Middletown transcript., 1897-01-09

iMW WH3 INM December nigh
|MklvNf- ESYM in 100. Their,
! ssKlSA were a number o
IW. Hft WaN us--all newspapel
| lSIHA Sv t correspondents =
lNAy' " EeskHHaIHehkllHN and a few inter
and reservation employees. The day
previous had been full of excitement,
the Brule and Ogallala Siouxswere en-.
gagged In the Ghost Dance or Messiah
Craze. About the Agency General
Miles had grouped some 1900 troops;
beyond their white tents clustered the
dingy tepees of the Indians, some : S0(
Of men.
We greatly enjoyed those evenings in
the hotel. They brought back to mem
ory pictures u the old West-staging.
buffalo hunting, Indian fighting. And
what fund of Information the scouts,
interpreters and told timers" poured
into our willing earsl Each one could
have talked all night and yet left the
narration of his experiences unfinished
then. We were especially interested
in the singular career of B. He had
left home in Connecticut, and after
varied experiences in Iowa and Nebras-
ka joined company o miners and
with them entered the new mining
camp of Deadwood. He was then
but seventeen years old. That same
winter he carried the first mail out of
Deadwood to the Missouri River.
B. Joined our circle while scout was
relating some experiences with stage
robbers in the early seventies, and inn
mediately entered into the converse
tion.
$50 far as / know the smoothest
trick, prompted by desire to save
money, ever played upon stage robbers
occurred near Miles City in '79. A load
of passengers were almost within sight
Of the town. They had been travelling
all day andwere worn out, for The roads
were awful bad in those days and all
coaches bounced and swayed very
much. Having come near their journ-
ey'send they were congratulating them
selves. Hold-u IS had been frequent.
Two heavily armed messengers accom-
panied each coach, with orders to fire
on any person acting susplciously.
"'Dear mel" said an elderly man
near the door, I'm glad we are safe. I
have about $500 and IL I had lost it I
don't know where could get more
81 can get plenty of money said
travelling salesman, but the loss of
what have would put me TO much
trouble out herr, among strangers
"Two miners and prospector. each
with large rolls, expressed their satis-
faction at passing dangerous points
safely. The next speaker was a little
old woman. kind and motherly in her
ways.
I" My boy has started restaurant in
town and is doing we'll. He wanted
me to come aud help, SO here I am !,
goodness knows far enough away from
dear old Ohio. thought he would need
his mother, for these mining towns are
wild, / hear, and full of temptations.
I have only got 5000. It's all the cash
I have in the world. Fearing robbers
/ have put it in place where no one
would think of looking. You cannot
guess whereof OF course the guesses
we're all wrong.
Well, I have four $50 bills against
the sole Of my foot inside my left
shoel'
'CapitalP said the elderly gentle
man. No one would ever think Of
looking for money in your snos's. In
a far corner, at the front sat small
slender, ,black-haired man. No one spoke
to him during the journey and he made
no sound save occasionally to cough in
q peculiar manner. Some of the pas
sengers thought him to be consump-
tive. Even when general good-fellow-
ship prevailed he took no part In The
conversation, Making bold the old
lsdy said: s.
"And you; what would you do if
you were held upP"
"a hollow cough and a shrng of the
shoulders was all his reply.
"What mean fellowp thought the
old gentleman. At this instant the
coach lurched violently to one side and
bang, bang, came the sudden reports Of
gunsl One messenger was sho., the
other compelled to throw up his hands
before time for resistance, and conster-
nation and terror prevailed within the
coach.
"Lord, Lordp prayed the elderly
man.
s'oh. dear. oh, dearp cried ths
woman.
"Hustle up here, git ont, and one OF
robbers held the door open with his left
hand while be covered the passengers
with the revolver in his right. OF
course they all filed ont and were
stood up in d row. There was much
trembling on the part Of the men and
the poor old woman wept audibly. 1t
only took few moments to go through
the pockets Of the iine and to investl-4
gate the messengers small safe. Pro-
badly the road-agehts would have taken
to the hills at this moment had not
one Of them behold ehe fraii figure With
In the coach.
!" Hold on, boys; here's ono we for
got,' and he started 10 with an oath to
2st-. NH