Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-12-15
SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER Is, 1866.


I had reached a safe place, and then creep
over and shoot me, or knock me down. All
this passed through my mind by the time
had got a rod from the hole
In few moments my resolution was
formed. My horse was knee deep in the
mud, and knew l could slip off without
noise. So / drew my pistol, ana having
twined my reins about the whip stock, care
fully slipped down in the mud and examin
ed the hasp. The outer door of the cart
lets down, and is fastened by hasp, which
slips over the staple and is then secured by
! paddock. The paddock was gone, and then
the hasp was secured in its own place by a
bit of pine, so that slight force from within
would break it. My wheel wrench stood in
leatherD bucket on the side of the cart,
and quickly took it out and slipped it into
the staple, the iron handle just sliding
down. H... ...... ..
Now | had him. My cart was almost new,
made or stout frame of white oak, and
made On purpose for hard usuage l did
not believe an ordinary man could break
out. got on my cart as noislessly as / got
off, and then urged my horse on, still keep
ing my pistol handy. knew that at dis
tance of half mile further should come
to hard road, and so l allowed my horse
to pitch his own way through the mud.
About ten minutes after this l heard a
motion in the cart, followed by q grinding
noise, as though some heavy force was be-
ing applied to the door. / said nothing,
but the idea struck me that the villain
might judge where l sat, and shoot up
through the cart at me; so | sat down on
the foot board.
Of course / knew that my unexpected
passenger was villain. for he must have
been awake ever since started. and nothing
in the world but absolute vilainy would
have caused him to keep quiet so long, and
then start up in this particular place. The
humping and pushing grew louder, and
pretty soon heard a human voice.
LET me out of this !" and he yelled pretty
loud
lifted my head so as to make him think
was in the usual place, and then asked him
what he was doing there.
Let me out and will tell you," he re-
piled.
Tell me what you got in there for !" said
~ got in here to sleep on rags he an
sweered.
"How Gid you get in ?" asked.
'Let ME out, or I'll shoot you through
| the head ~ he replied.
Just ut that momentmy horses feet struck
the hard road, and knew that the rest of
the route to Jackson would he good going !;
, the distance twelve miles. slipped back
to the front board ard took the whip. In
| fifteen minutes we cleared the woods, and
away we went at keen jump. The chap
| inside kept yelling to he let out
Finally be stopped, and in few minutes
came the report of pistol-one-two-
.hree-tour, one right after the other, and |
heard the balls whiz over my head. If had
been on my seat, one of these balls if not
two of them, would have gone through me.
! | popped up my head again and gave a yell,
and then said, 20 God, save me I'm a
dead mani" Then made kind of shuffling
noise, as though was falling off, ard finally
settled down on the front board again.
now urged up the old mare by giving her
an occasional poke with my whip stock, anG
she peeled it faster than ever.
| The man called out to me twice more
! pretty soon after this, and as he got no re-
ply he made some tremendous efforts to
break the door open and as this also at last
failed him, he made several attempts on the
top. But had no more fear of his doing
anything there, for the top of the cart was
framed with dove tails, and each sleeper
made so could carry loads there. BY and
by, after all else failed, The scamp commen-
ced to yell "whoa" to the horse. All this
Time kept perfectly quiet, holding the rens
firmly, and kept poking the beast with the
stock of my whip. We were not an hour
going that dozen miles, bit of it, and
| had not much fear; perhaps might tell
the truth and say had none, for had a
good pistol, and more than tha: my passen
ger was safe, yet was glad when | came to
the jackson village, and in ten minutes more
hauled up in front of the tavern, and found
a couple of men in the barn cleaning down
some stage horses.
"Well, old fellow" said l. as got down
and went to the back of the wagon, you
have had good ride, hayn't you2"
"Who are you 2" he said, and lie swore a:
he asked the question.
II am the man you tried to shoot" was
my reply.
"Where am Il-let me out"
"Look here, we've come to a safe stopping
place, and mind you that my pistol is ready
for you the moment you show yourself
Now lay quiet"
BY this slime the two hostlers had come Il
see what was the matter, and explained
the case. After this got one of them tt
run and rout the sheriff and tell him what
believed I'd got for him. The first streak o
daylight was coming up, and in hals an aou
it was broad daylight. In less than tina
time the sheriff came and two men with him
| told him the whole affair in few wordl
, and then made for the cart. He told tn
chap inside who he was, and if he made til
least resistance he'd be dead man. / the
slipped the iron wrench out, and as | let tn
, door down the fellow made a spring.
, caught him by the ankle and he came dow
. on his face, and the moment ! saw the cha
recognized him. He was marched to tn
!, lock up, and told the sheriff should r,
i main in town al! day. After breakfast, tn
! sheriff came down to the tavern and told IN
: had caught the very bird, and that if
: would remain until next Monday shoul
/, have the reward of two hundred dolla
i which had been offered.
e / found my goods all safe, paid the e!
e press agent for bringing them from Indian
}. polls, and then went 10 stow them away
}. my cart. The bullet-holes were found in Il
If top of the vehicle just as expected The
g. were in line, about fve inches apart, an
II had been where usually sit. two of the
/. must have hit me somewhere about the sma
q of the back and passed upward, for tn,