The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-01
HOW TO REFORM ROBBERS.
Arizona Bandits Arc Now Employed TO
Enforce tho Laws.

| Enforce tho Laws.
The old fashion of setting a train
robber at either erd of a drawing
room car, with instructions to require
the passengers to surrender their val
uablcs under pain of instant death, has
quite gone out; it too often happened
that an irritable passenger drew bead
on the nearest bandit and shot him
where he stood. The custom now is for
tle road agent to cut off the express car
from the rest Of the train, and to rob
it at leisure. leaving the passengers u1-
molested. II the express messenger Is
recalcitrant or slow in his movements,
his car is blown open with dynamite,
snd the robbers make careful selec,
ton of It's contents. Even this has
been checked in its infant struggles
by tendency on the part Of express
messengers-when left alive, to take
quick shots a. the robbers with a
| sawed off rifle loaded with buck shot,
as they retired with their plunder.
| Deplorable accidents have occurred
from this reprehensible practice. 1t
has been observed that when we'll
known road agent meets an untimaly
death in this way his pals retire from
business for q time, probably for
prayer and meditation.
The most famous Of the Arizona
outlaws, Black Jack, was an ep!cure
| in his business, snd towards The close
of life robbed nothing but post offices.
The gains were small, but the risk
was almost nothing, the office being
often kept by woman, and Black
Jack was so much of gentleman
that he never laid his hand upon a
woman save in the way Of kindness,
80 long as she handed out the regis
tered mail promptly. He did some
little business likewise In lootlng the
Offices In mining companies just be-
fore pay day. This branch was lucra.
| tive, but there was always the risk
that the watchman might get the drop
on the robber.
It became the fashion years ago for
mining companies and other concerns
which handled large sums of money
in Arizona to employ the worst of the
road agents to act as Waterman at
high wages. Thus, one of the most
prosperous copper companies hire at a
very high salary, a fellow who is said
| to have eighteen murders on his con-
science, and yet is a most faithful and
trustworthy guardian of the property
under his charge. Towns followed
the example. Tombstone had for a
long time in its employ as city mar
shall one of the brothers carp, each OF
whom always fired with mis- gun rest
ling on his arm. Experience has
taught them that this practice gave
them a start of two or three seconds
over the shooter who raises his gun
to the level of his eye, and in pot.
hunting two or three seconds are
everything. A town not far from
Tombstone had been greatly injured
by the riotous bshavior of some OF
Its residents, who were "bad men" /"
It engaged, at a salary OF $40, 600 a
year, the very worse desperate in the
Territory to act as chief marshal.
The day after his appointment he was
accosted by three noted rutlians, who
drawing their guns, sneered:
80 you're agoin' to run this here
town, air yeea"
The new marshal had his gun up
his sleeve, and before the rascals
could pull trigger he fired three times
and each time laid man dead at his
feet.
"Taint ev,rything,' said he, Ito
draw quick and shoot straight; yer
must put yer lead where it will do
most good. Eff yer don't, tother party
may slice yer with his knife after
you've shot him."