ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue XV, 13 October 1900, Page 697

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

A M'W Z E.\ DANDER'S ADVENTURE ROBHKRY AND MI'KKB IN COLORADO. (From Our Special Correspondent.J LONDON, August 31. Mr Arthur Pittar, who is now in London on private business connected with his late father’s estate, and the winding up of the Great Barrier Company, chose the American route for his trip Home, and thereby fell in with an adventure he is not at all anxious to repeat. Arriving at ’Frisco late in July it was his intention to make straight for Chicago, but at the last moment he changed his route, and went on by way of Denver. His train left that city en route for Hugo about C. 30 p.m. At about ten o'clock the beds in the sleeping-car were made up. and Mr Pittar retired. He soon dozed off, but after a period of unconsciousness became aware of voices talking in the next compartment. In a lady’s voice came the plaintive query: “Must you really have my watch?” And a gruff voice answered “Yus , an' them ’ere rings, too. No foolin’ and look sharp.” 'Phis little colloquy acted as a cold sponge on Mr Pittar. He was wide awake in an instant, and grasping the fact that robbers were aboard going systematically through the passengers. and that his turn came next, quickly slipped his gold watch under bis bed and heard it fall into the box in which his clothes, etc., were stowed by day. He had about 80 dollars 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.. So he decided to put away three 20 dollar pieces and leave the rest in the purse to satiate the visitors. He was taking the money out when something hard and cold was jammed firmly up against his ear, and a blaze of light flooded the ear. A turn of the eyes showed him a masked man standing over him. and intuition told him that the hard substance pressing against his ear was a. revolver. He noted also that a second masked man was standing guard over the conductor at the door of the compartment. A voice broke the silence: “So you was gettin' ready for us, was yer? Hand over.” "Take it,” said Mr Pittar, “take it all. but take that beastly thing out of my ear.” The mask took the 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 gun at the New Zealander, he emphasized this injunction: “Now, see, you sit right where vou is. Ef y'move outer bed, er git up ter any tricks, y’ll git plugged—sec?" Mr Pittar nodded, intimating that he did "see” very clearly, so with a final significant flourish of his shooting iron the robber passed out, preceded hy the saffron-faced conductor and his grim guard. In the dark Mr Pittar waited quietly for something to happen. ft was not long coming. Bang! Dang! Bang! Bang! Then silence, then angry voices. The passengers, however, did not budge, for though the voice of the 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 gentle-, man named Fay had heard the knights of the railroad at their work in the : compartment , adjoining, and being possessed of a revolver had determined to make a stand against’ them. ,As they entered his compartment he fired three shots at the leader, but unfortunately missed. One of the robbers then ran in upon the poor old chap, and seizing his right arm before Mr Fay could fire again, ’ placed his revolver against the old man's temple and blew his brains out. This dastardly deed evidently shook the nerves: of the robbers, for they immediately ordered the conductor to stop the . train, lie in his fright tugged . the communication eord so hard that; it .■ snapped off short near the engine bell without the latter giving any warning to the driver. At any rate the train continued to go at speed. The robberS'threatened t*he conductor with death if the train would not pull up, but he managed to convince them of his inability to do so, and also to per- , suade them to ' return his watch—a common silver one. At length the train began to slow down as it approached Hugo, and as the station came into view the ’ robbers jumped «£f the train and disappeared into the

night. At Hugo the scared passengers find the trembling conductor iohl their, stories to the police, ami before the hour was out Sheriff Walker and a posse of constables were on the trail. They had a long week's hunt, during which several innocent men were rounded up, only to be set free again. Finally the guilty pair were run to earth in a log cabin in the Colorado mountains. They refused to surrender, and lield the sheriff’s men at bay for some time. At length a bullet* laid one of the villains low. but the other kept, up a spirited reply to the policemen's intermittent fusillade, so as rushing the hut meaut death to one or more of the party one man volunteered to set fire to it. Under cover of his comrades' fire the incendiary crept cautiously up to the rol>bers’ fort, and after some considerable trouble managed to set the Cabin on fire in two places. He then crept to his comrades, who, finger on trigger, awaited the final rush of - the smoked out criminal. But they waited in vain. The cabin was soon a mass of flames, but never a sign of the robber was seen. Whether he committed suicide, or whether he was overcome by the smoke before he could tear down the barricading of the door, will never be known, but when the sheriff’s men were able to approach the smouldering ruins of the log cabin they saw two bodies charred beyoh’d recognition, and knew that the murderers of Mr Fay’ had paid the penalty of their crime. Mr Pittar had happily sent the best part of his money on to New York with his baggage, and his purse on examination contained a five dollar piece, which the robber had overlooked in his haste. This with economy lasted him until he could get into touch with supplies again. He spent a few days in Chicago and did the usual sights en route to New York. Here he had a further sample of the delights of life in America, for the rioting consequent on the murder of a policeman by a negro was in full swing, and Mr Bittar narrowly' escaped getting a share of the promiscuous clubbing in which the New York police were indulging at the time. Next week Mr Pittar goes to Paris for a few days. The duration of his stay on this side of the world is uncertain, but he hopes to get his business settled before October ends. He will probably return to the colony by the Suez route, making an overland tour to Naples before joining his ship.