The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-12-02
WESTERN nIGHwAyMEN.



Conduct of Western Road Agents.
DIR. Yarrow, of this city, was stood up
by road agents" during his recent trip
out West. 1.-THE real thing" he says, "is
not like what you read about. The robbers
aren't at all polite They don't walk up to
you with their hats in their hands, in that
chivalrous way you read about, and tell you
they are very sorry to disturb you, &c. All
least the ones who took my gold watch and
all my money, out in the wilds of Arizona,
didn't do anything of that sort. They may
have been amateurs. They were in great
hurry and were very rough and brutal,
cursing at and abusing us in the worst kind
of way while they robbed us. had n sort
of presentiment when--we started out that
we would meet with some adventure When
asked the stage driver if there was not
danger of being stopped by road agents
and robbed he laughed at the idea and
assured me that was just as safe in his
stage for that trip as if l were in Washing
ton. This route was never robbed he
declared. But, said I, one of the cow
boys tells me that you were stood up about
two years ago. He lies, was the brusque
reply. He's been trying to guy you.' So
we went off contented My revolver was
safely slowed away in my valise. We were
just nearing two big sandstone boulders,
and was saying. Well, if we are stopped,
it will be at one of two places. One is right
here and the other - At this point
was cut short. The stage came to stop
very abruptly between the two rocks. One
man stood with Winchester repeating rifle
covering us, while another covered the
driver. Two others stood in the road -one
in front and one behind us-while q fifth
was at some distance holding the horses.
They wore those long, yellow oilcloth coats,
buttoned high above their nechs and coming
almost to the ground, and had broad, white
sombreros pulled down over their eyes, and
each had q big red handkerchief tied over
his face, so as to cover all below the eyes.
They cursed and abused us roundly, and
told us to jump out, and be quick about it,
which we did. Then they stood us up in
line and made us hold our hands up. One
kept us covered with his Winchester while
the other, with q cooked revolver in his
right hand, went through us for money and
yaluables. He kept the pistol pointed at
the head of each as he searched him, using
his left hand for the searching. All the
time they poured forth a volley of abuse
and made themselves altogether as disagree
able as possible. They seemed very much
excited, and fellows hand that held the pis-
toll trembled SO that feared it would 90 off
accidentally. l called his attention TO this
danger when he was searching me. Look
here, my man. said, there's no use get
ting excited That pistol might go off.
You've got the drop ON us. We aren't fools
enough to show fight. There's our money
and goods. Take them, but be q little civil
about it, He only cursed me roundly for
my advice, and said if didn't keep still
he'd blow the top OF my head of. So kept
STILL They took all our money and every
thing of any value we had, besides the mail
pouch. Then they let US go. After we got
about four miles away they changed their
minds and came afttr us again. I don't
know what they wanted unless it was to
kill US but we didn't care to wait to find
out. We put our mules on dead run and
raced them foi our lives. It was about as
exciting q race as ever had. It was very
nervous business. They were gaining on
US all the time, but we ran them until our
mules gave cut. BY that time we had reach
ed the top of hill in sight of cattle ranch
As the mules dropped l jumped from the
stage and ran for the ranch, waving my hat
over my head in hopes of attracting the at
tention of some of the cowboys. The rob-
bers knew assistance was at hand, and this
frightened them off. My impression of them
was that they were a clustering, brutal set
of fellows - Washington Star.