The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-08-12
FOOLED THE ROBBERS
An Incident Of the Days Of Stage.
coach Holdups.
QUICK WIT or PAT cLoHEsY.
The Trick by Which the Old Tims
Mining Man Of Colorado Saved Him
self and Sacrificed His Fellow Trav-
slsrs and the Story Sequel.

Mining Man OF Colorado Saved Him
self and Sacrificed His Fellow Trav-
slsrs and the Story Sequel.
when the passengers in the old
coaching days found themselves in the
clutches of the road agents they In
stinctively hurried, during the short
time that driver and guard were be-
ing put in d proper state Of helpless
ness. to secret money and valuables In
the first safe place that suggested IT.
aelf," said a veteran Colorado mining
man. "But such precautions were use
less, for there was small time and
smaller opportunity Of place to hide
anything In mere shell of coach.
IL man was found without money,
they stripped him and searched the
stage as well.
"rne experience Of Pat Clohesy, an
old time mining man of Colorado, is
historic. One afternoon he took the
stage from silver Cliff camp, bound
for the railroad, sixty miles away. In
the coach were dozen other passen-
gers, none Of whom knew him. As
they reached the narrowest part Of the
gorge that leads out of Wet Mountain
valley loud command OF Hold up
your handsp brought the stage to a
sudden standstlll and every passenger
In It to a swift realization that unless
quick action was taken he would go
broke. One crammed his wad Of bills
down his boot leg; another thrust his
roll down the back of his neck; third
took on his hat, put his wallet inside
and set 1t back on his head. Every
man Jack Of them attempted to Sc
crete his money except Pat Clohesy,
and Pat sat perfectly quiet.
'1n few moments a rifle barrel ap-
peared at the window, and there came
the order, Hands up and all outv Out
the passengers tumbied and stood In
line with lifted hands. Pat at the far
end. When the searching highway
man went through the first man he
found nothing. Irritated at this, he
started through the second, with the
same lack of success. Angry at this,
the bandit turned to his fellow robber,
who stood covering the line with his
Winchester.
"They have been tryin' to hide
their stuff, d-n 'emv he exclaimed.
We'll just make 'em strip, and then
wen 60 through the stage. They'll
pay for putin us to all this troubleg
"Then up spoke Pat Clohesy from
the far end of the line. Gentlemen
he said, addressing the highwaymen,
Il know you're In a hurry, and know
I'm poor miner with all my property
In the world-just the SIS I've got-in
my pocket. IL you'll leave me that lit.
tie roll, ri tell you where these other
fellows have hidden their swag, sos
you can collect 1t quick aud skip out
Is 1t bargainT
"'Sure,' said the man with the
guarding rife. Fifteen dollars meant
nothing to the band compared to the
risk. Well said Pat pointing to the
first in line, that fellows money Is
stuffed down his right boot Leg
"The holdup investigated and drew
forth plump roll Of bills from the
boot leg. That next man. went OF
Pat. has got his money hid under the
hind seat In the stage The bandit
found a fat wallet stuffed under the
cushion. The next has got his money
IN his hat. and the next crammed his
stuff down the back of his neck, and
the next Pat went down the line o.
them. while the highwayman drew
forth money from all manner of places
Swiftly collecting their booty, they
bundled the passengers back In thu
coach, set driver and guard back OF
their seats and told them to 60 ahead
not, however, before they had giveI
Pat a twenty dollar blu and a heart.
slap Of thanks on his Irish back.
'"rhe storm that broke over his heat
inside that coach after 1t had rolled |
safe distance from the bandits threat
ened his very life before he could &c
a hearing. Had II not been that th
robbers had dlsarmed them all ant
Pat was huge man he never woul'
have got away alive.
"'lEach of you, figure up just hoy
much you've lost he said to his fel
low passengers when at last the,
would listen. and I'll pay You bacl
not only what that is, but an equa
amount In addition, for the bother Nv
given YOU and he pulled from an In
uer vest pocket huge roll of bills
In bewilderment the travellers counte
up their losses. Collectively 1t wa
about 81 600 Pat peeled off two Sl.00