Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1869 — THE MAIL ROBBER. [ARTICLE]

THE MAIL ROBBER.

And How He Was Caught. Fourteen years ago I drove from Danbury to Littleton,.a distance of forty-two miles and as I had to await the arrival of two or three coaches, and I did not start till after dinner, I very often had a good distance to "drive after dark. It was in thedead of winter, and the season had been a rough one. A great deal of snow had fallen, and the drifts were plenty and deep. The mail that I carried was not due at Littleton by contract until 1 ofidock in die niorn4ug, but that winter the postmaster was obliged to sit up a little later than that hour for me. One day in January, when I drove up my mail at Danbury, the postmaster culled me into his office. “Pete,” said he, with an important, serious look, “there's some I . pretty heavy money packages in that bag,? and he pointed to it as he spoke. Tic soul the money was from Boston to some land agents up_ near the Canada line. Then he i -asked me- if I’d got any- passengers who were’going through to Littleton? 1 tokl him I did not know.— “But suppose I have not?” says L “Why,” said he, “The agent of the lower route came in to-day, and he says that there were two suspicicus characters on tin? stage that came up last night, and he suspects that they havb an eye upon this mail, so that it will stand yon in hand to be a little careful.” lie said the agent had described one of them as a short thick-set fellow, about forty years of age, with 4ong-bmr, and -a thrSkj heavy clump of beard under his chin, blit none on the side of iiis face. He- didn’t know’ anything about the other. I told him 1 guessed there wasn’t much danger.

“Oh! no, not if you have got passengers way through; but I only toll! you of this so that you might look out for vour iiirul, and alsoloolt out sharp, when y.m change horses.” I answered that I should do soi and then tool; the bag under my arfu'" and left the office. I stowed the mail tjiider my seat a little more carefully than usual, placing it so That Tcould keep my feet agaiiist it, but, beyond that 1 did not feel any eorn’ern. It Was past one when we started, and 1 had four passengers, two of whom rode only Jo my first stopping-place. 1 reached Gowan’s Mills nt dark, when we slopped for supper, and where my. other two passengers -concluded to stop for the night. p bmtl six e-eloek in the evening I left Gowan’s .Mills alone, having two horses and a pirng. 1 had seventeen miles to go, end it night was quite clear, - but the wind was sharp and cold, the loose snow Hying ni all directions, while the drifts wore deep and closely packed. It was slow,-tedivus work, and my h’orscs soon became leg-weary and restive. At the distance of six miles I came to a little settlement called Bull’s Corner, where I took fresh horses. I'd been two hours going tb.at distance. As 1 was going to start, a man came up and asked me if I was going through to Littleton. I told him 1 should go through if the thing could possibly be done.— lie said he was very anxious to go, at)d as he had no baggage, I told Vnu to jump in and make’himself as eomfortable as possible. J was gathering up my lines, when the hostler came up nnd asked me if I Imew that one of my horses had cut himself badly. I jumped out and went with hiin,jj).d found that one of the ftnhnals had a dee]) cork cut on the ofl' fore foot. I gaye such directions ns I considered necessary, and was about to turn away, when the hostler remarked that he thought I came alone. 1 told him I did.— “Then where did you get that passenger?” said fie. “He just got in,” I answered. “I don’t know.” “Well, now,” said the hostler, “that’s kind of curiops. Thcrei ain't been no such inapai any pf the neighbors.” ” “Let’s have a look at his face,” said I. “We can get th>t much at any rate. Do you go back with mo and when I into the pung, just hold your lantern so the light will shine into his face.” He did $s 1 wished, and as. I

stopped into the pung, I got a fhir view of such portions of my passenger’s face as was not muffled up. I saw a short thick frame, full, hard i features, and I could almost see that there was a heavy beard under the chin. I thouglst of the man whom the I’ostmaster had described to me; but I did not think seriously upon it until I bad started Perhaps I had gone half a mile, when I noticed the mail bag wasn’t in its place under my feet. “Halloo!” says I, holding up my horses a little, “where’s my mail?” Jly passenger sat on aseatbefifnd me, and I turned towards him. “Here is a bag of some kind slipped back under my feet,” he said, giving it a kick, as though he would shove it forward. Just at this moment my horses lumbered into a deep snow drift, nnd I was forced to get out and tread down the snow in front of them, and lead them through it. This took me all of fifteen minutps; and when I got in again I pulled the mail bag forward and got my feet upon it. As I was doing this, I saw tlie man taking something from bis hip, beneath the buffalo, and put it into his breast pocket. This, I thought, was a pistol.— I had caught a gleam of the barrel in the starlight, and when I had time to reflect, I knew I could not be mistaketv— About this lime I began to think somewhat seriously. From what 1 had heard and seen, I soon nmde up my mind that the individual behind me not only meant to rob me of my mail, but he was prepared to rob me of my life. If I resisted him he would shoot me, and perhaps he meant to perform that delectable operation at any rate. While I was pondering, the horses plunged into anothef deep snow drift, iuid I was again forced to get out and tread od the snow before them.- I asked my passenger if he would help me, but lie didn’t feel very well, and wouldn’t try; so I worked all alone, and was all of a quarter of an hour getting my team through the drifts. When I got into the sleigh again, I began to fuel for the mail bag with my feet. I found it where I had left it; but when I attempted to withdfaW”myTy6T~ i~~dis^overfed, it hii.it become entangled in something—l thought it was the buffalo, and I tried to kick it clear; but the more 1 kicked the more closely was it held. Trcaclied HowTi my Land, ainTTounS my hand in atiurng the packages of let ters and‘papers! I ran niy fingers over the edges of the opening nnd became assured that the stout leather had been cut with a knife. Here was a discovery! I began to wish that I had.taken a little more foretltoitght before leaving Danbury; but as I knew that making such wishes was only a waste of time, I quickly gave it up and began to consider what I had best to do under existing circumstances. I wasn’t long in making up my mind upon a few essential points. First, tile man behind me was a villain; second, he had cut open the mail bag and robbed it of some valuable matter —be must have known the money letters by their size and shape; third he meant to leave the stage on the first opportunity, and fourthly, he was prepared to shoot m« if I attempted to arrest or detain him. I revolved these things over in my mind, and pretty soon thought of a course to pursue. 1 knew that to get my hands safely upon the rases! I must take him wholly unawares, and thß I could not do whila he w as behind me, for his eyes were upon me all the time—so I must resort to stratagem. Only a litl#s distance ahead was a house, and an old farmer named Longee lived there; and directly before it a huge snow bank stretched-across the rohd, through which a track had been cleared with shovels. . ■ '( As we approached the .cot, I saw a light in the front room, as I felt o^ffilent.l / shouJd» for th® old man generally sat up until the stage went by. I drove on and when pearly opposite the dwelling stood up, as I had ftequently done when approaching difficult places. I aaw the anow bank ahead, and could .distinguish the deep cut which had been shovelled through it. I Urged my horses to a good speed, and when near the bank forced them into it. One of the runners tnounted the edge of the buck, after whi«h the ether ran into

• the cut, thus throwing the sleigh 1 over about as quick as though light-' ‘ nhig had struck it. My passenger had not calculated on any such movement, and wasn’t prepared for it; but I had calculated, and was prepared. He lolled out into the deep snow- with a heavy buffalo robe about him, while I lighted on iny feet directly on top of him. I punched his head in the snow, and sung out for old Longee. I did not have to call a second time, for the farmer had come to the window to see me pass, and as soon as he saw my sleigh overturned, he had lighted his lantern and hurried out. "What’s to .pay?” asked tlio old man, as he c;mie up.

“Lead the horse into the track, and then come here,” said IAs I spoke, I partially loosened my hold upon the villain’s throat, and he drew a piatgl from hi» bbsom; but I saw it in season, and jammed his head into the snow again, and got it away from him. By this'time Lougee had led the horses out and came back, and I explained to him in as few words as possible. We hauled the rascal out into the roatl, and upon examination, we found about twenty packages of letters which he had stolen from the mailbag and stowed away in his pockets. lie sw'ore, and threatend, and prayed; but we paid no attention to his blarney; —Longee got some stout cord, and when we had securely bound the villain we tumbled him into the pung. I asked the old man if Be would accompany me to Littleton, and “Of course.” So he got his overcoat and muffler, and ere long we started on. IJreaehed of my route with my mail all safe, though not as snug as it might have been, and my mail bags a little the worse for the game that; hadAeeiF played upon them. However, the mail robben.jt.as secure, and within a week he was identified by some officers from Concord ns an old oflender, and I am - rat her to the opinion that ..he is in the State prison at the present time. At any rate, he was there the lait I heard of him. any mail trouble; and I think that under all the circumstances, I came out of it pretty well.