Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-03-19
He Took the Contract to Kill the
Robbers for 10 Per Cent.


Robbers for 10 Per Cent.
We were staging from Anton Chico
to Santa Fe, says a New York Sun
writer, and there were six passengers,
all men. Every man was armed, and
one might safely Judge that every one
would fight if driven to. One of the
passengers was man from Rhode
Island, who said his name was Hast
ings, and after we were fairly started
he began:
Gentlemen, l have a proposition to
make. If you accept it l hope it will
be to your benefit. If you do not.
then no harm has been done. We
are quite likely to meet with a road
agent before we get through. If so,
how many of you will fght?"
This was putting it pretty broad,
but seeing that no disrespect was
meant one of the passengers looked
over the crowd and replied:
II think every man can be depend
ed on"
"Yes, you think SO, but when the
pinch comes the case will be different.
I've been through the mill, and I've
seen a man with two revolvers 60
right down in his boot and submit to
be kicked"
"What is your proposition ?"
"Well, I'm about dead broke. l
want to engage to defend this crowd
for 10 per cent of the money it is
carrying"
"How do you mean ?"
"Why, if stopped. I'll agree to kill
or run off the chap who does it. If I
do you pay me 10 per cent. If don't
you pay me nothing. I'll leave it to
each man to size up his pile"
"You must think yourself a very
brave and smart man." remarked one
of the others.
ooh, no; I'm not at all stuck on
myself. This is matter of business.
guarantee to do thus and so. want
you to do the same"
We chaffed him for awhile, but see-
ing how good natured he was, finally
agreed that if we were stopped and
he killed or drove the robber of, we'd
come down with the per cent demand
ed. Stages had been robbed on that
route, but we had no fear, and it had
come along to 8 o'clock p. NJ. and we
were about to cross creek running
through a chaparral when voice
cried "Halt" and the driver pulled
up.
"Egad. but here's the agent 7"
chuckled Hastings, who had been
doing for an hour. Remember the
terms, gentlemen-lO per cent if |
save your Doodle !"
"Throw down your gun" shouted
the voice and we heard the driver
comply.
"Now, get down and unhitch your
horses from the stage"
The driver was swinging himself
down when Hastings opened the right
hand door and jumped out, revolver
in hand. AS tough a looking chap as
ever you saw stood at the horses heads
a double-barreled shotgun in his hands
and he yelled at Hastings as he saw
him drop. The latter fell OH his
hands and knees, crept swiftly under
the vehicle, used one of the wheel
horses to cover him, and while the
robber was peering about to locate
him and at the same time warning us
not to leave the coach, the Clam State
man rose up and sent bullet plump
through the fellows head. He ran
forward to finish his work, but the
fellow was as dead as a herring.
"Gents, 10 per cent, if you please"
said Rhode Island, as we piled out of
the stage, "and whatever we find on
the body is mine."
He got two revolvers, the shotgun,
two watches and S170 in money, and
we paid him about 5000 more. We
felt fiat enough. too, / can assure you,
as we had been given no show. Hast
ings stripped the body, dragged it out
of the road, and took his place in the
conch with the remark:
"Hope you gents are perfectly
satisfied with my work, and if you
want to contract for my services the
rest of the way, I'll put 'em in at 5
per cent, which is an extremely low
rate."-Ex.
Cholly and Fred are lunching at
| Heprici's for fifty cents Fred