Year: 1878

BENFICIIN,T Ten, Dee. l9.-On Saturday
morning at o'clock, near Pegleg, | was
startled from an indifferent slumbcr in the
stagccoach by the clicking of Winchest.
cr and hy voices from without halloOing
to the driver. Turn into the brush, Cd
d-n you, or III shoot the side Of your face
off; will not tell you again." At the same
time | saw too men with guns, one bearing
on the driver and the other pointed at the
opening in the coach. There were two
passengers besides myself in the coach
Lieutenant Kirby, of the Tenth Infantry
and graduate Of West Point, assigned 10
duty at Fort McKavctt; the other Mr. Ba-
r0uch, drummer from New Orleans. My
pistol was rolled up in my blankets. The
drummer had no arms; but Lieutenant
Kirby was well hcCled. We had, from the
time we left the road until We were stop.
ped in the brush, to consider what we
should do. The drummer and myself con
cludcd that we were not in condition to
fight, but the Lieutenant insisted upon a
fight, not ON account of money he might
lose but on account Of his profession. We
Ovcrrucd him; and were ready to submit
to the robbery, when the coach stopped in
the brush two or three hundred yards from
the road. One at II time was called and
stepped forward, was robbed and sent to
the front of the horses. The coach was
then plundcrcd for money, jcwelry and
arms. Each one had hidden portion OF
his money and valuables while in the
stage. | threw mine in the hay ut the bot
tom Of the coach, the drummer tucked his
away in the top Of the coach, and the lieu.
tenant put his in his boot. Mine was found,
the remainder they did not get The drum.
mcr delivered them $50 the lieutenant S.,
and $50 They also got the lieutenant
and drummcrS watches, which were left
in the coach. While the coach was being
robbed we were all guarded, a Winchester
bearing on us. The rObbers-the two we
Saw-wcrC men of good address and exc.
cutcd the robbery skillfully. They at
tempted no disguise, except the boss, who
evidently thought knew him; to the 9th.
ers he was unrcscrvcd. They talked among
themselves, from which we learned that an.
other party were to rob the down coach


and that they were within supporting dis


tancc. When they commenced cutting the
mailbags open | made an appeal to them


stating that they hardly would find any
money in registered letters going up the
country. They cut two, however, and
stopped, putting all the mail back. They
asked about the paymascr. A short time
after they had got there the lights of the
down coach came in view. They then
told us we could get in the coach, and moi
to make any noise or strike light, and il


we did they would fire on us. The down
coach tumbled along in a few minutes and
we got back on to the road and came along
Before we left the boss said; "You may
tell the Maynard people Dick Dublin has
come back to stay awhile" The robbery
will not net them more than $500 in mon
ey, arms and jewelry. My first sensation
was that of bad dream, which soon van
ished before humiliatiig and outragcou,
reality. was struck with their coOlnes,
and audacity. One thing seemed singular
they declined to touch us personally, tina
is, TO put hands on us in any way They
frequently threatened to kill us if they
caught us in n lie, but nev
er made any personal search
A little less than year ago the stage wa
robbed on the very spot where we wer,
robbed. Then and in this last the intention
was to rob the United States Paymastcr.
was impressed with the terrible earnest
ness with which they acted, something
like that displayed by an eXecutioner whel
he executes the penalty Of death. under
stand they did not rob the down stage
This is strange. l can only account for i
on the theory that they found they woulC
not get anything but arms, with probably
some jewelry and little money,