The Russellville Democrat., 1893-09-28
LONE ROBBER.
He Has Been Successfully Holding Up
 Black lack Farmers.
Over Twenty Daring Aoid-Ups in the Pas Fourteen Months-some of the Good Hauls Made by the Oar
 ing Knight of
 the Road.

around me llttle hamlet of Black Jack, on the Halls Ferry road, twelve miles from tLe city, are be- ing terrorized by a highway robber,
 who for daring has no equal, says The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In the past fourteen months over twenty farmers have become victims and paid tributes 10 this knight of the road. The last three persons held up have proved unpro6table from 6nancial standpoint, but one of them, Casper Kreuger, farmer, living about four miles northwest of Black Jack, is at present laid up from a gunshot wound in the right arm for refusing to contribute to the support of the robber. Under the circumstances Mir. Kreuger' escape is marvellous. Last Friday evening about 6 o'clock, in broad daylight, Kreuger and 8 neighbor named Pay mien were going home from the city. Mir. Kreuger had a mule hitched to light side bar buggy and Mr. Faymien had a heavy farm er's wagon, having just taken a load of potatoes to market aud se- cured the pay for the same, in the neighborhood of $70. Mr. Kreuger also had quite sum of money, hav- ing taken the money to St. Louis to make some purchases which he after ward concluded not 10 make. The pair fell in together on the way home and after turning into the Hall Ferry road from Baden Mr. Paymien sug- gested that Krueger tie the buggy to tue back of the wagon and ride in the wagon with him. The two men lode along for about a mile until they came to pasture near Marine Creek.
 The team was going at an ordi nary gait at the time, when well dressed man in his shirt sleeves and a white handkerchief tied over his face, jumped out of the bushes at the side of the road and grabbing hold of the horses ordered the two farm CTS to throw up their hands at the point of a revolver. Paymien had the whip, a.stock drivers whip, in his hand at the time, and made cut at the man, catching him on the hand which held the horses. The whip also struck one of the horses, who, as soon as they were released, started on a dead run. The robber tried to jump into the buggy in the rear of the wagon and failing in this fired three shots. One of these took effect in Kreuger's right arm near the elbow. Another struck the wagon seat and the other made scratch on the left ear of Mir. Paymien. After firing the third shot the robber vaulted the pasture fence and made for a road on the other side of it. When the pair reached Black Jack it was night time and nothing was done toward pursuing the robber, he having had ample time to reach town or have driven to Jennings Station. He is described as a man about five feet nine inches, weight about 150 pounds, well dressed in black clothes, white shirt with col lar and necktie, light shoes and straw hat Monday night two farm CTS returning from the city were suddenly confronted by man about the same size, who carried a shot gun in his hand. The man wore no mask, but the twilight was not strong enough for them to see his face. A couple of wagons with some one or ten men coming up the road about the same time caused the fellow to say, "Good evening, neighbor." and cross the fields into the woods. The same man was seen again later on by several other parties at another point on the road. Yesterday about the middle of the day, when all travel along the road had ceased, John Darste, a laborer, was stopped and asked if he had any tobacco. He said "no," and was then asked if he had any mon- ey, and when he told tke fellow that he was laborer on his way to St. Louis to look for work the fellow is reported as saying: That's all right, partner" Darste's descrip- tion of the man who stopped him does not tally with that of the other persons who met the man. He says the man who met him was mulat to or a very sun-burned white man. The man made no demonstration except to ask for tobacco and then for money.
 The people around Black Jack bes lieve this is the beginning of an other reign of terror such as existed last last fall and winter and let up only few months ago, in all twenty persons being sand-bagged aud robbed on the road near Marine Creek. The manner in which the lone highwayman operated last spring and fall showed that he was acquainted with the territory and the farmers. The farmers leave for the city early in the morning and after disposing of their produce start for home along in the after noon and sometimes after dark. The man who is doing the holding up this fall, and is supposed to be the same man who has held sway all year, must have lain concealed in the morning and noticed what farmers took the N