Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-08-02

OF the coach. Then we first realized
that it was no joke, but that the
stranger meant business. The passen-
gers grew pale and trembled with fear.
No one had weapons to defend us, and
our lives were at the mercy of this des-
perado. He had taken lis by surprise
and had got the drop on us. File out
and fall in line!' was the order that now
came from the robber with deep, gut
tural tone of voice and a wicked look
from his cold, gray eye, as he leveled
his weapons at the crowd. We knew
if we didn't obey the order We would be
shot on the spot, and we filed out. We
stood not upon the order of our going,
but we went at once. Jake, the jew,
poor fellow! was frightened almost out
of his wits. He flew around like a
cricket in u hot fire and got out as
quickly as possible. With a look of
terror on his face he exclaimed: Mine
Gott I've only got two dollars and Il
halefh But we hustled out quickly,
and at the order Fall in line! given
in a military tone, all obeyed as
promptly as any company of infantry.
"Now, to see what effect it would
have" continued Sergeant Rocklin, 81
said in jocular way, give me $3.50
and~Ill drill your troops for YOU The
robber became angry, and leveling his
cooked revolver in my face, he said:
Keep still, or you are a dead man.
He now handed each one of us hand
kerchiefs, and made us tic them over
our faces as masks, and threatened to
kill the first man who removed his
mask. He then made each man hold
up his hands, and gruflly SAL The
| first one that makes move I'll drop
him. All this time he had the crowd
covered with his cooked revolvers, six
shooters of the most approved self-cOck-
ing pattern. He asked if anybody had
a pistol, and the negro handed him IA
small 21-caliber gun. The robber re-
turned it to him, saying that it wouldn't
hurt anybody. He then proceeded to
search the pockets and clothing of the
men for money. He first went through
the pockets of King and got only $l.25.
He next made the Jew disgorge. Poor
Jake begged appealingly to let him
keep his gold watch, a present from
his mother. The robber said he was
not dealing in jewelry, and didn't take
it, but took $l4 in money. He found
S22 on another passenger, who asked
him to leave him enough for a drink.
1.-The brave desperate now searched
my pockets" " said the sergeant "ln
the coach | discerned what was COM
ing, and | put three $40 bills into my
mouth, and held them like a chew of
tobacco. slipped $l5 into my shoes,
but the robber found four $40 gold
pieces in my vest pocket. Harry Ben
nett, the saloon-keeper, was next in line.
Before Bennett left home his wife had
sewed 81, 900 in bills into the bosom ol
his shirt The robber found $3.50 in
change in his pockets, and felt all over
the bosom of his shirt placing his
hands on the 81, 600 several times, but
never detecting it. Bennett told him
there was some good liquor in his va
lise in the coach. The robber made
the driver get it, and after taking ;
big, healthy swig, passed it around tC
all the men in line. The deputy sheriff
who had Dragged about his muscle il
the morning, had said he could whil
any robber, was the next to b,
searched. But his boasted courag,
didn't exhibit itself, and, his fran,
: trembling, he begged that his lif
+ might be spared for the sake of hi
: wife and children. The sheriff, how
ever, had only s., which the robbie
: failed to find.
but now came the most amusin,
5 feature of the game" concluded Ser
S geant Rocklin. 1.-The robber took OF
/ his mask and made us take off ours
= and then he stepped out before us, an
? in brief speech said we were brav
4 men if we had a chance to fight. II
g then drew notebook from his pocke
!, and wrote on a fy-leaf the followin
I testimonials:
g Il hereby testify that these men are brav,
:, and would fight if they had a chance, but ha
J the drop on 'em, and they couldn't show figh
d Respectfully, RuBE SANDERS"
d He handed the piece of paper t
> Mr.. Bennett, who will keep it as m,
S mento of the interesting occasion. Th
n note was written in plain bushes
II handwriting. 1t now dawned upon U
a that we had been in the clutches ,
/, Rube Sanders, one OF the most blooC
s thirsty robbers of Texas. He gay
It each one of us dollar to buy drink
g with, and refused to take a IS;
d watch belonging to Bennett. He mao
is the driver unhitch one of his horse
Ie and at the point of his gun we file
h back into the coach. He ordered us
d drive on, and as the coach pulled ava
he jumped upon the horse and disa
e peared far in the east toward the sar
1T hills. We drove into Ballinger on
" thirty minutes late and reported Il
n robbery. The sheriff and posse
I, men started in hot pursuit of the ba
$ dit, but he escaped and has not be,
a heard of since. This is the mo
70 humorous as well as dangerous csc
IN pade in which have taken part in Il
a West. l don't care to be in Il
re clutches of another such despera
" man. "-St. Louis Globe Democrat.
he -"
IN Edward, dear, hardly know n