Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-03-02
AMONG STAGE ROBBERS.

There were five men of Us in one of the
Old Mariposa stage coaches before the days
Of the railroad, and il was ) o'clock in the
afternoon Of an August day. We were
on our way to Stockton. and of the passen.
gers one was a lieutenant in the regular
army, another a tourist in search Of health,
q third a ranchman. and the other two
were prospectors and miners. None OF US
had met each other previous to the start.
Those were p%erilous times, and the first
halt hour was spent in sizing each other
up. | don't know TO what conclusion the
others came, but 1 looked over the four
men and said to myself;
The Lieutenant ought 10 fight in case
we are attacked, but lie seems too nervous
to be gamey. The tourist is i'll and has no
sand, but the ranChman aud prospectors
can be depended on.
At that time Tia coach which was not
stopped twice out of tive trips was consid.
cred very lucky. In some few lnstanc s
the robbers were driven Sii, but In most
cases the passengers submitted 10 being
"h,I up. and were glad 10 get of with
nothing worse. ! had with me over fb..
NY IN bank bills and gold aud | was de-
termined not 10 part with that money with.
JLt II fight. The ranchman had al, 0Oy
and the miner about s. 900, a. was aug
ward learned, and both had determinedto
night. We had lust forded the MERGED
river. and had come 10 IA lonely stretch of
road. when the rauchman pulled his re-
Volver and eXaLliued the caps. II was not
yet restored TO the holster when We heard
= shout. the report of Il pistol. and the
Stage came to a full stop. ] reached Tor
my pistol. as did the miner, X owing that
robbers were al hand. but before mine was
out the lieutenant flung his arms around
mU and cried out:
For your lives. make no move or We
shall all be murdered Let them take all
We have
AT the same time the tours, flung him
self upon the miner, and neither of us had
d weapon when a robber showed himself
al either door. The ranchman was ready,
however, and he killed the man on his
side. lie would have also killed the other.
but his revolver failed on the second shot,
ana The TO ber pushed his revolver in and
lrcd with the revolver pressed a-ainst the
poor fellows heart. \ third robber then
anne up, and We We're covered from either
door aud called upon TO surrender. The
Jlg was up and We climbed out. delivering
our pistols butt foremost as we left the
sage. There were four OF us and only
NO robbers. but when II man has the drop
on you and means business it's no use 10
Alex. We were placed III a row, and
while one Of the fellows kept MS covered,
the other went through each man ia turn.
he lieutenant shelIed out a watch and
S40. the tourist a watch and $500. al they
LOT from the other two of Us the sums /
nave previously named. l had my bank
olls IN my boOtlegs, but as we were forced
To strip To our shirts. they found every last
dollar. While VIC were dressing the body
OF the ranchman was pulled from the
coach and robbed.
/ have no doubt that the robbers meant
To- shoot every one of US after securing the
plunder In order 70 avenge the death OF
heir comrade, but the unusually v, large
booty put them III good spirits. and they
underwent a change of heart. The one
VINO searched US stepped over the dead
body q dozen times without seeming "
cure whether it was a log or a man. When
nnally through with US he bent over the
body and began robbing it, saying to hi
companion:
Bill won't have any more use for
money. and we might as well take his dol.
lars along. Poor Bill! We shant never
play poker together again"
When they were ready 10 60 they cut
The harness so that the stage would be de.
tanned a couple of hours. broke up or
carried of every every trearm. and drank
10 our health from a flask the tourist had
with him. They made off for the foothills
TO the east. having 30 little care for us that
neither Of them ono looked back. / wa:
mad and no mistake, and the miner gave
utterance 10 his feelings in curses which
almost cracked the stones around US. We
had been robbed Of every dollar. and, with
the money, u every prospect. The tour
ist could get more at Stockton, and the
lieutenant was out only few dollars any.
way. / was not yet dressed when he be
gan TO put on airs over Us, claiming that il
We had not been 80 hasty he would have
managed the affair To the defeat Of Tia,
robbers. This added to NV anger, and
sailed in aud pounded him until be yelled
for mercy.