The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-12-03
THE SEVEN RULES
Which Govern the Business of tas
Successful Road Agent.
Two Captive Highwaymen Reveal
Some OF Their Tricks or Trade
Treatment of the Lady
Passengers. Hlee

&~SS0&
tCloverdale Call Cor. New York SUM-
The perpetrators of the stage robberies in
this vicinity have been discovered in the
persons of two young men, less than 20 years
of age, who embarked in the business early
in the summer with the intention of living
well in the large cities of the country during
the winter. They are strangers here, one of
them, Billy Corbett, calming to live In San
Franc isco, and the other, John Dwyer, hail
ing from the east. When the Wells Fargo
men overhauled tkem they were preparing
for one more raid, which they had agreed
should be their last Before leaving here the
detectives got a long story out of their pris-
oners, who regarded themselves as very
clever thieves. Having made up their minds
that they will have to serve out long SEN
tence, and that nothing will avail hem as a
defense, they are making merry over
bad Job. q t-i
"The way of it was just this" observed
Corbett. my partner here and I met in
San Francisco last May, and we agreed on
this little enterprise We saw by the papers
that stages were being held up in all parts Of
the state and we concluded to try it. The
first one we tackled was down in the noun
tains, 100 miles south OF here, and we got
nothing but a little silver from the driver
and some good advice. He says: See here
you fellers You're green at the business
and know it. When you order up stags
just you remember also to call for 'em TO
throw off the box. The box is the thiFg
that's got the dust in. l don't happen to have
any just now, but that's what you're after
We tried it next time on the Oroville lise,
but it so happened that that driver didn't
have any box, and we had to stand the
passengers up.
ave made great reputation that time.
In fact, that is what we were trying to do
everywhere. The papers got it all in about
our being courteous and gallant No one
ever tried harder in that line than we did.
Down near Mendocino once, when big fell
low hit me across the.mouth with walking
stick as big as my wrist, didn't say any
thing. We simply robbed little more
thoroughly, taking his coat, vest, and hat.
I've got them on now. After we got our
hand In we found things worked good deal
better. We got SO we could do up stage in
four minutes from the first yell, and if they'd
let us alone we would have lowered that
record little. There's an awful sight for
beginner to learn in the business. 1t makes
me mad to think that some butcher will be
agoing over this route next summer, making
bad breaks. What we intended to do was to
get away from here this week and go east
for the winter. Then next summer we in
tended to come back again, unless we struck
something"
Dwyer assented to all that was said, OBJ
serving that his luck had always been bad.
When his partner ceased talking he said:
"There is something in the air Of California
that makes a travelling man a chump It's
just as my partner says. You have got an
awful sight to learn. I am thinking some of
hrnIy fhac cfonr rSV1rrh hHxcfr I
could give some of these fellows a few points.
There ought to be some authority which the
young might use as guide All the old road
agents are gone, and the only way a new
conner can get along is to learn by experience.
Now, as it viii be good while before have
any use for stage coaches again, will give
you few precepts. iia 'sa1i a--
ain the first place, never appear to be in
hurry-that is, in nervous hurry. just keep
bustling about as though it was very disa-
greeable duty that must be attended to.
Second - Never get scared at all.
There is no danger. Just keep
your weapons handy, and don't
take your eye off your victims. Third-Re-
member that the big haul is generally in the
treasure box or the mail sack, and that
neither the driver nor the passengers carefor
either Of them They will not make them
selves obnoxious about them and you may
depend upon 1t if you work it right. Fourth
Don't be too hoggish in going through the
passengers themselves. Just take what
comes handy and no more. This is portic
ularly wise rule to follow when you have a
heavy treasure box-and fat mail bag. If
you exasperate passenger he may fight II
you simply relieve him of what comes
handy, and don't appear as If you
were In very needy circumstances your
selves, or as IL you wanted to bank
rupt him, you Will gain his admiration
and gratitude Fifth-h there are ladies
abroad assure them the first thing that they
will not be disturbed Make them stand up,
and watch them, of course, for they are
treacherous: but when you come to them in
the line Just say that you never rob the fair
sax, and hand them back their things. You'll
make it up In the long run. Sixth-Look
out for yourself every minute you are at the
Job Some of the most Misunderstanding
men ever saw had the hardest and heaviest
dsts One fellow down here ON the big tree
road todd me he was consumptive, and five
minutes afterward, when he hit me back of
the ear I thought a tree had fallen on me-.
Seventh-Pay no attention to the driver.
He's used to it, and as long as no one offers
to shoot he doesn't worry. e.5. &
II have met some very sociable drivers in
my day that would like to describe, but
will not bother about them now. The idea
conveyed in all these precepts Is to do the
work without friction and make no enemies.
The box and the bag being heavy you can
afford to be easy on the passengers II they
do not lose much and are well treated, they
are rather proud of the experience, and they
never tire Of reciting the details. This makes
them your friends-that is, you've got no
bowling, wild-eyed avengers on your trail
except the Wells-F Fargo and United States
sharps, and you can dodge them after you're
used to it. I'll bet you the whole pile I've
made this summer that if I knew month
ago what know now no u els-Fargo man
would ever have run me down"
GThat's all true, every word of it." broke
In Corbett. ave learned a good deal one
dav coming over the mountains. We had
been of for tile recreation, and coming
back here in the stage three big fellows with
shotguns stopped us. My partner and were
on the front seat on the inside, and we were
very anxious to see how they did the work
Well, they were slick ones We stood up in
a row with the rest of the passengers, and
when one Of them caSae along to me | said,
sI,m member of the profession whis-
pered it gently, 30 the Others wouldn't hear
me, and he looEs at me sharp like, and says
loud, so all COY Id hear him. IS that sos We
never rob preachers And he handed me
beck the little roll of bills which he had taken
from me. Well, rather admired the CHAP
for his geniality, but it cut me up dreadful
to be called q preacher. 1t was all right,
though There's where we learned good
deal of what we know now.
E0vptolog,sts have discovered that Geo