Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-02-22

s
tA7eold winters night, several years
since, found stage load of passengers
gathered together around the warm fire of
tavern bar-room in a New England village.
Shortly after we arrived, a peddler drove.
up and ordered that his horse should be
stabbed for the night. After we had eaten
oar supper we repaired TO the bar-roofn,
where conversation flowed freely. Several
anecdotes had been related, and finally the.
peddler WAS asked to give US a story, as
men of his profession were generally full
of anecdotes and adventures. He was a
short, thick-set man, somewhere about
forty years of age, and gave evidence of
great ply ysical strength. He gave his name
as Lemue1 Vfnney, and his home was in
Dover, New Hampshire. -e5F-ae 80
swell, gentlemen, he commenced, knock
ing the ashes from his, pipe and putting it
in his pocket, suppose tellsyou the last
thing of any consequence that happened
me-. You see am right from the West, and
on my way home for winter quarters 1t
waso oduring the early part of a pleasant
evening, that l pulled up at the door of a
small village tavern, in Hancock county,
Indiana. / went in, called for my supper
and had my horse taken care OF. After /
had eaten sat down in the 7bar-room. 1t
began to rain about eight O'Clock, and it
was very dark out of doors. Now want
ed to be in jackson the next morning, TOR 1
expected load of goods there for me,
which intended to dispose of on my way
home. &skH sG#SN HEs
"rhe moon would rise about midnight,
and / knew if it did not rain could get
along through the mud very we'll after that
SO asked the landlord if he would see that
my horse was fed about midnight, as /
wished TO be of about two. He expressed
some Surprise at this, and asked me why 1
did not stay for breakfast. told him that
had sold my last load about out, and that
lfNff f1c
jackson, and l wanted to go there before
theeKpress agent left in the morning. ~
e'fIhefe}were anumber of persons sitting
around while l told this, but l took little
notice of them; only one arrested my at
tention. bad seen this week a notice tor
the detection of a notorious robber. The
bills gave description of his person, and
the nan answered very well TO it. He was
tail, we'll formed imam, rather slight in
frame, and had the appearance of gentle
llau, save that zhiS-facez bore those hard,
cruel mark which an Observing man cam
mot mistake for anything but the index of
villainous disposition.
"WheD Iwent to my chamber / asked
the landlord who that man was, describing
the individual. He said he did not know
him. He had come there that afternoon,
aud Intended to leave the nex6-day. The
host asked me why wanted to know, and
i simply told him that, the mans counten-
ancelWas familiar, and I merely wished to
Know if / was ever acquainted with him.
Il was resolved not to let the landlord
into the secret, but to hurry on to Jackson
and there to give information to the sheriff,
who perhaps might reach the inn before the
villain lett. Tor had no doubt as to his
identity.
Eadan alarm watch, and having set it
to give the alarm, l went to sleep. Twas
alarmed at the proper time, and Immediate
ly dressed myself. When 1 reached the
yard i found the clouds all passed away,
and the moon was shining brightly.
The hostler was easily aroused, and by
two O'Clock Twas on the road. The mud
was deep, and my horse could not travel
very fast. However, on we went, and in
the course of half an hour were clear of
the village. At "a short distance ahead lay a
large forest, mostly of pine. The road lag
directly through this wood; as near as
can remember, the distance was twelve
miles; yet the moon was in the east, and
as the road ran nearly west, / Thought 1
should have light enough. ....-,-..,
Il had entered this wood, and gone about
half a mile, when my wagon wheel, with a
bump and jerk, Went into deep hole. I
uttered an transformations OF aStoniShment,
but this was nOtall. heard another ex-
clamation from the same sourcel What
could this mean? Hooked quickly around
but could see nothi g; yet lknew that the
sound was very close to me- AS the hind
wheels came up, IoiG SOI06IQlDg besides
the jerk from the hole. heard something
tumble from one side to the other in my
wagon, and L could also feel the jar occa-
stoned by the movement. 1t was simply
man in my cart. / knew this on the instant :;
of course / felt puzzled. At first imagined
that some one had taken this method to OBJ
tain ride My next idea was that some
body had got into sleep there; but this
passed away as soon as it came, TOR no man
would have bI oxen into my cart for that
purpose. And that thought, gentlemen,
Opened my eyes. Whoever was there had
broken in. q Ny next thought was of the
suspicious Individual j had seen at the
tavern. He heard me say that my load
was all sold out, and of course he supposed
Ihad some money with me. In this he was
right, for / had oyer two thousand dollars.
I thought he meant to leavethe cart wnen he
supposed had reached assafe 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. .
sttIn few minutes my resolution was
formed. Ny horse was knee deep in the
mud, and knew could slip off without
noise So / drew my pistol, and having
twineds my reins about the whip stock,
carefully slipped in the mud and examined
the hasD. The outer door of the cart lets
down. and is fastened by a hasp, which slips
over the staple, and is then secured by a
paddock. The paddock was gone and the
hasD was secured lin its place by a bit of
pine, So that aslight force from within
UeB &.Ii- -Jila-