, 1886-10-05
cHEYENNE,s ROBBERS Roosr.


prisoner.
The scribe yesterday heard the tale OF
the late Cheyenne hold up as nara
It'd by the victim himself.
The gentleman's name is Robert Fer
guson, and his place of residence is a
small town in Nebraska. He had been
working as a sub contractor on the grade
OF the Mort hwestern road, and came this
way on his return home for the purpose
of visiting Cheyenne.
Remaining in the city a few DAYS, he
determined to continue his homeward
journey. Missing the morning train, he
made his arrangements to go Fast on
a midnight freight. While standing on
the track awaiting the coming of the train,
and while it was in sight. he was sudden
ly approached by three men, who threw
themselves upon him with such force and
dispatch, that he was on his back, bound
and gagged, before he scarcely knew
what had happened.
The prisoner was now raised on the
shoulders of two of his captors, and car.
ried eastward along the track to where
the Union Pacific forms its junction with
the Denver Pacific. Here, a short dis
lance east of the actual junction, is situa-
ted an old dugout. This, in former days,
boasted walls of. railroad ties, and was
rJJfcd over. Its glory as q dugout has
however long departed, and nothing now
remains but the hole in the ground.
For the past year or two. this hole in
tramps, as a sleeping place, and our city
police has routed many a one of the sturdy
and ragged beggars from its night dark
ened recesses and lodged them in the city
jail.
When the three thieves with their pris-
oner reached this midnight rendezvous,
they found four others of their kidney
already there. The entire seven evidently
belonged to the same gang, and those in
the hole in the ground crowded around
the new corners with words and questions
of familiar welcome, couched in that orgot
known universally to all professional mem
bers of the thieving fraternity.
A huge fire had been built in the mouth
of the dugout, and within the radius of its
Pickering but strong light, the bound
prisoner was laid upon the ground. In
their thlevish jargon the midnight band
held a consultation in regard to the fate of
their captive. That captive could scarcely
believe the evidence of his senses. The
scene. indeed, was a strange one. In the
outskirts of a populnus city, at midnight
a fire had been built and the ftful but DOW
erful CLEAN of the flames fell upon the
brawLy forms and villainous features of a
gang of robbers, and upon a man at their
feet, bound and helpless.
The council Of the robbers, though ear.
ried on in suppressed tones, was a stormy
one. The captive's fate was in much
doubt, and his blood ran cold as he saw
one %truculent looking villain draw and
flourish a long and cleaning knife.
Finally, however, the voice of expedlencv.
if not mercy, prevailed. The prisoner
was approached and roughly lifted to his
feet, and everything OF value taken from
his person. He was then thrown to the
earth again, and left there, while the rob
bers went to secrete themselves in some-of
the box cars of a freight train which had
zone in, and which soon left the depot for
Denver.
The prisoner succeeded in releasing
himself from his bonds and made his way
back to the city, leaving behind him the
dying embers of the midnight fire of the
rohber's roost.