The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-11-11
The Pysmy Bandit.
by Paul pas.nor.
T SEE Won are growing somewhat

curious about my stuffed eagle?"
remarked Sandhurst, the detective.
vitha smile. as he caught my eye wan
derirc for the fifth time to the big
bird lerched with outsproad wings on
the TOP cf his bookcase. Have an
other cigar. and Will tell you how
] came by him. The tale is odd and
Will interest YOU, ! think.
1T Happened in 1915. The great and
populous state of Missouri was then
little more than thinly-seifled viii
derness. Travelling was done mainly
ly stage and saddle There were few
main roads leading for long distances
through woods and prairie; but for
the most part the country was wild
end uninhabited.
Father at that time lived about 40
miles from the present site OF ST. Louis
81 a little frontier community called
S. Regis. ! believe the name has been
changed since. / haven't been back
there for half n century. Father was
storekeeper and postmaster. ! was
lis only child. and at the time ] am
telling YOU about was Kid Of -.
zone day The mail carrier rode up
"a the store in a state Of great excite
ment. lie tumbled off his horse and
came into the store. pale and hardly
able 4 speak
WHAT'S the matter. Corrigan%
asked my father.
Natter. sor2 The divil himself's
70 pay, An imp Of Sathan dropped
rpor me out av the clear sky. sor. an
vit q pistol 10 each wan az me ears
fow'd me ID drop the mail bag in the
road am ride for me loife. widout
vanrc lookin' behind
'''Ard you obeyed?'
"'Ay coorse Oi did. Whin the evil
wan himself has the drop on man
,oike ihot De yez think il would be
healthy for him to stop an palavcr?
No Scr. Oi cut loose the mail. an the
dNi. dropped of me horses flank. an.
liveu be praised. Dim alive TO tell yez
The tele.'
did you not get glimpse Of the
nar~
The man? No. sor. Dim tellin'
yez il WASH: a man at all, 1t was a
diyil, or DIN ate me head How could
man light upon me horses back from
behind widout n sound av warning >
The first ting OF knew the imp had his
shoo,n' irons in me ears: an whin
he sphoke. begorra. the schmell av his
voice was Ike sulphur U-r-r-r. Wor-
"a worra. Tim Corrigan's no coward.
Place God. whin il comes TO d'alin' wild
man or haste. But the divil himself's
smother thing
The news spread like wildfre
Through the little community that
bury Tim Corrigan had been robbed
81 tho mail. Twelve or fifteen men and
boys soon gathered at the store and a
party was made up. headed by my IA
Their. to ride back TO the scene Of the
Robbery and see II any trace Of Tins
civil could be discovered. Tim him
telf az first refused to 60 He was en-
TREY demoralizcd by supersiitious
f'ar. But upon promise of body
guard ard safe place at the rear he
finally consented TO be one Of the
party
'Ths mail bag was found at the ex-
act spot Indicated by Corrigan. ripped
open and rined OF all its valuable CON
tents. consisting OF several packages
81 va'ne and Enclosures Of money. Blu,
rot the slightest tract o. the thief
could be discovered. There were no
prints Of n horses hoof save those OF
The animal ridden by Corrigan him
ser. Neithsr could mans footprints
ne found nor a trail in the bushes be.
tiae the road. An old Indian fighter
N the party searched long and care
iuiiy. but even his trained eve failec
70 discover sign. The AFFAIR was Z
mystery. and Tins theory OF the agen
cN n the evil one began. covertly. Il
gain some ground.
Tins strange highway robbery
howetcr. was only the fif-t o. mar,
81 SIMILAR character which from thai
Time en- amazed and terrified the pio
neers throughout that section. IN,
paymastrr 81 a numbering gang wa,
m!sieriously pounced upon and re
As'ed Of $500 in small bills. A farmer