Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-02-14
A Cheshire HIghwayman-


The career Of the dashine rubber
Hieyi;is Is indeed remarkable. We first
hear of him m the West robbihs :
farrner Eoniinv home from market. and
being Transported Ia the American
plantations. There he escapes from
custody. breaks into house at Boston,
and 80, provided with funds, gets on
shipboard. and hack to his native land.
Thpn. with renewed confidence and
daring. he taksS ~ the t0ad, ard y 81
successful I. his phtsuits that be y
Enabled 10 set up house keeping at
Knutsford- the genilemsn. with
sporting dogs and ihhrOtghtred hunters.
As marries the daughter Of rcspecta-
bic family. and is much looked up 20 by
the neighbOrhOOd. and pays his way with
strict punctunliix, but some a.rhi,
when ali the world Is a-bed. he saddles
one. Of his thOroughbreds. mufiles up
its hOofs in worsted stocking, rides
silently out Of the paved courtyard. and
through the slespins ius'ri shHn dsrh"s
OH 10 some rendezvous. fifty or one
hundred miles away. Presently I
terrible affair happens at Bristol; an
old lady is found one morning murdered
and her house ransaeksds She Is known
TO have had q Considerable hoard OF
coin in Spanish dollars and doubloOns;
perhaps the old lady herself had been
the child ef bold buecaheer and the
dollars had been got. by evil tiecsis upon
The Spanish inains fiisgihs ls iht lirsi
TO bring the news 10 knutsf0rd, long
before the flying posts and weekly
mails have wind q y: snd It L nhtiesd
that soon after that Spanish money has
suddenly come into circulation about
Knutsford. where, perhaps, 4 more
cosmopolitan spirit reigned than al
present. in the way Of currency.
People might have put this and that
together. but il seems they dldn' {. for
Higgins still continued 20 move in the
best societ}, aiid one Hich. attended an
assembly At Knutsford. ruflling il among
all the county grandees- One Lady
WarburtOn. of Arly, was noticed for the
splendor Of her diamond parurc and
general display of gems and jewels, and
Higgins marked them for his own lie
left earlier than the rest, and rosie out
10 meet the WarburtOn chaise, which
presently came numbering up. Hig-
gins. trusting to the darkness Of the
night and his slouched hat and cloaks
dashed up 10 the coach; buttne lady
within, catching Sight~.of his face,
greeted him with . frisndly wasp 9f the
hand-''Oh. Hr. Higgins. WHY did you
leaYs,us so early?n The highwsyman.
abashed. muttered scme polite reioindeE
and rode OF.
His last exploit was to break open the
house Of lady of rank near Carmar-
then. \ terrible for the thorough
bred overt de Wild mountain passes; but
hsre he was caught red-handed. tried
and convicted: protesting that he was 4
gentleman Of condition. and that the
whole affair was n mistake. Apart
from these eccenfricities Of conduct,
Higgins seems 90 have been an aiiiiable
man-an show, he had secured the warm
affection uf his wife. who stood iiy him
to the last. just before the date fixed
for the execution. n rcprieve came
down. signed by Lord Shelb0rhs; btI.
: the Under Sheriff. convinced that this
WAS a forgery. refused 10 delay the
hanging. The gallOws was. as was then
usual. some little distance from the
town, and Higgins walked nj such rate
that the attendants could hardly keep
up with him. abusing the Under Sheriff
all the way. and protesting that the re-
prieve was good one. On mounting
the fatal ladder he handed n letter "a
the Sheriff. ii Is said. containing 4 full
confession Of his crimes; including the
Bristol murder. According 10 the An.
nual Register, however. he only gave :
letter to his wife. and died impenitent
A broadSheet exists purpOrti8g TO be III,
full confession in question, which Is evi
dence n all events Of the current belize
as TO his crimes.-AH nhe Year Round