The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1897-12-02
ROBBERS IN ARIZONA.
Change of Fashion in the RobbinE OF
Western Trains.

| LnanRe OF r aSn1On the VI
Western Trains.
The old fashion of setting train rob
Der at either end of drawing-roon
car, with instructions to require the
passengers to surrender their Valu
ables under pain of instant death. has
quite gone out; it too often happened
that an irritable passenger drew
bead on the nearest bandit and shc'
him where he stood. The custom now
is for the road agent to cut off the ex
press car from the rest of the train and
rob it at leisure, leaving the passengers
unmolested. If the express messenger
is recalcitrant or slow in his move
ments, his car is blown open with dyn-
amite and the robbers make a careful
selection of its contents. Even this in
dustry has been checked in its infant
struggles by tendency on the part OF
express instrumentation left alive
to take quick shots at the robbers with
Il sawed-Off rife loaded with buckshot.
as they retired with their plunder. De
plOrable accidents have occurred from
this reprehensible practice. It has
been observed that when well-knOwn
| road agent meets an untimely death iL
this way his pals retire from business.
for a time, probably for prayer and
meditation.
The most famous of the Arizona out
laws, Black Jack, was an epicure in
his business. and toward the close OF
his life robbed nothing but postoffices
The gains We're small. but the risk was
almost nothing, the office being often
kept by Il woman, and Black Jack was
so much Of a gentleman that he never
laid his hand upon a woman save in
the way of kindness, SO long as she
handed out the registered mail prompt
ly. He did some little business like
wise in loOting the offices of mining
companies just before pay day. This
branch was lucrative, but there was
always the risk that the watchman
might get the drop ON the robber.
1t 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 watchmen at high
wages. Thus, one of the most prosper
Gus copper companies hires, at a very
high salary, 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 it's employ as city marshal one
of the brothers carp, each of whom al
ways fired with his gun resting on his
arm. Experience had taught them that
this practice gave them 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 sec
onds are everything. A town not far
from Tombstone had been greatly in
jured by the riotous behavior of some
Of its residents who were bad men"
1t engaged, at salary of $4,000 a
year, the very worst desperate in the
territory to act as city marshal. The
day after his appointment he was ac-
costed by three noted ruffians, who,
drawing their guns, sneered:
$50 you're a-goin' to run this here
town, air yer?'
The new marshal had his gun up his
sleeve, and before the rascals could
pull trigger he fired three times, and
each time laid a man dead at his feet.
"'Tain't everything" said he, ito
draw quick and shoot straight; yer
must put yer lead where it will do
most good. Eff yer don't, t'other party
may slice yer with his knife after
you've shot him."-Leslie's Weekly.