Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-05-30
MEXICAN BANDITTL.
HiGhpay IrdU'Ids II Vas before Tho Open
ing of the Railroad. ...f.

lCof OF the New York World
The road from Mexico city to Sar
Juan del Rio used to be the worst par
of the journey to the interior when one
was obliged to travel by diligence, ant
was the part most infested by highway
robbers. These highway robbers are
by no means extinct as yet, but with the
railroads one hears much less of them.
When / arrived in this country for the
first time, some nineteen years ago,
had the pleasure of being robbed two Oh
three times both on the road to Sar
Juan del Rio and on the road to Vera
Cruz l am glad of it now, as being
robbed on the highway by the genuine
Mexican bandit is sensation soon to be
thing of the past, and 1 like leaving
the track occasionally and being shaker
up by new emotions. / was doubly
shaken at that time, remember, by the
awful motion of the diligence, and my
fright at meeting the campaneros," as
they call them.
1t is picturesque sight to see band
of Mexican "banditti" galloping down
a mountain path on magnificent horses ;
their large Mexican hats, trimmed with
gold and silver, shading their faces
their pantaloons buttoned down the side
with large silver buttons; their pistols
in their belts behind, their swords al
their sides and their serapes-a sort ol
plaid Of bright and variegated colors-
artistically thrown over one shoulder
and hiding their entire face with the ex
ception of one eye, which glares fero.
ciously on the unfortunate passengers oi
the diligence they are about to rob.
Their Captain gallops at their head and
shouts imperiously to the driver OF the
diligence to stop. Ir one trip in which
l encountered them there was a lady
among the passengers who wore hand
some diamond ring rather tight for hel
finger. In her fright she could not ge
it of, and one of the brigands said to hi
leader: "Captain, the lady cannot ge
her ring of. What are we to do2" Il,
which the ungallant Mexican Fra Diav
olo answered very coolly, "Cut her fin
ger off,"
You can easily imagine the cold shud
der that ran through us all. Fortunate
ly she at last managed to get the ring
of, and we were not forced to witness
an amputation. In another journey
more amusing incident occurred. Their,
was Bishop in the diligence, and they
robbed him of his ring. When they ha(
got through their operations, and takel
everything Of value We had, they knel
down and asked the Bishop to give then
his blessing. He told them it was i'm
possible to bless them without his ring
hoping in that way to get possession @
it. They returned him the ring and h
solemnly blessed them, but when he ha
done so they again took his ring and gal
loped off with it, leaving his Grace il
the middle of the road exclaiming
"Bandidos perversos they hav
robbed me even of my blessingW
Robberies on the Vera Cruz road a
that time were of daily occurrence, and
as the brigands possessed themselves G
the passengers clothes, l have oftel
seen, from my balcony in the Hote
Iturbide, men and women arrive naked
An Euglishman said to me once:
generally travel with two or three copie
of the London Times. You know it is
very large newspaper, and in case {
those confounded blackguards taking a
my clothes, by Jove the Times nigh
! be usefnl."