Year: 1860

THE MYSTERIOUS HIGHwAYMAN.


eRoN THE JOURNAL or AN ENGLISH POLICE OFFICER.


There was a shrewd robber somewhere. The
farm-houses were robbed shops were robbed
the tills OF the bars at the waysde inns were
robbed and the people had their pock cts pick
ed. All this happened i'm the region of conn-
try between Sidney and Lowstone-not a field
of vast extent-and yet the robber or robbers
could not lie found. Officers had searched in
every direction, and several suspicious look
ing individuals had been apprchended but
the real culprit still remained at large. One
day the mail was robbed, and on the next a
had his pocket picked of five hundred
pounds, while riding in the stage coach-for
my narrative dates back to the old coaching
days. The money had been carried in the
breast pocket and he knew that il was stolen
from him while he was enjoying q bit of q
doEe on the road.


had been confined to my house by severe
cold for several days, and was not fit to go out
now but this matter was becoming so serious,
/ felt it my duty to be on the move, and accor-
dinghy fortified my throat and breast with
warm flannel, and set forth. ! had no settled
plan in my mind, for had not yet been upon
the road, and WAS not thoroughly s'posted up
A ride of five miles brought me to Sidney, and
thence l meant 10 take coach to LOwStone,
where Sam Stickney, one of the shrewdeSt OF





the search, and wished TO consult him before
making any decided movement. l reached
Sidney at half-past five in the morning, and
the coach left at six. Lowstone was sixty
miles distant, so had good ride before me.
During the early part of the day rode upon
the box with the driver, and from him gain
ed considerable information touching the va
rious robberies that had been committed. He
was forced to admit that several people had
been robbed in his stage, though he declared
that he couldn't see into it, for he had not the
most remote idea even of who the robber
could be.


We reached Bonniville at noon, where we
stopped to dine, and when we left this place
was the only passenger. At the distance Of
twelve miles, at a little village called Caw-
thorne, we stopped to change horses, and here
another passenger got up. had been occu-
pying the forward seat, as that happened to
be wider than the Others, ,and gave me better
opportunity for lying down; and when the
new conner entered he took the back seat. lie
was young man, judged, and not very tall
In stature, but completely bundled up was
he in shawls and mufflers, that his size of frame
was not easily determined. He was very
pale, and coughed badly and at once made
up my mind that he was far less fit to travel
than l was. After had got fairly our
way, remarked to him that had been suffer-
ing from a severe cold, and that this was the



ber of days. He looked at me out of pair
of dark, bright eyes; and when he seemed to
have determined what manner of man was,
he said


al have something worse than cold, sr''
He broke into fit of coughing which lasted
minute or so, and then added-ssit won't be
great while befote L shall take my last ride.''


Again he was seized with spasm of ough- |
ing, and when he had recovered from it, he
continued-''The disease is eating me up and
shaking me to pieces at the same time.''


lie further informed me that he had started
on tour for his health bat that he had given
1t up, and was nov on his way home, which
place he was anxious to reach as soon as pos
sible. Another paroxysm seized him at this
point, and he intimated that he was unable to
converse, as the effect brought on his cough |
l had noticed this, and had made up my mind
20 trouble him no more, even before he had |
given me the hint.


After this he drew his outer shawl more |
closely about his neck and face, and having |
secured an easy posture, he closed his eyes,
and was not long in following his example. |
Toward the middle of the afternoon the coach
stopped at a small village, where four passen-
gers got up. This broke up the arrangement
OF my friend and myself for rest, as he had
TO take one of the strangers on his seat, while |
L look another upon mine, the other two occu- |
nHng the middle seat. The new comers soon |
ptuaSHeu Tue SUBJECT OF the rOb6erieS which /
had oeen committed in that region, and lis
.ened to gain information, if possible; but
aney In knew no more than any one else knew.
Iney had heard all about it, and were inflated
with wonder.


one-an old farmer-asked me if knew
anything OF the robber. | told him that
knew but little of the affair in any way, hav-
ing been sick, and unable to be out among
folks. Then he asked my consumptive friend
III oh MI
raised his head from its reclining position.
and was on the point of answering, when he
neard the driver, in quick, abrupt tone, or
aering some one to get out of the road.
ihstinetirely put my head out of the window
20 see what the trouble was, and my eye was
Just quick enough to detect load of fagots
in in sime TO dodge beck and avoid them. The
,vau ,h" was quite narrow at this point, and as
;nas ns isgots were loaded very widely, it was
,mpossible for the driver to wholly avoid them.
AAa the side Of the coach was swept by them