South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1893-02-24

up, and then demanded something
to eat. i might have given them
a bite had they requested instead
Of demanded; but when I saw that
they meant to pick quarrel and
have an excuse for assaulting and
robbing me, I brought out the shot
gun and obliged them to walk on.
As soon IS they were out of sight I
notified the little woman at Lone
Pine to look out for them. She re-
piled that she would, and up to 10
o'clock at night l heard from her
every hour, but the tramps had not
put IN an appearance. TWAS 11:3O
o'clock and was sound asleep when
l heard Lone Pine call me over the
wire. I rolled OF my cot aud ran
to the instrument and asked what
was wanted.
"The tramps are here" was the
reply.
-fThey are knocking on the door
and are asking for food and shell
ter"
"But don't let them in. Get
down your shotgun, lay it across
the table, with the muzzles pointed
at che door. and if they break in
pull both triggers
"They are curslng me and de-
claring they will set the cabin on
fire if don't open the door," tels-
graphed the little woman moment
later.
eff you open the door they will
murder you! You have a sliding
window to the right of your door, If
! remember right
eyes"
Take your revolver, slide the
sash back, and fire upon the fell
lows"
"But l may kill one of them!"
"That's what you want to do
both. if possible! If you show any
fear of them they will batter the
door in, and then God help you'll"
"It's awful to shoot
Then came a break. l knew
that the fellows were making some
demonstrations which obliged her
to act, and during the next sixty
seconds l heard every beat Of my
heart. Then came a tremulous
message:
Give shot one of them, and
what-what-shall l do about itl"
"Did you fire from the Window"
"Yes."
"Don't do anything except wait
and watch. If you've hit one the
ether will likely make of. Ii he
tries to get in, however, give him
the came dose. De you hear him
about?"
"No; think he's moved of, but
the one shot il grooming and TAX
ing on awfully."
''Let him groan. You'll have a
train from the east in IS minutes.
Keep me advised"
/ had two more messages before
the train reached her. One was
that the man had ceased to groan
and was probably dead, and the
other was that the other tramp had
tried to burst open the door, but
had been driven OF by her firing
one barrel Of her shotguR into it
from her side. When the train
rolled in a dead man was found at
the door and a wounded one lying
on the ground a few yards away.
There wasn't any inquest on the
dead. The body was carried few
miles west and dropped into
gulchg aud the wounded man, who
had dozen buckshot ia his should
er, was turned over to the FIRST
sheriff. The little Woman's adven-
ture made her q heroine for many
weeks, and / was not moan enough /
to let on that l had been obliged to
brace her up and direct operations 7
Tor distance Of thirteen miles.
Everything went we'll at Lone /
Pine until tho 13th Of September. |
That fall there was q regular army /
II tramps headed FOR the Wost and
he employees Of every passenger (
md freight train had to be armed
% the teeth. In some instances
he gangs took possession Of freight
rains and ran them to suit their
,Wn convenience. The number Of
rainmon killed or wounded every
week vas something Astonishing.
IN the 18Th g gang Of twenty