The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-20
scAR-FACED cHARr.E.Y-

There were four passengers of us
outside and five inside the Deadwood
coach that was held up by Scar-Faced
Charley on certain September day in
the long ago. The four outside were
miners and prospeetors; the i've inside
consisted of one gambler, three specu-
lators and a woman, and all but the
woman were well armed. Scar-Face
had stopped half a dozen coaches on
that route. and We all knew that the
chances were about even that he would
stop ours. The matter had been talked
over outside and in, and we had agreed
to resist robbery, if there was any show
for it.
The woman's name, as I remember
it, was Bushrod. She was a widow.
about 50 years old. She had a. son in
Deadwood. and had come from New
England to bring him a few hundred
dollars and keep house for him. one
could tell her chief characteristics at a
glance. She, had a temper easily
aroused, and she was a woman Of
great determination. She objected to
smoking, TO swearing, to politics, and
lots of other things, and hat made ev-
eTybody inside uncomfortable in the
Two days. She heard it talked over
that the notorious bandit might stop
the stage, and her reply was to ele-
vate her chin, give sniff Of defiance
and observe:
IF he does he will find one person
here he can't scare for shucks, and that
is Sarah Jane Bushrod. I've had hun
dred different folks try to bluff me
around, but all of sem made a failure
OF it,
It was 3 o'clock IN the afternoon. and
we were skirting foothills covered with
pine scrub, when Sear-Face stepped
out of the bushes, lifted a double-bar-
relied shotgun to his shoulder and call
I'D. -1-4rr- - sx,-T1
all four of us on top Of the coach made
motion for our guns, but the driver
yelled at US:
stop that, you cussed fools! Do you
want to be blown to kingdom come?''
Ten seconds more and it was too late.
The bandit was at the wheel, and no
man of sense would have taken the
chance. I believe one of the insiders
did get a pistol out, but the gambler
reached for it and tossed it from the
window. I had read and heard a good
deal of Scar-Face. and had a real
curiosity to see him. He was a man Of
about thirty, rather picturesquely at
tired land as he was clean shaver he
looked more like faro man than a
highway rObber. There was q smile on
his face as he looked up. but something
warned you that it was a smile that
could come off mighty sudden If things
did not go his way. He took a look
into the coach, and then stepped back
and said:
Now, gentlemen, let's have no fuss
over this thing. You up there get down,
and you inside come out and form in
line and put your hands up. OF course,
the lady is not included.
None of US saw a chance to get in
shot while we were lining up, and once
on the ground it was too late. He passed
to the rear of US and removed our shoot
ers and tossed them into the bushes. The
The driver was permitted to retain his
seat. He had no treasure box, and the
mails were not asked for.
Now, gentlemen" said Scar Face, in
his breezy way. 81 shall pass in front
of you with my hat and you will drop
in watches and purses. l put you on
your honor If I afterward discover
that any one has held anything back it
will be bad for him
One of the insiders was a Jew. He
had q big roll, and slSirnrhtng on about
$50, he handed the rest to the woman
to take care Of After the contribution
the bandit stopped in. front of Mr.. Isaacs
s'You are keeping something back"
$50 help me gracious, I'm not.
Don't lie to me. Where is your
roll ?"
a quiet spectator, though she was
boiling over with anger at the idea Of
our letting a single man rob the eight
of US She had to say something or
burst. and shaking the Jews roll out
of the window, she called out:
Eyes, here is his money, and I'd like
to see you get it! I've also got some
of my own, but you'll never get a dol
lar of it into your dirty fingers
I'd to this time Scar-Face had never
robbed a woman. If the widow had
kept her tongue still she would have
been treated with chivalry, but once
started she let her temper run away
with her. She gave the bandit a great
h,
marks included US. He gave her five
minutes. seeming to be amused and
yet resolved, and when she paused for
breath he advanced to the coach,
thrust the barrels of the gun through
the window and within a foot of her
nose and said:
''Hand me over every dollar you
have got about you or you won't live
ten seconds"
She went deathIy white and handed
over and as near as I could make out
she was in swoon. for the next five
minutes. The bandit got a fine haul
and was well pleased. When he had
pocketed the plumber he said:
"I shall now bid you goodbye, gen
tlemen. Let no one move for the next
five minutes. Then you may resume
your Journey -
He bowed and stepped aside into
the scrub, and we looked at each
other in a foolish way. After three or
four minutes the driver told US to get
in, and it was then that the widow
got out She had recovered from her
swoon. and her face was fiery red
insead of deathly pale.
Look here, you pack of poltroons,
but are you going to let that scoun-
dreI get away with all our money!"
she exclaimed, as she looked from
one to the other.
but what can we do?" asked one
sDo? Do? Why, you coward. you
III h
None of us saw it that way and took
our places. The driver called to the
woman to get in. but she turned on
him with:
GO on with your towards! I'm go
ing to follow that robber to the ends
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