The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-22
AN ANACONDA BR|GAND.
How Col. A. G. Crawford Recovered
Property Taken by Span
ish Highwaymen.
The Driver Of tho Stage Was In
League With tho Road
Agents.
Prevalence of Brlgaudx in Eastern Coun-
tries-Whcre They Shine Best
Tourists Choice Prey.

trAcD- SvHOIo AuOy bhlnO 1SeSL-
Tourists Choice Prey.
"Forty years ago stage coaches were fire.
quently held up by road agents out west.'"
said Col. A. q. Crawford, of Anaconda.
Mont, at the Palmer house last night, in
the hearing of a Chicago Mail reporter,
land in certain parts of the country iso-
lated cases Of this form of la~wlsssness still
occur, although the advent of the railroad
has almost entirely abolished the old lum-
boring coach a. q means of travel. But
even in the palmiest days of the western
road agents their business was not q marker
for the brigandage that prevails today in
many foreign countries. Highway robbery
in Greece. Sardinia, Sicily, Spain and the
Barbary states almost deserves to be classed
among tho hns arts. In Greece and Sar-
dina travellers frequently are kidnapped and
held for ransom, and in spite of the diplo-
matic corps efforts it seems to be impossi-
bio to stamp out these out
RACES. Spain, however, il the mod
ern road agents paradise, because
in the interior of that country tho stage
coach still furnishes about the only means Of
travel. The stage drivers are in league with
the highwaymen and receive a commission
for delivering their passengers into the
hands of the gangs. Rich hauls are very
rarely made because brigandage is SO com
mon that the average traveller expects to be
robbed, and takes the precaution to carry
very little money with him. Blu woe to
the luckless tourist who wears a valuable
watch or costly iewelry. The Spanish GUS
toms authorities do not permit foreigners to
bring firearms or ammunition into the
country and confscate everything Of that
kind that they find in the tourists baggage.
This helps the brigands, because they know
that their prey is practically defenseless.
"Ons day last winter I landed at a little
Spanish port on the Mediterranean to COM
mencs an overland journey to Madrid. My
sole travelling companion was a young fell
low from Galveston, Tex, who had been
studying in Rome for a couple of years.
Neither of us knew very much about Spain
or Spanish ways. The customs officers con-
fscated my friends revolver. In the bot
tom of my grip was a Smith & Wesson of
the latest pnttern-a beautiful weapon
which l priced very highly because it was
the gift Of a Montana acquaintance. de-
ceeded by picking it up in the folds of a
light coat aud holding the garment care
lessly thrown over my arm while the re-
mainder of the baggage was inspected.
"At the little inn where we stopped for
lunch before continuingour journey l made
considerable sport over the confiscation Of
nv c~ompanion'a revolver and exclaimed
how / had smuggled my own. When we
left the place and began our long stage
journey my weapon still was in 9 pocket of
side me. An old Frenchman joined us at
this point and We three made up very jolly
little travelling party. About sunset MS the
coach was passing through a stretch of
woodland our hilarity suddenly was inter
rupted. The coach stopped, the door was
roughly thrown open. the muzzle OF a gun
was thrust inside the vehicle and we were
gruf1ly commanded in Spanish to pile out
We obeyed without a word and with consid.
cradle a~lacrity, too. A moment later VIC
three were standing in a row with our
hands above our heads. Our baggage
was tumbled out and the coachman was
ordered to drive on. He mounted the box
and soon drove out of sight, disappearing
In tn ewoods a short distance ahead of us.
Two Misunderstanding thugs went through
our baggage while a third kept US covered
with a gun. Then they searched us, and l
said a good. large, round word in English
rs / saw my watch and chain pass out OF
my possession, joining the F~renchman's
timepiece and q well-flled pooketbook
which the Texan had indiscreetly carried
with him.
'"The booty was turned over to one of the
gang, who carried it into the woods. A few
minutes later the coach came back, our re-
manning baggage WAS tumbled into it, We
followed our luggage, the door was slammed
shut, and the journey was resumed.
1.-The whole performance was SO sudden,
20 unexpected, thatsI was fairly stunned.
Up to that moment the idea of making any
resistance or defense had not entered my
mind. Then l thought Of my revolver and
~--.lnral h~-r n~,nna m w., - .r,A
when l needed it most. There it lay in my
buster pocket just whore l had thrown it.
My companions were as thoroughly
angry as /, bat they improved their oppor-
tunity to make sport OF my method of using
my gun in self defense. While they con-
over the events of the preceding half hour
and kept quiet. One point connected with
the robbery impressed me rs very peculiar.
How did the driver know just when to re-
turn for US after the %brigands had finished
their work? Did the fellow who carried
away the plumber 60 directly to the coach
and send the driver back? If not the latter
must have known the methods of the high
waymen pretty we'll or he never would have
beon able to time his return with such
nicely. The moro l thought about the
matter the more firmly convinced | became
that the man on the coach box was a mem
Der of the gang through whose hands we
had just passed. l felt quite sure of it. Say
ing nothing to nv felloW-y1ctlms l suddenly
tapped the drivers wicket, signaled him to
stop, and as tho coach again came 10 Il
standstill l opened the door and sprang out.
A second later that driver was gazing down
the muzzle of my Smith d Wesson, his
hands were in the air, and he was az pale as
tho traditional ghost. l couldn't speak
Spanish, hut the fellow apparently under
stood me- pc feotly. When l motioned him
to nlight he did SO with great ~alacrity.
"'Now, then, one of you search this chnp
and the other overhaul the COACH l said
quietly. Let's see what we can find. Per-
haps it may pay MS to go into this business
professionally"
The Texan searched my prisoner but
found nothing on his person to warrant my
mode of treatment. The F~renchman. how
ever was more successful. In a tecepta-
Gle underneath the drivers box he found a
canvas bag containing our watches and tho
stolen pockethook, and slowed way beside
the bug were several pieces of clothing
which had beon taken from our travelling
bags. In short, we recovered everything
we had lost except one waistcoat.
The journey was resumed as If nothing
unusual had happened. We reached II
small village shortly afterwatd, where we
stayed all night. / suppose that you imag-
Inc that we tn ned the driver over to the
authorities there; hut we did not do so. In
fact, after canvassing the matter among
ourselves We decided to keen tho driver