Rubbery and Murder.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6835, 27 October 1900, Page 4

Rubbery and Murder.

NEW ZEALANDER-S ADVENTURE

WITH TRAIN THIEVES,

Mr Arthur Pittar, who is now in London on private business connected with his lato father's estate and the winding up of the Great Barrier Company, chose the American route for his trip Homo, and thereby fell in with an adventure ho is not at all anxio'is to repeat. Arriving at 'Frisco lata in July, it was bis intention to make straight for Chicago, but at the last moment ho changed his route and went on' by way of Denver. His train left that city en route for Hugo about 6.30 p.m. At about ten o'clock the beds in the sleeping car were made up, and Mr Pittar retired. Be soon dozed off, but after a period of unconsciousness became aware of voices talking in the next compa'tmont. In a hidy's voice came the plaintive query " Must you really have my watch ? " And a gruff voice answered " _us, an' them 'ore rings, too, No foo'in', an' iook sharp." This little colloquy acted as a cold sponge on Mr Pittar. He was wide awake iv an instant, and grasping tbe fact that robb.rs were aboard going systematically through the passengers, and that his turn came next-, he quickly slipped his gold watch under his bed, and heard it fall into the box in which the clothes, etc. weie atowed by day. He had about 80dol in gold in his purse, and meant to hide that also, but it occurred to him that a first class passenger with no money and no watch would rouse the robbers' suspicions and lead to unpleasantnesses, bo he decided to put away three 20dol pieces and leave the rest in the purse to satiato the visitors. Ho was taking the money out when something hard and cold was jammed firmly up agaiust bis car, aud a blaze of light floodod tho car. A turn of tho eyes shower] him a masked man standing ovor him, and intuition told him that the hard substance pressing against his ear was a revolver. Ho noted also that a second masked man was standing guard over the oonductor at the door of the compartment. A voioj broke the silence : " So, you was gettin' ready fer ur, was yerjhand over." " Take it," said Air Pitiar. ''take it all; but take that beastly thing out of my ear." The masked man took tbe purse, dropped the contents nonchalantly into his pocket, and slinging the purse back on to the bunk remarked : " Don't want that thing." Then, shaking his revolver ht the New Zealnnder, he emphasised this injunction : " Now, see. you sit right whore you is. Ef y' move outer bed, or net up ter any tricks, yell git plugged—se ?" Mr Pittar nodded, intimating that be did "sco" very clearly, so with t final significant flourish of his shooting iron the robber passed out, preceded by the saffron faced conductor aud his grim guard. In the dark Mr Pittar waited quietly for something to happen. It was not long coming. Bang 1 bang I baug ! bang I Then silence, then angry voico?. The passengers, however, did not budge, for though the voice of tbe conductor told them that somebody had got hurt, it was'evident that the robbers were still masters of the situation. It transpired afterwards that an old gentleman namei Fay had heard the knights of the railroad at work iv the compartment adjoining, and being possessed of a revolver had determined to make a stand against tbem. As (hoy entered his comparlment ho fired three shots at their leader, but unfortunately missed. One cf tho robbers then ran in upon the poor old gentlooaan, and seizing his ii<ht arm before Mr Fay oould fire again, placed his revolver against the latter's temple, and blew his brains out. This dastardly deed evidently shook the nerves of the robber?, for they immediately ordered the conductor to stop the train. He in his fright tugged the. communication cord so bard that it snapped off near the engine bell without, the latter giving any wurning to the driver. At any rate, the train continued to go at full speed, The robbers threatened tho conductor with death if the train were not pulled up. but he managed to convince them of his inability to do so, and also to porsuade them to return his watch—a common silver one. At length the train began to'slow down as ie approached Hugo, end as the station came into view the robbers . jumped off tbe train and disappeared into the night. At Hugo tho scared passengers and tho tremblin? conductor

told their stories to the police, anil before ! the hour was oat Sheriff Walker and a posse of constables were on the trail. They hid a long week's hunt-, during which several innocent men were rounded up, only, to bo set free again. Finally tho guilty pair wero run to earth in a log cabin in the Colorado Mountains. They rofused to surrender, and held the sheriff's men at bay for some time. At length a bullet laid one of the villains low, but tho other kept up a spirited reply to; tbo policemen's intermittent fusillade; co, as rupbiug the hut meant death to one or more cf the party, one man volunteered to eet fire to it. Under cover of his comrades' firo tho incendiary crept cautiously up to the robbers' fort, „nd after some considerable troublo managed to sot the oabin on fire in two places. He then crept back to his comrados, who, finger on trigger, awaited the final rush of the smokod-out oriminal. But thoy waitad in vain. Tho cabin w»b soon a mass of flames, but never a sign of the robber mms Been Whether he cominittod suicide or whether he was overcome by the smoke before he could tear down the barricading cf Iho door will neyer bo known, bus when the sheriff's men were able to approach the smouldering ruinb of the log cabin they sow two bodies charred beyond recognition, and know that the murderers ot Mr Fay had paid tho penalty of ihsir crime.