Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-19
DAILY SHORT STORY
SCAR FACED CHARLEY.


Copyright i19o5. by Mcclure. Phillips & Col
There were eight of us outside and
Inside thef Deadwood coach, including
| woman Mrs. Bslshrod, when Scar
Faced Charley robbed us.
It,was 3yo'clock lin the afternoon. and
we We're skirting foothills covered
with pine scrub, when Scar Faced
Charley stepped out of the bushes.
| lifted a double barreled shotgun TO
| his shoulder and called upon the driver
| 10 pull up. L think all four of us on
| top of the coach made u motion for our
| guns, but the driver yelled at us:
stop that. youtcussed fools! Do you
want TO be blown TO kingdom Gomez
Scar Face was ;rt that'time a man of
about thirty, rather picturesquely at
| tired. and. as he was clean shaven, he
| looked more likesa faros man than a
| highway robber. There was a smile
| Oh his face as he ,lookedi up, but some
| thing warned you thattit was smile
that could come off mighty sudden if
| Things did not go his way. He took
| look into the coach and ,then stepped
back, and said:
| 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 chance to get in
! shoGswhile we were lining up, and once
on the ground it was too late. He pass
| ed to the reariOf us and removed our
| shooters and tossed them into the
| bushes. The driver was permitted to
retain his seat. He had no treasure
box. and thesmails were not asked for.
NOW. gentlemen said Scar Face in
his breezy way, Il shall pass in front
of you with,my hat, and you will drop
in watches and purses. 1 put you
on your honor. If l afterward discover
that any one has held anything back
it will be bad for him.
One of the insiders was a Jew. He
had a big roll. and skimming off about
$50 he handed the rest to the woman
TO take care.of. After the contribution
the bandit stopped in front of Mr..
Isaacs and said:
You are keeping something back"
$50 help me gracious, I'm not
Don't lie. Whereas your rollf''
Il quiet spectator, though she was boil
ing 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'll like
toNsee you get it. I've also got some of
my own. but you'll never get dollar
of it'into your dirty fingers"
Up to this time Scar Face had never
robbed 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 great
tongue flashing. and Il part of her re-
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 deadly white and handed
she was in n swoon for the next five
minutes. The bandit got a fine haul
and was well pleased. When he had
pocketed the plumber he said:
II shall now bid you goodby, gentle
men. 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 instead of death
ly pale.
Look here. you pack of poltroons,
are you going to let that scoundrel
get away with all our money!" she ex-
as she looked from one to the
other.
But what can we do?" asked one.
do? Do? Why, you towards. you
can follow him up and capture himr'
None of us saw 1t that way and took
Dur places. The driver called to the |
to get in, but she turned on him
with:
GO on with your towards! I'm GO
ng to follow that robber to the ends of
he earth but what 1 get my money
)ackr'
With that she headed straight into
he scrub on the robbers trail. and aft
# waiting for her five minutes and
'ainly calling to her to return the stage
proceeded and reached Deadwood four
tours late. +
When the story was told, the sheriff
ook posse and started for the scene.
'ut before he reached it they met the
widow walking along the road She
that she had followed the .
obber for a mile through the scrub
nd then came upon him in camp. She
{ once started I'm to give him ..1owdr, Y