Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-06-25
FOOLED THE ROBBERS
An Incident Of the Days Of Stage
coach Holdups.
QUICK WIT OF PAT cLoHEsY.

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 a proper state OF helpless.
ness. to secret money and valuabies I'm
the nrst safe place that suggested It.
SELF" said veteran Colorado mining
man. but such precautions were use
less. for there was small time and
smaller opportunity OF place to hide
anything In q mere shell OF a coach.
II man was found without money.
they stripped him and searched the
stage as well.
The 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-
gcr4 none u whom knew him. As
thcj <eached the narrowest part Of the
gorge that leads out Of Wet Mountain
valley q loud command Of Hold up
your handsv brought the stage to a
sudden standstill and, every passenger
In II to swift realization that (inless
quick action was taken be would 20
broke. One crammed his wad of bills
down his boot leg: another thrust his
roll down The back OF his neck: a third
took or his hat. put his wallet inside
and set II back on his head Every
man Jack OF them attempted to Sc
crete his money except Pat Clohesy.
and Fat sat perfectly quiet.
I'm fcw moments ride barrel an
peared at the window, and there came
the order, Hands up and all ou.Y Out
the passengers tumbied and stood In
line with lifted hands. Pat ut the far
end. When the searching highway
man went through the first man he
found nothing. lrritated at this. he
started through the second. with the
same lack Of success. Angry at CHS.
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 'emr he exclaimed
Well just make 'em strlp. and then
We'll go through the stage. They'll
pay for putin us TO all this troubier
"Then W spoke Pat Clohesy frc'n
the far end Of the line. 'GentlemeS'
he said. addressing the highwaymen.
i know you're In hurry, and l know
I'm poor miner with all my property
In the world-just the SIS I've got--in
nay pocket II you'll leave me that lit.
tie roll. III tell you where these other
fellows have hidden their swag. SOS
you can collect 1t quick and skip out
Is 1t a bargainY
Sure said the man with the
guarding rifle. Fifteen dollars meant
nothing to the band compared to the
risk. Well, said Pat. pointing to the
nrst In line. that fellows money IS
stuffed down his right boot leg
THE holdup Investigated and drew
forth a plump roll Of bills from the
boot leg. That next man. went on
Pat. has got his money hid under the
hind seat in the stage The bandit
found a fat wallet stuffed Snder tho
cushion. Tho next has got his money
In his hat, and theJnext crammed bis
stuff down the back of his neck, and
tho next Pat went down the limo OF
Thorn. whilo the highwayman drew
forth money from oil manner OF places.
Swiftly collecting their booty, they
bundled tho passengers back In the
coach. set driver and guard back on
their seats and told them to go ahead.
not, however. before they had given
Pat twenty dollar bill and a hearty
slap Of thanks on his Irish back.
THE storm that broke over his head
inside that cooch after 10 had rolled
safe distahce from the bandits threat
encd his very life before he could get
hearing. Had IL not been that the
robbers had disarmed them all and
Pat was a huge man he never would
have got away alive.
Each Of you figure up just how
much you've lost he said to his feI.
low passengers when at last they
would listen, and I'll pay you back
not only what that Is, but an equaJ
amount In addition, for the bother I've
given you,' and he pulled from an m
ner vest pocket a huge roll Of bills.
In bewilderment the travellers counted
up their losses. Collectively 1t was
about $1,000 Pat peeled off two $1,000
bulls from the bulky mass Of money
and handing them to a responsible pas
senger, asked him 10 make correct d.
vision when they reached the railroad
TIN sorry for the unpleasant quar-.
ter hour ! caused you he continued
but 1t was the only thing could do to
save myself. have Just sold a mine
back In Silver Cliff for 100000 cash
and had no other way to bring the
money out except I'm my pocket Here
Is the bundle Of It, and he held I'D the
fat roll. When heard the holdups
outside thought 1t was all up. for you
can't hide money from those hounds.
But when you fellows pulled out your
money TO hide II and / saw that none
Of ycu had my large amount thought
l would work a game on the rond
agents and give you away TO the VII.
Iains In order TO save myself. I surely
hidl They've got $1,000, but I've saved
my money! Washington Post.