Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1888 — A TEXAS DICK TURPIN. [ARTICLE]

A TEXAS DICK TURPIN.

One of the Most Extraoid nory Stage-Ccach Robberies on Record. Dividing ths Pander with Those Whom He Had Despoiled—A Genial Road Agent. A year or so ago the most wonderful feat of stage jobbery startled the whole State of Texas. It was 11 o’clock in a bright September night, and the stage was filled with passengers. There were seven drummers on it, who had been to San Angelo with their samples and were eager to get to Ballinger, the nearest railroad point. San Angelo is a very important town in the western part of Texas, and is the county seat of that enormous district called Tom Green County, which has an area of ten thousand square miles. The stage was but twelve miles from Ballinger, and each mile-post was counted impatiently by the weary men. A mounted highwayman, with gleaming pistol, suddenly halted them, springing up miraculously as if from the very earth. “Hold up, gentlemen! Stop your team, driver! Gentlemen, will you please oblige me by getting out of the stage? This side, please. Now stand in a row with your hands up while I glace these slicker caps over your eads to prevent your seeing what I do. Pardon me for running my hands down in your pockets and searching you, but I must get your money, and I want you to keep your hands up. ” When he had finished with the passengers and had rifled the mailbags he made a mental inventory of his possessions, and found that he had $1,178 in money, seven watches, and four pistols, Then he removed the the bag-like caps he had placed over their heads, and said: “Gentlemen, I am sorry to detain you longer, but I have made up my plans to rob that stage coming from Ballinger, and you must wait here until it comes up. Business is business, you know." He then sat down and began to look over the boodle, while the passengers loitered about and amused themselves as best they could under the circumstances. Among the confiscated pistols was found a small 22-caliber weapon, and the highwayman yelled out:

“Here, who in h—l owns this dodgasted, measly, two-bit toy gun?” “I did,” said one of the passengers. “Well, I’m going to make you take it back. If the boys would find that on me they would string me up for contempt.” “Pardner,” said the driver, “it’s mighty cold sitting here; can’t you ‘set ’em up’ to something to drink?” “That’s whatever; you all just wait here a few minutes.” He leaped on his horse, which had remained near them grazing, galloped off rapidly, and disappeared in a small chapparal thicket near by, and almost instantly was seen to emerge again, holding high in his left hand two quart bottles of whisky. He suddenly reined up his horse when about fifty feet from the men, and said: “I know that while I was gone you fellows were laying some scheme to take me. I suppose you think you will shoot me with that little pistol. Now, I don’t want to have this evening’s entertainment wind up in a row, and I am going to make every fellow come up and get his drink one at a time.”

The whisky put every one in a jolly good humor, and it was generally agreed that if it were not for his erratic ideas of meum and teum the robber i would be a clever fellow. Newsome i went to work to count over his gains I again, making some calculations on the ' ground with a stick. i Finally he said: “Boys, I’m short sl9. I must rob you over ag’in, beca ise I have given some fellow a S2O gold piece for a dollar.” He went through them again, and discovered it in the pocket of thesman to whom he had intended to give $3. He gave the passenger $2 and put the gold piece in his own pocket. As he was moving off the passenger touched him on the shoulder. “You owe me a dollar.” “How is that?” “Wasn’t I to have $3?” “That’s so. Here’s another sl.” The driver was seized with a scheme and said: “Suppose, Colonel, that you let us ; drive on until we meet the other stage , and you ride along by our side?” i “That’s a good idea, ” said he. “Pro- ’ ■ ceed and keep quiet, and if you fellows i will just lay low and watch me go through that Ballinger crowd you will have fun enough to pay you for what you have lost. ” The stage was soon met. The first was stopped about eighty yards off and the robbing process was repeated. On this stage there were four passengers —two ladies and two old preachers. i The ladies he declined to rob, and the j preachers had nothing.* When he had concluded his work he galloped off to the chaparral thicket and fired a shot as a signal for them to move on. They moved. The name of the bold bandit who committed this extraordinary robbery is James A. Newsome, and he is now serving a life sentence in the United States prison at Albany, N. Y. He is only five and a half feet tall and weighs 125 poufids. At the time of the commission of the crime he was only twenI ty-three years old.