The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-25
Written BY Sophie Lyons.

climb to the top Of tree or a neighboring
cliff and watch for it's approach with the
powerful field glasses he always carried.
II there was any Indication that the ex-
pected money bags were not on board or
that Its occupants were heavily armed, he
would quickly dismantle his dummy am
bush and lay 1t one side to wait for a
more favorable time.
But IL every thing looked all right,
BLACK Bart clambered down and took
UP his position at the bend In the road
where he could not be seen from the coach
until 1t was almost upon him. He carried
the shotgun, which he afterward said was
never loaded, and behind him appeared the
hats OF his six dummy "confcderates" with
their menacing rifle barrels"
Hands up!" shouted the highwayman,
stepping out into the road directly in front
of the advancing horses and leveling his
shotgun at the drivers head
The driver tugged on the reins. TANNED
the brake down hard and the heavy vehicle
came TO hurried stop. Everybody looked
in amazement at the grotesque figure in
the road-not quite sure whether to laugh
or to cry.
But any hopes that It might all be a
Joke were quickly dispelled by the bust
ness-like way the highwaymau handled his
gun and by the meaning nod Of his head
In the direction Of the sombreros and rifle
barrels. which formed such threatening
background IOT tQlS little drama
Don't shoot until give the word, boys
he calls over his shoulder to his supposed
confederates = the scarecrow imitation
bandits who looked very threatening in
the bushes beside the road
His Dummy Robbers
Whatever idea OF resistance the driver
or any one else on the stage might have
bad was Immediately dropped at sight Of
the dummy desperadoes to whom BLACK
Bart" addressed this stern command
I'll have to trouble you to step out OF
that stage for a moment" says BLACK
Bart" with the courtesy for which he was
famous
AS the men, women and children left the
stage he ranged them in long line by the
roadside, directly in range of the am
pushed riflemen. whose painted broomstick
guns, significantly enough. kept the little
group constantly covered
From under his dusler he produced
neat canvas bag. With this In one hand
and his shotgun in the other, he passed
along the line and gently but firmly re-
leved his victims Of watches, Docketbooks.
scarf pins and everything else of value
This operation over he would make the
driver open tbs mail bags and the strong
box In which the valuable shipments were
carried
From their contents he selected all the
money and gold dust and slowed 1t away
In his bag which by this time was bullying
with plumber.
Now drive on" said BLACK Bart" mo-
tioning his victims back to their places
on the coach, land II you value your lives
don't look back. My men and are dead
shots and will fire at the first head we
see looking around"
Anything that would take them out OF
the range OF those guns was welcome to
the frightened people on the coach. The
driver would crack his whip and away the
stage would roll at a great pace-with
never person bold enough to look back
at the scene Of the robbery.
In addition to his other accomplish
ments, Black Bart was something OF a
poet and evidently took a good deal Of
pride in his verses. Quite frequently. af-
ter robbing a stage coach. he would hand
one OF his victims bit OF paper on which
were scrawled some OF his rhymes.
Here Ia poem" which the driver OF
Wells-Fargo stage received from BLACK
Bart as a souvenir OF the time when the
hlghwayman robbed the strong box OF
$4,000 In gold and diamonds
Here I lay me down to sleep,
TO walt the coming morrow
Perhaps success perhaps defeat
And everlasting sorrow.
Yet come what will-I1 try 1t on.
My condition can't be worse.
And II there's money in that stage,
Tia money in my purse
BLACK BART"
When railroads began 20 take the place
OF stage routes BLACK Bart" proved to his
satisfaction that the methods by which he
had robbed many stages single handed
and without taking a life, were equally
we'll adapted for holding up trains.
Time and again fast express trains on
the western roads would be stopped just
at dusk in come lonely gpot by the frantic
waving OF red flag.
When the engineer Jumped DORM 70 zee
what the trouble was be wax confronted
by BLACK Bart" dressed az usual In the
eccentric garb which distinguished him
from every other train robber.
AZ the point Of his shotgun the robber
forced the engineer and fireman 70 un-
couple the engine and run 81 few hum
dFed feet down the track.
BY this time the passengers and train
men we're pouring out OF the cars 10 learn
the cause OF the delay BLACK Bart"
&agtcd feu xyords nm than Enddinx Ia