The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-05-11
FOOLED THE ROBBERS
An Incident of the Days of Stage
coach HoIdups.
QUICK WIT OF PAT cLoHESY
The Trick by Which the Old Time
Mining Man of Colorado Saved Him
self and Sacrificed His Fellow Trav-
eIers and the Story Sequel.

The Trick by Which the Old Time
Mining Man of Colorado Saved Him
self and Sacrificed His Fellow Trav-
eIers 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 a proper state of helpless
ness, to secret money and valuables In
the first safe place that suggested it.
SELF" 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.
If a 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 a 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 a loud command Of Hold up
your handsp brought the stage to a
sudden standstill 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; a third
took off his hat, put his wallet inside
and set it back on his head. Every
man Jack of them attempted to Sc
crete his money except Pat Clohesy,
and Pat sat perfectly quiet.
"In few moments a rife barrel APP
peared at the window, and there came
the order, Hands up and all outP Out
the passengers tumbled 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 'emp he exclaimed.
We'll just make 'em strip, and then
we'll go through the stage. They'll
pay for putin us to all this troubleF
'gThen up spoke Pat Clohesy from
the far end Of the line. Gentlemen,
he said, addressing the highwaymen,
4 know you're in O. hurry, and know
I'm a poor miner with all my property
in the world-just the $15 I've got-in
my pocket. If you'll leave me that lit
tie roll, I'll tell you where these other
fellows have hidden their swag, SOS
you can collect it quick and skip out.
Is it 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
first in line, that fellows money is
stuffed down his right boot leg
'aThe 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 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 of
them. while the highwayman drew
forth money from all manner of places.
Swiftly collecting their booty, they
bundled the 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 hearty
slap of thanks on his Irish back.
1.-The storm that broke over his head
inside that coach after 1t had rolled a
safe distance from the bandits threat
ened his very life before he could get
a hearing. Had it 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 fell
low passengers when at last they
would listen, and I'll pay you back
not only what that is, but an equal
amount in addition, for the bother I've
given YOU and he pulled from an in
ner vest pocket a huge roll of bills.
In bewilderment the travellers counted
up their losses. Collectively it was
about $1,000. Pat peeled off two $1,000
bills from the bulky mass of money
and handing them to a responsible pas
senger, asked him to make correct di-
vision when they reached the railroad.
"1'm sorry for the unpleasant quar-
ter hour l caused YOU he continued,
but it was the only thing could do to
save myself. / have just sold mine
back in Silver Cliff for 100000 cash
and had no other way to bring the
money out except In my pocket. Here
is the bundle of it, and he held up the
fat roll. When / heard the holdups
outside l thought it was all up, for you
can't hide money from those hounds.
But when you fellows pulled out your
money to hide it and l saw that none
of you had any large amount thought
l would work game on the road
agents and give you away to the vii
lains in order TO save myself | surely
did. They've got $1,000, but I've saved
my money! - Washington Post.