Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1921-09-01
BANDIT HAS
Merry JOB
THINKS REX

Generally speaking, the nervy man
is admired by his fellows. We like
to see a display of bravery Courage
is thing to be reverenced, for it has
| made men go upon the forlorn hopes
by which civilization has been pre-
served.
But there is a brand of nerve that
no honest man admires, and that is
the sort that is displayed by robbers,
hold-up men and others who use vio-
lence to gain possession of what does
not belong to them. Here is an in
stance. A motorist was driving on
the Trunk Road from Kilbourn to
Mauston recently, when he noticed
suitcase lying in the road Having
driven short distance past it, he
walked back and was about to pick
it up. At this juncture a highway
man stepped from thicket at the
side of the road and, presumably, was
about to demand the proverbial "mon-
ey or life"
But the tourist was prepared for
something Of the sort, and as he rose
to an upright position, he shot the
bandit, who is now in hospital. The
tourist was unhurt
Think of the chances taken by this
sort of hold-up man. In the first
place, how is he to know that the oc-
cupants of the car he stops have 80
cents in money or valuables about
them They may already have been
robbed. Perhaps they stopped at,
garage in the last town, or had
meal at one of the hotels, in which
case they have probably been stripped
of all their cash, diamonds, etc. Their
portable elements of wealth have all
gone the way of those of the rest of
US, that is, into gas, oil, tires, taxes
and food and clothing for the family
Probably the touring party didn't
have anything left but mortgage on
the house, after they bought the car.
Ii such was the case, they haven't
saved anything since So if the ban
dit pulls off the hold-up in safety, he
still runs a nine-to-one chance of not
getting anything for his pains.
Then again, the man in the car may
be as we'll armed as, and in better
practice than, the bandit himself.
Then, as in the case above related, in
stead of seeing the color of the tour
lists money, providing he has any, the
bandit sees only the color of the muir
al decorations in the hospital ward,
if he is even lucky enough to see any
thing at all after the first explosion.
Of course, the hold-up man might
take the car, in case the tourist had
no money, no gun, no courage and no
moonshine. But how does the band
it know that he can get away with it.
There may be only enough gas in the
tank to carry him a mile or Two down
the road. The car may be just about
to fall to pieces. But granting that
it IS new car and in good condition,
and the bandit gets quite a distance
away with it, it's likely to be an in
sured car, and these insurance com
panles are vindictive, with a sharp
and determined lot of fellows for de-
tectlves to run down just such fellows
as the auto bandit. The car and the
robber are pretty sure to be brought
back to owner and jail, respectively
But suppose the nervy bandit is al
. SO lucky to the thirty-second degree
He gets away with the car in gooe
shape and is not caught. He thereup
on becomes a tourist and is automat
: ically subject to the attacks of other:
like himself. The next bush alons
: the road may conceal his Nemesis
The next car he meets may contain
Y another rip-snorter like himself VIII
/ will take away his il-gotten gains
: and go merrily on his way, perhap
only to be robbed in like manner b
the next crook he meets on the roac
This constitutes one of these ssvie
ious circles we read about. 1t get
d its name not only from the fact tina