Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-12-07
ARlZ0NA'S STAGE ROBBERS.
STORIES OF TWO MEN WHO TER
RORIzED THE SOUTHWEST.

|
One Man "Holds Up" n Stage Load
of Eight Passengers-Trac to
Their Hiding Place by Apaches.
D AN ELKINS is remembered as
the originelilone bandit OF the
| i Southwest, because, single
{ handed, he once held up q
stage load of eight passengers, besides
the driver, all of whom were
armed. For weeks the exploit was
the talk of the men in and about
Tombstone. Judge Bennett, now OF
San Gabriel, CAL, was one of the pas
sengers, and he tells how the robber
worked his desperate game.
eve on the inside of tke coach had
just been talking" says the Judge,
'of tho robberies that Elkins and his
partner, Wilbur, had committed in
the Territory, and the shame it was
that an organized effort was not made
to go and keep after the villains until
they were killed, even if it took n
year, when we heard rifle crack, and
q men shout 10 the driver:
Come, now, stop those horses or
you'll drop dead.
"We were travelling through a rocky
region along the foothills, and each OF
us knew instantly that all were in for
o hold-up then and there. Every one
wondered what his neighbor would do
with his pistol.
'1'll be hanged said big man
from Texas, If I'll stand this non
sense, and he snatched his big shoot
ing iron up from the seat at his side.
"rhe driver put on the breaks and
the stage was stopped at once. when
We heard a voice outside saying:
Now you fellers on the inside get
out on this side. The first man who
gets out on the other side will drop
dead as a smelt. Don't be lazy. All
of you throw down your shooters as
you file out of the coach, for there's a
lot Of sure rifle shots that's got their
eyes on you and are hiding in these
here rocks to lay you out cold dead if
you don't mind what Pm telling you.
"When I got out of the stage 1 no.
ticed that the highwayman wore n
wire mask contriyance over his face,
and had big black beard and whole
arsenal of weapons in belt about his
waist. He stood on commanding
boulder, and kept his Winchester re.
peater moving slowly over us. tool;
particular pains that he saw l threw
down my two pistols on the ground,
and noticed that every one of us,
including the Texan, did the same
thing.
"'Throw up your hands, gent.
said the masked robber, when We were
all on the ground and our pistols lay
there in pile by the side of the coach
wheels. 'Now get in line there, quick
aud face this way. Keep Your hands
above your heuds, don't move; keep
your mouths shut or you'll know how
quick man can go plumb to death. y
"We got in line facing our comman-
der in moment, and none OF us could
extend his hands quite high enough.
"'Now, you young fellow with The
monkey whiskers,' said the highway
man, you just shell out there where
you stand. Turn your pockets inside
out, SO me and my pards can see that
you're dealing fair. That's right.
Now, while me and my pards keep YOU
in gun range, you search that nexi
man, turn his pockets out. Keep your
hands up high, gents, and save trouble
Don't speak.
''In few minutes that seemed like
ages of an awful silence, each man was
searched, and we all stood there in 6
row with our pockets turned ont anu
Tapping in the morning breeze
our hands full foot above oul
heads, and small pile of wallets
watches, little pocket leather and clotf
bags of coin lay at the feet of the young
man of our party, who had been com
pelled to search his companions.
"'Now, you driver, throw that
money box off quick, while my pards
keep you in range said the robbel
when we had been searched. There
that's right. Be lively. 1t may cos
you your carcass. Get that ak under
the back seat and chop the box open
Hurry up. Don't speak, and dom
| Beb Deuluu tHdb COhcu, oI you IL III oD
''The ak was got, and the driver
chopped open the box near us Will,
! we stood there like metal forms il
front of clothing stores. When thu
box had been split apart and the valua
bles thrown out, the highwayman, al
the time keeping his rife slowly NOV
ing up and down our line of silent
hand-uplified men, said:
"'Now, driver, get up on your scat
You gents get into your coach. Don
let me hear you peep. Driver, licl
your horses up fast and get out o
this.
"'Now, gents, said he, as the las
of us had got back into our seats
weaponless, you can brag that you'v,
been held up by singlehanded in the
profesh. / don't mind telling yor
that I'm all alone to day and that
need your money awful bad. Tel
them Tombstone fellers that Dan Ell
kins has new trick in his line o
business.
"The horses were whippedSup, and
the last we saw of Dan Elkins he stood