Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-08-02
A STAGE ROBBERY.
Story Of q Daring Exploit and It's
Humorous Side.


Humorous Side.
Il. G. r. Rocklin, a young exser
geant of the United States regular army,
arrived in the city the other morning
en- route TO Rochester, N. T., and was
seen by u Globe Democrat reporter at
Union depot, to whom he regaled bit
of personal experience that is in the
nature of novel and thrilling story of
the pure, genuine type of the wild re-
gions of the Far West. Mr.. Rocklin
was sergeant in Troop E, of the Eighth
United States Cavalry, stationed at
Eagle Pass, on the Rio Grande river,
in the southwestern portion OF Texas,
but, his enlistment of five years having
ended, he is on trip home before en-
listing the second time. His troop is
on march from Texas to Dakota Ter
ritory, and is at present in tbs region
of Fort Reno, |. T. He bade goodbye
to his comrades at Fort Concho, Tex,
and proceeded to San Angelo, in the
southwestern part of the same State.
Here he joined a party of civilians, who
started overland forty-five miles to Bal
linger. The young sergeant from that
point tells a story of u most daring
stage robbery, showing the nerve and
grit, and at the same time grim humor,
of Western desperate.
"On last Saturday, the Esd of June,
party composed of six civilians and
myself started out from San Angelo
for Ballinger, Tex, in large stage
coach pulled by four horses" began
Sergeant Rocklin. at was a Jolly
crowd, for there were Harry Bennett
wealthy saloon-kecper of San An
gelo; Mr.. King, commercial traveller;
Jew known as Jake, also q travel
ing salesman, and man from Atlanta,
Ga, who had his negro servant with
him, and deputy sheriff from Angelo.
Our route lay across the plains, and
was a sandy trail winding along drear-
lily, and few miles out from San
Angelo there was not single human
habitation to be seen. As the eye
views the long stretches of level plain,
there was nothing seen but clump OF
mesquite bushes here and there All
was earth and sky. 1t was an exceed.
ingly warm day, and the rays of the
sun came down with scorching heat
which was almost suffocating. But the
driver cracked his whip occasionally
and kept the horses moving at good
pace, and while we glided along the
desert trail there was nothing to break
the utter loneliness and monotony ex
cept now and then jack rabbit OF
coyote would jump from behind a mes
quite bush and sling real estate behind
him so swiftly that he would soon dis
appear.
Naturally, the crowd banded joke
back and forth for amusement. 1t wa
well known that the country is infested
with bandits and stage-robbcrs, onl,
six weeks ago stage-coach being
held up and robbed. We talket
about what a joke it would be for tn,
stage robbers to swoop down upon us
and many appeared to be afraid, bu
only for the purpose of arousing tn
fears of Jake, the jew. But the deput,
sheriff was given to braggadocio, an,
rolling up his sleeves said that he ha,
muscle that would frighten any rob
Der. We travelled along, joking in thi
manner, until about three o'clock il
the afternoon, when, twenty-seve
miles out from San Angelo, we saw
man coming over swell of the plain
a short distance from the trail. He wa
walking leisurely in direction to NEE
us. Now the passengers joked NOR
freely than ever, and in pure fun sal
this was bandit who was making hi
way to rob the party. One of tn
passengers was riding on the seat wit
the driver, and a small gust of win
blew his hat to the ground.
"While the coach was standin
still, waiting for the passenger to q
his hat, the strange man walked up b
the side OF the horses. He was ma
of powerful build, six feet in heigh
with brown, shaggy hair, small mu
tache, had cold gray eye with
treacherous look and with a lare
white sombrero thrown negligently Q
one side of his head, and wearing
belt from which dangled two lare
Smith & Wesson revolvers; he plainl
showed that he was desperate of Il
most dangerous character. The ma
stepped around on the other side of q
coach" continued Sergeant Rockli
and in trice he had blue si
handkerchief over his face below h
ewes as mask. The passengers thougl
he was playing joke and guyed' hi
by hallooing: When did you getin, o
chap and oh, you're going to no
us upg
"The stranger now became quite a
CRY. and, with horrible oath be ere