Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-02-03
MARrNsBURe, W. VA, SATURDAY FEBRUARY 8, 1894

60 Ns.eS - ~ "a VIII @A< w ASAs
that he deserved to live on and enjoy
his own miserable society,"
Then man has got to he good
one to make a successful hold.up?n i
asked.
"There ; where you hit hardp4n,"
he answered. "Tbere may be cow
ards tray cling around out west. but
/ never met any. Tue idea that five
or six well-heeled men s g going 10
submit TO be cleaned ont by ore man
if there's show to stop him is all
bosh. It's ell in the man and his
way of doing business. If he's got
voice with sort of laugh to it-if
he's got gun in either hand ard
keeps 'em moving about lie the
heads of snakes travelling through
the grass-if his eyes seem to be
LOOKING right through you and watch
Jog ever body else at the same time,
don't make a fool of yourself
''You mean give up your boodle::n
Exactly. and don't be TOO long
about it, either, for those chaps are
always in hurry. These newspaper
men seem to imagine that the pas
sengers in a coach sit with revolvers
in their hands throughout the trip.
Their guns are right down in their
hind pockets, of course. Give 'em
five minutes to get ready and they'd
clear the road, but they don't have
five seconds. When you get the hail
you know you're covered. Only one
mantle one next to the door
could do any shooting, anyhow, and
he'd be more apt to miss than to hit.
What then2 Why, the robber would
turn loose and kill or cripple every
body inside quicker'n you could
count. You've probably noticed
limp in my gait? That comes from
bullet | got in my left knee when The
Deadwood stage was held up by
Wyoming Charlie 1t was in the
afternoon and there were six of us.
A tenderfoot had the seat by The
window, and he thought he'd show
his sand by opening fire with his pop.
The robber wasn't fifteen feet away,
and the idiot had three shots at him
without touch. The shooting made
him mad, and lie began firing right
and left into the stage. Hekllled two
men and wounded the other four,
and all Of US were robbed besides.
The tendertoot was one of the killed
and I can't say l was ever sorry
about il.
think I remember readiBg that
'Wyomio., Charley was killed VILE
holding up stage somewhere out
| west"
ayes, down near Plum creek, in
Nebraska, and it was curious how it
came about. There were seven pas
sengers and one of 'em was woman
the wife of a cattle man. She was
with the driver on top. Charlie took
the outfit at turn in the road and
made complete surprise. He got the
men out and in line, and when his
back was turned the woman fred at
him with a Derringer. Her bullet
passed through his hat, and as he
wheeled about TO see what was going
on one of his own guns was acciden-
tally discharged and the bullet en-
tered his groin. l saw him at Plum
creek before be died. He was tough
looking customer and even in dying
he boosted OF the number of men
he had killed. / forget his fig
ures, but everybody was willing to
believe he had killed full dozen
He'd been robbing for year or 80
and had several thousand dollars
planted somewhere along the Niobra-
4
ra river. If he had any relatives be
didn't care for them and when lie
found he was going over the creek
he tells the woman who shot at him
where he had cached his plumber and
just how to find it. l had this right
from her own lips, and / know that
her husband afterwards got the mon
ey. Queer, wasn't it, being as she
brought about his death, but he did
not lay it up against her. He was a
born road agent and had the bust
ness down so pat that it was almost
a pleasure to be robbed by him.
l nn+ Erno D~ono