Arizona republican., 1899-05-01


 Madison snatched up six-shooter
 from the coach floor and shot the ban
 dit through the chest in fraction of
 second. The bandit fell backward.
 The assistant, who stcod near the
 horses heads, turned to see who had
 shot his companion. At that second
 another passenger, who had not got
 out of the coach and had found I|eep-
 hole through the canvas front from
 which he had a view of things ahead ] of tho vehicle, shot the assistant down.
 Madison, from his place at the coach step, finished the assistant with an
 other shct.
 It has always been matter Of con- lecture among the o,d-time Tombstone people what would have been the out ] come of the incident had thsre been
 a dozen or so concealed confederates
 about the spot where the stage coach
 was stopped. But it seems there were only two robbers there this time, and all their talk about partners who were
 hidden near with cooked rifles in their 1 hands was a bluff. The bandit at the horses heads was dead when the stage passengers reached him, and the other
 was taken toi Fort Bowie, where he
 died a day or two later. The drivers arm was so badly wounded that it had
 to be amputated Richard Gird gave
 him @ gol1 watch and a job in the mining ccmpany's office. There was $15 ,000 of bullion in the treasure box cn that trip
 There was even soma humor among the highwaymen who used to lie in wait for the Tombstone coaches. Mrs. -: Of bo fro owner of the original Tombstone mine and now 9 resident of San Francisco, has told many times of an experience she and several of her Tombstone women friends had once in a hold-up
 There were eight passengers in the cCGch,'' said Mrs Gird, "and four Of them were women, wives of the mining operators. We were going to Fl Paso to have charge of tba Tomb stone mining exhibit there for fort night. It was just at the edge of the evening when the coach swung around bend among the foothills in the Santa Rita mountains, and there were three masked men standing with guns in hand. Che man had bead drawn on the driver. another stcod ready to shoot any one in the coach who might make demonstration. while the third was evidently to be the spokesman and general manager Of the bandit party. We had prepared for any possible ho-d-up by not taking any unnecessary money with us, and we had been as sured that the express companys treasure box contained only company papers and some sample chunks of ore. Therefore we had arranged it among ,NiIy-, al 1Tr1c, 4O 1-o Al.- ance if robbers should wish to see us. and we were not very much worried when the masked man did call to our driver to stop. The coach curtains were Glcwn and we were trying to sleep as best we could in our cramped posi- tions
 Well, what yer got?' called the speaking outlaw when our coach came to halt He was evidently pained to see the stage so closed tc. his view
 Only two whislsey agents, gamb- Ter and four old hepd replied the driv- CT with dsrrecatory air.
 ' You lie,' said the masked speaker. I've been in this here business too long
 Hope to die. Lcok in and see for yourself answered the driver.
 But peering into a covered stage coach was dangerous work for any highwayman. A few green men in the profession had been shot dead In the territcry by passengers from the inside by such fCol work on the highway. The three highwaymen evidently thought they had struck something pretty rich, and they certainly were experienced in their operations.
 The driver was tod to stand LID and hold his hands over his head. The spokesman told his usual tale about concealed comrades all about. The two assistant masked men backed off to one side of the road, and from behind q boulder had full sweep Of the To- cality with their rifles and, at the i same time, protected their own bodies. It was plain that the speaking outlaw felt that the gang was going to maks 1 the prize hold-lZp Of its existence. He i gripped his rife and strained every nerve to dc. quick and sursl work if the l occasion demanded. He fairly shook with excitement. Imagine then how he felt when four travel-stained, mid | dle aged women in cheap calico gowns. | a Catholic priest, blacksmith, a den tist and a disreputable looking old | Hr551ect0r all filed down and out of i the coach with our hands up, and look ing as if we had barrels of coin about l us. There was no more shcrw of fight | in our party than there Is in wet cat. One of the wcmen could hardly keep hsr face straight. It seemed so ridicu- 1ous to make such fuss and prepara- ton to rob us and to guard against any | shooting by us. Our very appearance | showed that we had nothing to save frcm robbers and that we wern indif- 1 ferent to any hGld-up.
 T have often wished that I might | have seen the face of the leader of the | gang, but his mask concealed that We | did, however, hear him swear blue | streak. He just stood there and rolled | out string Of paths when he realized | that hs and hispartners had struck the 1