The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1886-10-28
AN ADVENTURE WITH A ROB
BER.

'"o ~" 'o"uo VI tuo WeSb up u
five years ago, thero was q distinct
We class of men "heli up" The,
were, as rule, men OF quiet do
meanor. never given to brawls, sell
dom seen drunk, aud ever ready {,
champion the cause of tho oppress
cd. Ii Is doubtful il one of this
class has survived the onward marcl
OF civilization, ;while as for the 9th.
or classes-tbe desperadoes evel
ready to shoot or stab, the crowds
who ambashed their victims, and
the camp aud saloon brawlers-the
sheriffs have hunted them out and
awed them into good behavior. g
Captain Long, an army officer, was
staging it between Julesbnrg and
Cheyenne before the railroad con-
nected the two. The passengers
numbered seven, being FIVE men aud
two ladies, the latter being the wives
OF two OF tho passengers. lie wac
The only military man aboard. The
two married men were Esslerners.
who wore going Cheyenne to set up
in the mercantile business. Ono OF
the others was an artist aud n cor.
i
respondent for New York illustrat
ed paper. and the fifth was q stock
man. 10 was about natural that
they should strike up q speaking ac-
quaintancc, aud the natural resul,
was q general conversation about
stage robbers. These chaps were
about even on the coach being held
up before the end of the journey.
People who regard themselves 10
peril often become communicative. i
They had been travelling half day
before it was known that the two
mercantile mon had about $4,000 |
green backs, and all but two hun,
dred concealed on the person of their
wives. Tue artist bad $3.50 in the
lining OF bis hat aud $50 10 his wal
let. The stockman had SlO0 in his
wallet and his bootleg jsmmeI fall
Of groen>backs. Loug had $50 in
bis pocket and not q dollar else-
where Tue fact Of his being an ar
to why Stliosr rs will lds ssstisfy all Inquiries as
next thing was to expect the stage
to be stopped, and to rlan what they
will do. They had all read and beard
OF such affairs, but no one bad been
through the mill. The five men
each had trusty revolver, aud i,
was hardly to be expected that they
should permit themselves to be rob-
bed by one or two men. 1t was ar
ranged that in case the stage should |
be stopped the ladies should sink
down out Of harms way and give
the men a chance to show their met
tie. AS q matter OF course they de-
pended on tho driver TO help them
out as he could.
1t was half an hour before sun
down aud they were skirting the
cotton woods along the north fork OF
the upper Platte, when the driver
suddenly pulled up. They looked
out to see what had happened, and
a man opened the right hand door Of
the coach and looked in on them.
He was about thirty years of age,
light hair, blue eyes, sandy beard,
and regular features. Indeed, he
was q goodlooking man. His dress
was half hunter, half gentleman, and
he looked clean and tasty. he had
a cooked revolver in his right hand,
and his left held the door open.
"One-three-Gve-six-seven" he
counted. Ladies' and gentlemen, !
am extremely sorry to have put you
to any trouble, but shall have tc
request Of you to alight. That is
the gentlemen Will please step out
while the ladies can remain in tn,
coach" They had planned how the.
were to open FIRE aud riddle tho fel
low with bullets. Here he was ant
not one of the men made q move
WhyH Well, it seemed as il thos
blue..eyes kept close watch Of ever,
mans hand. The captain relate
y that the first thought was TO slip hi
hand down to his revolver, but th
instant his arm moved the fello'
seemed to cover him, saying:
Gentlemen I hope shall not b
obliged TO shoot any Of you. Pleas
= como out"
It's no use to say they were q sc
OF towards, for such was far frol
beinU the case. They were packe