
line nfst thing we knew: Sayshe some fif
horses were stopped. Before had time to turn
| around had u revolver pointed al each side OF
| my head, and was told To hand over my
money had S"NN il, notes but had hidden
that III one of the cushions, and had only s. OF
| So i'll silver in my pocket. They helped them
| selves to my watch and everything else in my
pockets that cared anything for; but my hav-
ing so little money seemed ty excite their sus-
pclOilS ana one OF them took me to one side of
| the road, away from the coach, making me
bring n; along a small s.t.h. that was carrying
with me he tnld me to take OF my clothes
and did. The ,atchc! contained an old suit of
| light clothes belonging to a friend OF mine
| much too small FOR me: blu lac said he thought
my clothes would about tit him and he made
| me put on the Old ones. He hid not take time
to search the pockets, as he was taking clothes
and all: hut when told him SOOuld need two
| or three meals and lodging before | got to
| the end of my journey, he gave me back the 81
| or - in silver. But he left me il bad-loOking
| specimen of humanity. in the little old suit OF
| clothes, though was better off than most of
| the passengers for they were sitting around
| in their undcrclOtheS, and Inc woman, whose
| clothes had been stolen, was wrapped up in a
horse blanket Then, -, but that's enough to
| give You an idea of how the operation was
| conducted Very fortunately of this occasion
Ms troops were within some fifty miles
of the scene and as the brigands
| had ample time they did not expedite matters
| by killing first and rObbng afterwards, II GUS
tom quite common.
| PRIESTS were a tavOrite prey with the Mex
| lean robbers; Assuming an appearance of hl-
| mity the robber approached with many genll
| tieXi0us and in melliiluOus tones requested
aims, request equivalent to IL demand for the
| holy mans valuables. The priests cOmmonl,
orally known the coach in which they took
passage seldom escaped being halted. When
| they had nothing they were asked for a bles-
| sing. Nothing, father? Then your blessing
please, the hrigand would eXclaim, uncOvcrng
| his head and bending his knee. When several
priests took passage i'll one coach it was about
| impossible to get any other passengers. 1T
| will certainly he stopped for toll the people
| would say. When toll was taken, the natives.
| probably accustomed to being despUicd from
| infancy, seldom offered resistance, general,
| pretGrrlng TO pay Quantity to the
| first band of robbers Q.4u"untered, which would
! exempt them from furtherdCmands on the road
| Whenever travellers stopped at Il station TO,
| the night their haggagc was examined and if il
| grave promise Of rich booty they were almost
| sore to be halted at the next Chappar1il "
| us there no hrigan,lugc now
7 ivory little III comparison with that of sew
| uT3l Years I-O. There arc two cauScS. The
| enforcement of the strict laws which have OBJ
| tanned during the father peaceful administra-
| ton OF the present government, and railway
| building. Tn" last is the principal. The state
| ment may seem strange but il il rue that tn,
| wages of Il railway labOrer are deemed better
| than tn" suppNslti.iOusly munfccnt share of a
| member OF Il band of brigandS. The brigand
| made large haIlS at times but his life was often
| mperilled and he had To spend money freely
| to escape the huizcadc. When railway build
| ing was begun and from one to two ;iolhl1S -
| day was offered for lahOrers the shrcwdcst OF
| the robbers embraced the opportunity to grow
| suddenly FiCh without having themselves
| liable To fall with bullet i'll their brains, and IL
| these were the chiefs the others were eager to
| likewise obtain what they declared to be NOR,
| rcmuneratiVe employment Since then ,nciI
wages have declined to from half Collar to six
| hits day but, the authorizes having become
vlgiant; comparntiy"'N few have resumed
| their old VOCATION, though most all pilfer in "A
small way whenever they find an opportunity
! Speaking of the authorities, 10y the wa,, re
| minds me that they are executing AL old law
| which positively prohibits gamhliH.. They arr,
IautoCratic in McNIcG, YOU SNOW, ana when the
| command is given THERE Is nothing TO be done
/, tut To 0i,GY, So ~ they have SAIL there shall
| hC no gambling there viii 10 none at InnSt
| Openly tnf ZONE time. and American games
| tcrS who prnp.I-,' tOattCnd the fieStaS NAV meet
! with reception similar to that of an acGuaint
! ance OF mine who was ordered away, layout
and baggage, on pain of imprisonment"
I