The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-11-18
A SERIOUS JOKE,
Kew q Party Of Tour,sts Came Sud-
Il denly Upona
MOVING PICTURE STAGE COACH
Hold Up and NoblY Pitched In and
Shot the Gentle Bandlts, Res. -
ouing the Astounded 40.
tors in the Coach.
tors in the Coach,

Z - : " s 4
tors in the Coach.
New SUBJECTS, new situations and
new8tilms Of pictures must bs con-
stantly provided for the moving pic
ture machines at the theatres, vaude.
vile houses and country fairs. The
fast express trains, prize fights and
Boer wars having been worn thread
bare, the enterprising bicgraph agents
decided to pose a real, live, thrilling
Western stage coach ''hold up" in the
good, ole. fashioned style.
Colonel William N: Selig, of Chica.
go, after much care, assembled togeth-
er all the necessary paraphernalia, in
cludicg genuine old. fashioned mail
coach,fa half dozen mail bags and q
picturesque company of men, women
and children, who were willing to
pose as passengers on the ''held-up"
stage, while Colonel William N.
Selig's squad OF picturesquely mount.
ed imaginary bandits fired blank cart
ridges at them and otherwise carried
out the desperate end Of the under
taking.
To make sure of every possible
touch OF realism, Colonel Selig care.
fully selected the very canon in the
turn Of the road onse the old Leadville
trail, where, surely enough, many a
successful "hold up'' by real bandits
had ebeen accomplished in the days
that are now long passed.
With this brief statement of the
quite proper ambition and active
efforts OF the energetic moving pic.
ture agent, who for so ne days had
been apatiently rehearsing his little
hold up" operations Just outside the
scity OF Colorado Springs, Col, the
reader Is invited to 90 back to last
Thursday at about O'Clock In the
afternoon.
TFE HISTORIC "noLD.UP" TRAIL.
Frod G. Aikens, the well-known
Pn'ladalphian and party including
Mrs. Aicfens and another lady, had
started from @; dorado Springs an]
were being driven over that part Of
the old Leadvi:le trail by an old time
miner, now in the livery business.
The ladies were delighted with the
mountain scenery, and the driver was
regaling them with historical data.
Now, right around that bend" he
went on is one Of the most celebrat-
ed spots in the whole State"
Dear me-" said Mrs. Aickens ca
gerly, what happened there?'
1t always was a lonesome place."
unused the driver, 'and it's Just as
lonesome now as it ever was"
How interesting Do you mean
that it was haunted2"
Not by ghosts, ma'am," answered
the driver, with a grin. The gar e
that haunted that part Of the old
LeadYile trail were just about a.
quick with the trigger as they make
! 'em."
Are you talking of stage robbers?
Oh, how very interesting"
Yes'm, hold-ups. A couple Of hun
dred yards ahead is where more stages
were held up in the 7O's, and passen.
gers half scared to death, and Wells
Fargo treasure boxes busted open,
than in all Of the rest of the West put
ttgether.'
You don't say SO! Just like Buffalo
Bills Wild West, l suppose?"
Not exactly YOU see, in those
days there weren't no blank cart.
ridges. When those six. shooters went
of somebody was bound to drop"
But nothing of that kind happens
nowadays, OF course" said Mrs. Aic
kens, nervously.
"Waal, not so often," drawled the
driver.
THE LADIES WERE GETTING SCARED.
The ladies were visibly trembling by
this time, and even Mr.. Aickens look
ed bit serious. In another moment
they were rounding the bend. The
spot just ahead was indeed lonesome,
with the canon on one side and beet.
ling crags on the other, obscuring the
sunlight. Suddenly the driver ut, ,ered
an exclamation:
'Jumpin' Judas! Do you see that?"
a strengthening vehicle was ap
preaching just beyond where tue trail
crossed the mouth Of a ravine.
It's only stage COACH" said MIR.
Aickcns.
Stage cQach?" repeated the driver.
Stages don't run on this road any
more not for twenty years."
Why. it's just like Buffalo BIll's,"
said Mrs. Aickens. "See what an old
rattletrap it is."
1T carries the malls all right" re-
marked Mr.. Aickens Look at the
bags pilid up around the driver"
At that instant half a dozen pic.
turesque mounted men with drawn re-
volvers dashed out Of the ravine and
surrounded the coach, with reyolvers
aimed at the drivers head. The driver
OF the Aickens party, with smother
ed oath, quickly turned his team out
Of sight behind Jutting rock.
Quick! Jump out and hide your
selves with your valuables," he said.
They haYen't seen us yet"
Half-fainting the ladies we're help.
ed cut Of the carriage by Mr.. Aic.
kens, who, cor siderIng the suddenness
of the surprise, had no difficulty in
convincing himself that discretion was
the better part Of valor. Around the
C rner OF the ambuscade he and the
driver gazed upon the hold. up" Both
had revolvers. Mr.. Aickens drew his,
but the driver cautioned him:
No use. Put up your gun. They re
too many for u.s..
a REALISTIC "HoLD-Up.n
In fact, the half hysterical ladies
were demanding all their attention. 1t
was almost impossible to keep them
from shrieking as the passengers
tunablcd out of the old stage coach at