The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-06-05
Epidemic Highway Robbery.

Road agency is breaking out again with
singular yirnlence On the last day OF last
month lady was killed near san Andreas'
and the stage-driYer was badly wounded
On MAY 10th the stage that runs between
Redng and Weayerylle was robbed near
Redine. and on the 14th the same stage was
stopped near Shasta the treasure stolen. the
messenger killed. and the driver wounded.
No one has been arrested for any OK these
crimes
Yet il is plain that if every resident Of the
district IN which the robberles were CON-
mitted had exercised q fair degree OF dilI"
eence and vigilance 20 catch the robbers.
some Of them would 10y this time have been
in custody Robbers must eat and sleep Ike
other people To get food and shelter they
must enter occupied dwellings, and exchange
words with their occupants. Their appear
ance, manners and language must attract at
tention. they ought 10 be spotted wherever
they are seen How is it that they are not:
The methods Of dealing with highway
robbery have long been familiar to thief
catchers. In Italy, Greece, Mexico. ana
Spain. whore highway robbery was at one
time a recognized calling, the police author
tiles reduced the business Of extirpatlng the
robbers almost TO certainty. ms theY
accomplished 10y making the harbOrlng. con-
cealing. feeding. or shelterng of sthe thieves
a crime punishable with the same penalty as
the robbery itself; and when they found that
a robber had found food and refuge
in a farmhouse. they held that the
fact was prima facie evidence Of the farm
er s fcompioity. In parts of Sicily and
Greece each district was held responsible for
loss of property by highway robberies and
farms were seized aud sold 20 make it good.
This policy consolidated the farmers against
bandits: by steadily adhering to 1t for a few
years the Malta Of Sicily, who had them
selves been bandits. but who entered the SER
vice Of the Government IS mounted police,
succeeded in extirpating highway robbery in
districts which had been cursed by it for gen
erations. Joachim Murat crushed out road
agency in Calabria. IL has always been feared
that he shot some innocent peasants: but he
imbued the peasantry with the idea that 1t
was safer for them to blow out the brains of a
bandit on sight than to run the risk of being
arrested rs his confederate.
The villains who are going round IN Califor-
MIA robbing stages numbering drivers and
bringing shame on the fair fame OF the State
cannot lead the lives OF hermlts IN holes in
the rocks. They must now and then reappear
in the light of day and hold converse with
their fellOw-creatures. When. as on Satur-
day. they capture $4,000 in gold they must
20 somewhere TO dispose OF 1t, 20 lodge i tor
safe-keeping. 30 exchange II for the things
they want II the parties whom they accost
are possessed OF ordinary intelligence their
suspicious must be aroused. A highway rob-
Der does not look like an honest laborng man
or a clerk out of job. His face his clothing,
his arms his nervousness, betray his calling
There must be some who half-detect him at
glance. Are the residents OF Southern Shasta
on the alert 70 pick out possible road agents
from tho strangers who appear IN their towns
and villages II they are. we should presently
hear OF an arrest or two.
We have fallen in this country into the
fashion of offering rewards for the appre-
hension of fugitive criminals, and the plan
has the advantage Of whetting the zeal of vol
unteer detectives But has the disadvantage
of inducing sheriAs. constsbles and police
men TO wait for the publication of a reward
before they begin the chase of their quarry.
Many a miscreant escapes owing 10 the delay
which occurs while the detectives arc waiting
10 SEQ "hOw much there is in it." Railroads
run swiftly a thief who has possessed himself
in California of several thousand dollars IN
GOLD may turn up in less than week IN Texas
or British Columbia. II is when he has Just
committed his crime, and before he has made
his plans for escape. that there is the best
chance Of laying hands on him.-San Fran
cisco Call.