Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-04-03
A CUTE LITTLE MAN.
HAPPY CHANCE ENABLED HIM TO
FOIL THE ROAD AGENTS.

FOIL THE ROAD AGENTS.
uo Kept His OwnCounsel Until the Jour
ney Ended and Then Saved His Neck by
Explaining-The Old Lady With Money
In Her Shoe Had to Give Up.
"One day in 1870, said an old stage
driver to newspaper man, 1.-THE Black
Hills coach left Cheyenne for Eeadwood
with eight passengers-seven We're men,
one was woman. AS they journeyed
toward DeadwOod they converscd among
themselves. Each expressed different
opinions as to the probability of Il hold
up. Some said they would hide money
under the cushions, others would sur
render what bills or gold they might
possess, while two or three men eXhib-
tied rcvolvcrs and vowed .that they
would make resistance. The woman
said she had only 500 in the world.
She had come out west to make Il living
by keeping restaurant i'll the mining
camps and had done very well until d
fire destroyed her property and her in
vestment. She was going back to her
son i'll New England to spend the re-
mainder of her days upon the farm.
Tho safest place imaginable, in her
opinion, was the sole of her lett foot,
and she had accordingly placed two $50
bills inside her shoe.
There was small man seated in
tho corner next to the driver. His hat
was pulled we'll over his eyes, and lie
kept constantly in his lap aslnall black
valise. He took 10 part in the CONVEX
sation, and it was not long until the
passengers. who received rather curt
responses to such questions as they adj
dressed to him, began to regard his ac-
tons with suspicion.
well, the coach rolled on toward
Dcadwood. Next morning toward 8
o'clock the expected robbers appeared.
The messenger was shot and slightly
wounded, the horses were held and both
driver and messenger compelled to dis
mount and put up their hands. Inc
paSscngrrS were ordered out of the
coach, and it is needless to say that they
obeycd with alacrity. The three mcn
who were to resist the robbers We're So
awcd by the presence Of several large
rcvolvers thrust i'll their faces that they
gavo up their treasures with little re-
monstrancc. Said one Of the robbers,
It's agin our rules to bother women,
so, old girl, we won't search YOU.
While two OF the Gospcradocs went
through the pockets of the mCn another
happened to see the small man III the
corner. Hello, said he, here 5 one in
the coach. Come out Of there. The
man appeared, hut without his little
black valise. He was very poorly
dressed, thin, pale and affected by "a
hacking cough. Said he: Boys, hain't
got much-only few dollars. am
going back east to die. If you take
what little got, l won have no money
to get meals. My railroad ticket ain t
any use to you. Ii you Will let me
alone, | will tell you where you can get
500
AT this the poor old woman turned
pale and some of the passengers began
to muttcr.
All right said the spokesman of
tho bandits. well search you, and If
you ain t lying wen let you 90 if you II
tell us where we can get that 500.
or IS in silver i'll his pockets, which
they let him keep.
Now, said the consumptive look
ing man, If you II make this old Woln-
ar take off her left shoe, you will find
next to the sole two $50 bills.
The robbers compelled the old wom-
an to loosen her shoe and found the
money. Upon this they took their de-
parture, the passengers mounted the
coach, and the journey toward Dead
wood was resumed.
"Scarcely had they entered when "a
torrent of abuse was poured upon the
small man. You villain, said one,
won ought to be hung One of the men
called to the driver to stop. The mean
man in the corner was dragged out of
the coach, and the excited passengers
were about to string linn up to the near
est tree.
One minute-lust one minute!
pleaded he. 1t is only 10 or II miles
to the next station, and it is customary
in this country to give man little
show for his life. L beg of you just go
that far. and if [ can properly explain
you can hang me.
The driver told the passengers that
the men at the station would rot inter
ferr if the suspect could not make a
proper defense, SO they all rc-cntcred
tho coach and proceeded upon their
journey. There was little said during
the next hour aud Il half. The mean
man was closcl; watched Ivy the male
passengers, and escape for HIM was I'M
possible.
AS the buildings of the station came
into view upon the coach suddenly
swinging around bend i'll the road the
small man frightened up considerably.
Now. said he. L will tell you. We
are perfectly safe here. as this end OF
the line is tree from robbers. | have
S25, 600 in my grip. and the only way
that could save it was by djverting
tho attention OF the robbers to some one
in the party Unfortunately that one