Year: 1876

-hiI, JNtSS, oSlet lilo Slils buC AIi ..
Cooper's name was not Annie Gardiner at
all. Alice told me only this morning that
her mothers maiden name was Mary Rob
ertson; 50 You may have cheated us about
all the rest Of it too"


mo, my dear child, every word else is
true. But did try the subtertuge famil-
lar to my craft, and provided my wife
with an alias | could not give you in ad-
vance the only point in my poor little
story. But let's 20 down to supper. It's
getting Late


Railway Robbers.


Miss Peabody, school teacher at Den
yer City, was passenger on the Missouri
Pacific express tram, which was stopped
near Ottervile the other day. Here is her
story, as related to a reporter for the JEFF
ielson City Tribune:


After leaving Otterville, was dozng
in a reclining chair probably last falling
asleep. Suddenly the train was brought
to a halt, and a moment later q man
rushed hurrielly through the car. be-
lieve he was the express messenger Some
one asked him what was the matter


The train is being robbed and that's
what's the matter" he hurricdly replied
and kept on.


Then all was connection and confusion
Including myself, there were three ladies
in the car. | confess that | was terribly
frightened, and thought | should faint;
but | saw that there was no one handy to
catch or care for Il person in faint, and
concluded to omit this part Of the pro-
gramme.


Meanwhile shots were being fred on
the outside, and we could hear numbers
OF men cursing and swearing. | suppose
the shots were fired for the purpose OF III
timidation. | believe our car was next to
the smoking car.


Directly the car door was thrown open,
and in stalked two OF the robbers The
leader put his hand on the shoulder of a
brakeman and said, Here, want you, -
and hustled him out We thought thcV
were going to shoot him, but suppose
now they wanted him to identify the eX-
press messenger.


1t was rare fun mean it is amusing
to look back at it now, nothing funny in
it then-to see the passengers concealing
their valuablcs Here You would see Il



orecnbacks in his socks; several MI
Marshal Of Fulton among the rest-tossed
their cash, watches, etc, into a coal-boN ;
others were up on the backs OF seats hunt
ING holes for their pocket-booKs Where
ever anything could be concealed, some
thing was sure to find its way The con-
ductor, excited and nervous, hurrictlIy
passed through and told all who had
valuables to take care of them


The most ludicrous incident can now
recall was when II sanctimonious looking
individual, evidently scared almost out of
his wits, broke forth with the old familiar
song, I'm going home To die no more"
His uuavering, dolelul voice echoed thro'
the car with lugubrlous effect Some of the
male passengers We're ungallant enough to
interrupt him with the remark that he had
better be getting his money out of the
way instead OF starting Il camp-meetng
Having finished the hymn he arose and
gave in his experience. He stated that he
had been a follower OF the Lord for ever
50 many years; that he was true and
consistent member of the church; that he
had never wroDyed a fellow being. but
that if he was doomed to be murdered, lie
wanted his remains forwarded to his fani-
" in New Y ork and word sent that he had
died true to the faith and in the hope of a
glorious resurrection.


The tumult outside continued We could
distinctly hear them pounding away at the
Adams Express safe, and their coarse
oaths and imprecations ut being delayed.
Occasionally shots were fired.


The leader of the robbers. 4 tall. fine
looking man, accompanied by one of his
comrades, passed through the car. ''You
need not be hiding your money" said the
leader, "we do not intend to disturb you"
He wore red handkerchief over his face,
with holes cut for his eyes and mouth Be-
low the handkerchief, appeared his beard
very long, but probably false His COM
panion was smaller and rougher-l look
ing man. His mask was simply q white
handkerchief tied over the lower porti IN
of his face. The upper part was plainly
visible. He remarked that we must con-
slider them an awful set of reprobates.


The inquiry for arms showed three pis-
tolls IN our car. One of these was owned
by a lady. Throughout the whole affair
she remained perfectly cool ard collected
with the loan of her pistol. When some



boys, she laughlngly remarked that her
name was James, but she hoped none of
her relatives were engaged in such dis
reputable business.


The news-boy had pistol and made his
way to the front platform. Looking up
the bluff he deserted the figure of a man
and fired In an instant the shot was re-
turned. The ball passed between the
plucky newsboy and a gentleman who was
also on the platform. and both of them
sought shelter without ceremony. Think
ing that the robbers might fire through
the windows, got off the chair and took
position on the floor The sanctimoni-
GUS New Yorker. who was going away to
die no more, thinking, doubtless, that |
was engaged in prayer, softly approached
and asked if | was prepared to die was
not in humor to enlighten him upon the
subject.


We were detained about an hour, when
the robbers, gave us permission to pro-
ceed. 1t was one of the episodes of my
life shall never forget.


They had celebrated their tin wedding.
and so when he casually remarked that
the new waitress had an attractive mouth,
she said nothing. But when he came
home that night and learned that the new
waitress had left during the day for Cali
fornia, and that the only person who could
be found to take her place was woman
ninety years old, with two sets of false
teeth and a wen on her chin he couldn't
| help wondering.