Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-09-13

~ mo,Inted or ON
.-..... III companies of their own forming
o@ ia the regular diligencia for passeH
E'l4 and so much of a matter OF course
AL this become, that, up to within a
.,,.pre of years, the natives generally pre-
cared themselves with purs"s to be given
a-,ay at the first demand, and counLca
Z "se forced cOntrihu ions among tnet
8Hctlenal expenses.
As a general thing the highwaymen
era not blood-thirsty, if met in spirit
OF peace and submission. They wanted
,"uHev rather than life, and seldom took
i:r except in cases OF resistance, or in
I.yruge for some former defeat 1t was
81 III custom, when attacking dillgsn-
e. 3. to order the driver to halt, ana The
H"sengers 10 throw themselves on their
.:Ce,: and whenever this order wa
rn.nptly complied with, they took their
!ap,y with few merry jests or Will
,',-.ne, wished tn" plundered party Il
@H@e and plrasan, Journey and rode oil
an he best OF good i.~.4Ur.
Whenever The highwaymen had only
ua,i, C3 to deal with, such was generally
ie rCsult-for the NeXicans, more dis
l.scG TO pay than to fight, were seldom
without IA purse, pr lei ared beforehand,
y0r los caballeros del camino, the gentle
Ter q foreigners it was quite another
a a.aiI, for the latter often preferred palt-
in. with the lead in their pistols 10 the
nor. precious metals in their pocket.
The difference vas, that whereas one
bandit might rob nine MeXicans with I'M
pgM!ty, il rs often required nine robbers
TO make sure of one American or Eng
h-hnau.
l.. the year OF 1876, Capt. Jacob VIII
lams ana Lieut.. Henry Simcoe, both
americans, who had been = .rnding some
weeks in the city OF Ne ... w. took pas
sage in the regular diAgcncia for Vera
Cruz. As lney had gone over the national
road on their Si,it 20 the capital, ard
Lad learned a good deal OF the Mexican
manners and customs during their So
Iourn ia the country, they knew exactly
what they had 20 DC prepared for, and,
beng, strong. courageous nen, they re-
solved, il atlacaud, TO defend themselves
~ the death.
In ;he same diligcncia four others ooS
Ia SAGE, two men and two women; ana
sea- tceiy We're the horses well on the load
ere ti4D subject of robbery and the rob
bcis WAS started by one OF the females, u
katIcr pre.ty woman, who, addressing
herself 10 Capt. Williams, inquired il he
thought there was any danger OF the
parry DtiilE ih'lSoLCb W VIC Dt'A hAiAe Avs
Of the road.
II cane tell any more about it than
YOU can, somewhat grudly answered
the captain. VINO Ta- ia, her noted for
his honesty than his polish, "but l know
t,ur thing, ocuOrlta II will be Id
blessed sighJ better fur them ii they
don't"
At this iAc 1LoAlcans looked Mortified,
aud one oI the men exclaimed, in ID
ircmulous voice:
Ave Maria, Purissima God be mer-
cifui You don't think OF resisting,
So, or:
Ine captain with an angry frown, sur
Wy ed the other from head to foot; anu
then, with an expression of contempt,
turned to his own companion, and re-
marked, in English:
Why shouldn't highway robbery
flourish in this cursed country, flied as
it is with such miserable cowHrdsi Yes,
he continued iu ~Tanish, addressing the
whole party, rather than the tlmid ques-
Lioner, Il do think OF resisting If Al
4acked-I should count myself worse
1nau iackass If / didn't; and ii you uIia-
=, able pollroOns would only learn TO do
tne same, there would soon be an en-. ut
this detestaUle business.
"Ah!" exclaimed the other male pas
$'i9Gri ''tnCrG WOulu soon ne an eAb 81
- athcr, Scnor. The h.a-hte ut TIE
l,au cont now kill those VINO don't To-
>s.-t: but then hey would kill cyeryboi
r saints PrUt"rL u-.
We'll in TIL ..,-- in particui0r, yOI
night a. well ..-a. as cit eull groH.ru
the captain ''for as both my frici.d and
/ are sworn TO esiot the scuulii cis
Won be able tn tell who're for theLi a.
sac AGAINST them, and 20 you'll come IN
Ipg tine sane ,rrHluput IL, uurselye-.
here the capt in produced two brace
OF pistols, said His companion was equally
armed, and remarked that there We're
eight good shots ready; and II the MeXi-
ans would pluck up courage, and swear
% do Their dut. like men, Ire would lend
each of them a weapon.
The wretchss held up their hands in
horror, auG shfank from the acceptance
OF the propo .iiion whereupon the young
est female awdibly declared them cow
ards, and said II she only knew how to
handle the weapons herself, she would
take them and put the others to shame.
THANK Heaven for some redeemihg
qualities In the race, even IL in the sex
where it least belongs" !" said the cap
tain
"For which, ladies', put in the lieuten-
ant, 'we will protect you with ouI
=. lives"
One OF the two men now wanted to get
aaut to speak with the driver. he said, but