The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-12
THE MAN OF THE MINUTE.
MODEST AND MYSTERIOUS UNITE
TIE MOMENT TO SHOOT

wounded and Captured Two More-A Depu-
~ sheriff. UnLnown 10 Fame. who Hrohs
In n Gang OF stage Robbers In Five Minutes.
81 was one Of four passengers on the astward.
bound stage that left Silver City, ". NJ, at 5
o'clock in The afternoon, said +. S. KiIkbridgc.
who formerly travelled for n 81. Louis nrm In
the Southwestern territories. Tho stage WAS
q thrcc.seatcd huckbonrd, with four mules ahead,
and besides tho passengers IL carried the United
states mail and tho overland cXrrcSs packages.
A trip on the overland through New Mexico in
those days-it wns ls77-was apt to prove a H.
tie trying to II man OF quiet tastes, Tor tho
ApaChcs always wcro liable to be lying Ia wait
for the stage, and road agents were un-
usually industrious that year. In fa,b
there seemed 10 be an epidemic of stage robbinR
about this time. for in the last five weeks the
stages had been hold ur five times between Sill
yer City and Mcsilla, and the company was NJ
its wits ends 10 lind how to put n stop to tho
business. The Sherifs OF Grant. Dona Ana, and
FL Paso counties had done their best TO trace up
the robbers. but, although they felt certain that
all the hold ups were the work Of one gang, led
by Tom McGuff. they could not catch the road
agents rcd-handcd or find sufficient evidence on
which to arrest my OF the suspected men.
1--WE were talking about these things on the
stage in the first two hours Of the trip. While
Daylight lasted, as we spun along In the fresh,
celebrating air. with the mules unravellin9
eight or ten miles OF the smooth trail every
hour. the idea Of these dangers were interesting
rather than unpleasant. for they seemed far
away. But as night shut down, closing around
us, we began TO think OF road agents and
Apaches in another light. In the darkness
the mezquite clumps and cactuses took on
queer and uncertain shapes. and seemed, 10
move with life as we passed them. We had
been pretty tslkstiye. but now every man kent
raised was that of the driver as he swore at tho
mules. 1t was a relief the few minutes We
mules. and most Of US got on the buckboNfd
there to stretch our legs, Then we were of
again with Cooks canon between US and the
"None Of us liked the looks or behavior OF the
OF medium height. strongly. built and deliberate
OF movement SO m.ch III ms race SG as oo1,r 30
Slowed Gnp a straight M,' rather pPominene nose, q
mustache above straight. thin lips. and a reso.
i n.,n4 Jaw w,., Wtt he IT, sP Si,ai En- he . had III, The s a, Of
was helped out by the bulge IN his coat at each
hip in The place where pistols usually are car,
real besine the driver. When the passenger
tured to remonstrnte. the stranger gave him
one look which ended the matter. and the pas
evidently did not know the man. and it was
equally clear that he judged him to be a person
panionship or confidence in the company as the
mules bowled US along toward Cooks canon.
hleln lou. my 1Tlenu. L ike not Inc looks OF
that man, whispered a German jew from Tue
son who sat ne. I me on the middle seat This
Is .R fsa eS sprnsTyi i Aos o xhGni of the passenger,
generally, II OF whom. no "oubt, like myself,
lad made up their minds that t e stranger
u ual methods OF his era I by. taking passage on
the stage to the point where Re meant to rob IT;
local i in New NJ xico or Indian ma .acres
and r .bberies, and muir ers by white outlaws.
The m on had risen g hen The b c bosrd pa s d
T. { e canon. but the steep rock walls shut ous
The dri' er gathered the rcirs tGiehtly in hs d
and ut the mn s 10 a smart pace; and We all
The s,r nger besfie the dri er on the r. n scat
70 ward his h I'D Was sun be ween lis. 81 Vi.
ders SO thai, onl, his hat and back could be seen
Well. the hold;up came, ture enough. The
mnles had slowed their Pace as they tooka
s to tSe G loP s'S SRe nP, tRe call rs tHai H?Ff H ha1f S n5
eEerybody came stern Ind sudden from just
% Mnesf on mu the . Fi man M Sfd | bs ssT o pro o +, the of, "a
darkness: he wore a black cloth mask, and tho
shotgun he carried was levelled at the drivers
BY ~ M ,5s eo It, We Re. are s1 held up, cried ~ the miles, Js.
vafioH depended on it. But before the Jew lid
spoken the driver braced Snrk on the lines
front seat Of the buckboafd, and the masked
stin with his gun fallen across him.. While
another man. whom l had not seen before.
fI lead G %Ties. III The 'f shots IN had df0 Come OF tr tae
the STRANGE PASSENGER. who with the second
past the men fallen in the roadway, and dashed
Into the darkness up the trail ahead. In a few
seconds more,they we're long seconds to us on
the uckboard-there rang down the canon the
sound OF a revolver shot. then another. then
three or four almGst together: There came q
we got out of the blackboard as soon as the
driver could calm the mules down a l~ittle-thcy
dead robbers in the road-and every man who
carried a pistol got it out and felt brave. or pre-
toward MS down the trail, and the stranger rp.
peared from the darkness with two men march
suppoTttnG his left arm with his right hand as
Have any, of you, gentlemen q gun the
command beneath his suave tone. He had been
feE {asip s, Te%G gnsF5 o ,Ah; that that; " we'll VII ySg
take q look at the men in the roNdf
.standlnS guard over the two men. one with
bullet through his thigh. / saw him take the
mask from the face of the robber with the gun.
matSh ti and they he looked looked at at t n,% dead ss me- mans ,lfst face.
ID you know him q he asked.
driver; IT'S Tom MsGua. 81 lie ! has n,qS; held s'l me mp nS
twice before, but he stopped the stage once too
They looked at the other man who had
fallen AT The head OF the mules. The driver did
tho side of the trail to lie until n wagon could
ts sent for them; then the two prisoners were
place. on a seat In front Of the str niger whore
he might keep watch o. them, the rest Of us sat
whore we could. and so we drove TO Fort CUM.
minEs. There he stranger stopped with Lis
Lr!snnrrs waiting to take the return stage TO
name.
Its Chihicld. Henry Chimcld. OF Corazon
county, TrNas. ] m n deputy sheriff there. hut
! 20 some detective work for stage lines and
railroads. Am happy TO have met you. gentle
men
This was MI the Information I over got about
Deputy Sheriff Horny Chificld. one Of the TIVE
OF quiet, resoluLc men, handy with { erun, who
arc hot hoard Of utsidc OF the localities where
They live and arc glad 10 shcn the notnricty ~.
nesperadocs. The stage company had heard n
him ana sont for him. and the facr tLat he was
nnAnown TO people along tho line made l. IN TO
man TO hunt down the stage rohbcrs. which "a
did after his own fashion. viii its leader and
ore man Killed, and two men booked FOR tho
penilcn!iRry; the Tom McGiuf gang was rot
heard Of again, and the stages east OF silver CIV
made thnir trina in unnua fnr u1nnr nnnrILr ~