Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-07-20
MAIL CARRIER
IS HELD UP
Two Masked Men Waylay Joe Nor
man Between Whisky Guleh and
Gilt Edge and Rob Him.
BOTH ROBBERS ARE STABBED
Plucky Mail Carrier Resists Until
sandbassed by Highwaymen-
Slater on the Trail.

Joe Norman, who carries the mai
between the Whisky Gulch mine ant
Gilt Edge, was held up by two mask
ed men Saturday afternoon at
O'Clock and robbed of S135. Mr.. Nor
man is employed at the mine and II
is his business to see that the mai
gets out to Whisky Gulch. II has
been the custom of the boys at the
mine to give him their checks to have
cashed in Gilt Edge and he sometimes
has a considerable sum OF money
with him, as was the case Saturday
afternoon.
His story to County Attorney Bel
den was that he had been to Gilt Edge
Saturday on his daily trip and was
returning slowly up the trail with the
reins hanging loosely on the horses
neck and was reading a paper. The
trail was a narrow one with a dense
growth of bull pines on each side OF
the road. and he neither heard mol
saw anything to arouse his suspicious
The first he knew was when two men
sprang out from the brush, pulled him
from his horse and started to lead
him across the road. He resisted to
the best of mis- ability and managed
to get his pocket knife out and stab
bed one OF the men in the right side
just below the ribs. He is confident
he hit him because he felt the knife
go in up to the handle. The other
man was trying to grab his hands and
he slashed away with his knife and Is
positive that he cut his assailan'
across the wrists. At this stage of the
game one of the robbers struck hin
on the temple with sand bag ant
he was rendered unconscious. They
then tied his hands and feet and gag
ged him with a piece of canvas.
When they had secured him to theil
liking they went through his pockets
and mail pouch and took what money
there was, amounting to sum be
tween S125 and $135. The men die
not attempt to stop his horse and II
went on to Whisky Gulch. When the
people at that place saw the horse
coming home without a rider they al
once thought that some accident hat
befallen Norman and a searching
party was organized. They took the
trail toward Gilt Edge and at Z O'Clock
that evening Mrs. Jack Cooper, the
wife of the mine superintendent
found Norman where the robbers had
left him. He was just regaining con
sciousness, although 1t was some
three hours and half since he wal
assaulted.
Mr.. Norman returned to the mine
with the party and by the next day
was feeling all right. There Is mo-
mark on him to show where the
sand bag hit him. His claim that ht
cut one man on the hands is borne
out. however, by the fact that the
back of his coat, where the robbers
worked tying his hands behind him
is bloody, as are the bottoms of hit
trouser legs. There is also large
amount of bloou in the road and or
the rocks near the scene of the holt
up. He says he was unable to see
the faces of the men as they botf
wore long black masks with holes cu
in them for eye holes. These masks
hung below their faces and completely
concealed them.
Sheriff Slater and County Attorne,
Belden left early Sunday morning fol
Whisky Gulch and, in company will
Mr.. Norman, went back over the roat
and examined the place carefully
Sheriff Slater remained and tried Il
find some trace OF the robbers, bu
so far nothing has been seen or heart
of them. It was reported that two
suspicious characters had been seeI
in the vicinity but the report proved
groundless.
This is the first hold up that hal
occurred in this part of the count,
for years and the officers are exert
ing themselves to the utmost to catcl
/ the rObbers