The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1911-05-25
The Robber
By RUTH GRAHAM
Copyright BY American Press Assoc
ciation. 1911.

David venables many years ago.
when Missouri was a wilder country
than it y now, riding on one Of the
dirt roads and coming to a bit Of high.
err ground where the road turned, heard
in the bushes on the rise voice which
seemed to be that of boy.
"Halt, thar!" -.
Venables drew rein. He was armed,
but, feeling sure that he was covered
by an unseen enemy. thought it dan.
gerous to attempt to draw weapon.
"Well. what do you want?" he asked.
"Put yer valybles in the road
yenab!es, though disliking to be
robbed BY one whose voice Indicated
that he was little more than child,
yet dreading bullet in his brain. com.
piled. Taking his watch from his fob
and some silver money from his pocket.
he tossed both to the ground.
"Is that all 20 got?" asked the voice.
Eyes"
"WelI. go on"
venables rode on and when he
reached a tavern a few miles distant
reported that he had been robbed by a
boy who could not have been more
than fourteen years old. for his voice
had not changed.
Within a week Edward Ormsbee.
when riding on the same road on which
this robbery had been committed. saw
walking ahead Of him youth who
might have been between sixteen and
nineteen years of age. He was dressed
in the costume Of the country. buck
skin. and had pistol at one hip and
knife at the other. Ormsbee. when he
reached him, called to him and asked
where he was going. Learning that
the traveller had some distance to 60.
Ormsbee invited him to get up on his
horse behind him and he would give
him n lift on his way. The youth ac-
copied. put his foot on Ormsbee's. gave
him his hand and was pulled up on to
the horses back.
In few minutes Ormsbee felt cold
iron against his head. and the boy be-
hind him told him that he was about
to go through his pockets and If he
moved he would be shot. Ormsbee
was not only paralyzed by surprise,
sition. He made no resistance. and the
boy took his wallet from his pocket,
containing $40 in bills. the state bank
currency Of the period. Then. they
being in a wood, the young robber
slid off the horses rump and disap-
peared among the trees.
The next robbery was committed
on peddler. who said that the robber
was q bearded man with squeaky
voice. Then followed another robbery
by man with strip Of cloth over
his face. with holes cut for his eyes
and nose. All agreed that the voice Of
the persoa who had robbed them was
either not that of a grown man or else
it was pitched in very unusual key.
However. 1t was decided that the
youngster had been permitted to com.
NIT his depredations long enough. and
posse was organized to hunt him
down. So one morning three men
the number was considered quite suf-
ficient-were armed and started out for
the purpose. Just outside the settle
ment they stopped at the house Of old
Hedges and his wife. couple whose
poverty had been notorious, but who
now seemed to be getting along very
we'll.
l "Had a windfall. Mr.. Hedges?" ask
ed one Of the party.
"No; our Sallie's clerkin' for q man
over In Hudson county. and she's keep.
in US up"
When the party left it was arranged
that they should proceed separately,
but keep in touch. They hunted all
the morning and part Of the afternoon,
when two Of them heard couple Of
shots and hurried in the direction Of
the sound. They found Jim Turner
wounded in the hand. A masked man
had held him up; but. being ready for
the robber. Jim had fred at him. The
roBber had returned the shot and run.
All started in the direction the
masked man had taken. moving sew
eral hundred yards apart. 1t was not
long before they heard some one break.
ing through the bushes, ascending q
hillside in the bed Of a dry creek. They
followed. but were soon stopped by q
bullet singing over their heads. One Of
them, Hank Burke. q young hunter
used to Indian fighting, crawled for
ward and reported that there was q
little fort made Of stones about four
feet broad and as many high. with a
loophole. They couldn't take the posi-
ton without likelihood Of some of
them being killed. TWAS decided that
Hank should go forward for parley.
He did SO. taking a position behind a
tree.
''Say, you. thar, there's three Of us
here. all armed. You'd better surren-
der"
Burke listened for reply. but none
came. Presently he heard a sob.
Leaving his tree. he went forward.
Neither shot nor word greeted him.
When he reached the miniature fort
"a ~