Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-02-28
A CUTE LITTLE MAN.
HAPPY CHANCE ENABLED HIM TO
FOIL THE ROAD AGENTS.

He Kept His Orn Counsel Until the Jour
ney Ended and Then s...td His Neck by
Explainiag-Thc CD Lady with Money
In Her Shoe Had t., Ci,c Up.
"One day in 1879, - said IN old stage
driver to a newsi; ptrna the Black
Hills coach left Cheyenne for readwood
with eight passen2y Ts-seven were men,
one was woman. As thcy journeyed
toward Deadwonl they converscd among
themselves. Ech cX PRESSED different
opinions as to tho probability of a hold
up. Son2 said they Woui,i hide money
under the cushions, others wOuld sur
render what bills or gold they might
possess, while two or three men exhib-
tied revolvers and vowed that they
would make resistance. The woman
said she had only 800 in the world.
She had come out west to make living
by keeping restaurant i'll the mining
camps ana had done very well until
fire destroyed hcr property and her in
vestment. She was going back to her
son i'll New England to spend the re-
mainder of her deys upon the farm.
The safest place imaginable, in her
opinion, was the sole of her left foot,
and she had accordingly placed two $50
bills inside her shoe.
There was small man seated in
the corner next to the driver. His hat
was pulled well over his eyes, and he
kept constantly in his lap a small black
valise. He took no part in the CONVEX
sation, and it was not long until the
passengers, who received rather curt
responses to such questions as they ad-
dressed to him, began to regard his ac-
tions with suspicion.
well, the coach rolled on toward
Deadwood. Next morning toward
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 mp their hands. The
passengers were ordered out of the
coach, and it is needless to say that they
obeyed with alacrity. The three mon
who were to resist the robbers were so
awed by the presence of several large
revolvers thrust i'll their faces that they
gave mp their treasures with little re-
monstrance. Said one of the robbers,
j s agin our rules to bother women,
SO, old girl, we won't search you.
While two of tho desperadoes went
through the pockets of the men another
happened to see the small man i'll the
corner. Hello, said Inc, here's one in
the coach Come ont of there. The
man appeared. but without his little
black valise. He was very poorly
dressed, thin, pale and affected by
hacking cough. Said he: Boys, hahn t
got much only few dollars. am
going back east to die. If you take
what little got, won t have no money
to get meals. My railroad ticket amt
any use to you. If 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 mutter.
:" All right. said the spokesman of
the bandits, wo'll search you, and if
you amt lying we'll let you go if you II
tell us where we can get that $780,
so they searched him and found s.
or $S in silver in his pockets, which
they let him keep.
Now, said the consuinptive look
ing man, if you'll make this old won-
an 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, tho passengers mounted the |
coach, and the journey toward Dead
wood was resumed.
: Scarcely had they entered when IA
torrent of abuse was poured upon the |
small man. You villain, said one, |
you 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 him up to the near |
est tree.
One minute-just one minute! |
pleaded he. 1t is only 10 or IL miles |
to the next station, and it is customary |
in this country to give a man a little |
show for his life. beg of you just go
that far, and if can't properly explain
you can hang me-.
THE = driver told tho passengers that |
the men at the station would not inter-
fere if the suspect could not make |
proper defense, SO they all re-entered
the coach and proceeded upon their |
journey. There was little said during |
the next hour and half. The mean
man was closely watched by 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 IN the road the
small man frightened up considerably. |
Now, said he, Il will tell you. We
are perfectly safe here, as this end of
the line is free from robbers. l have
$25, 900 in my grip, and the only way
that could save it was by diverting
the attention of the robbers to some one
in the party. Unfortunately that one
had to be the lady. That is why have
kept my own counsel during the jour
ney.'
''As the coach rolled up in front of
the rostoffice he opened his valise, pre-
sented the old lady with six $40 bills
and in addition gave each of the other
passengers sufficient money to cover his
expenses to Deadwood. San Fran
cisco Examiner.
Tungsten.
The fact is we'll known that a mix
ture of tungsten with steel imparts to
the latter so great a degree of hardness