The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-03-28

| [From Harper's Weekly.l
CHECK 92,327.
CONCLUDED.
"There's some devils work about
this ERE, ,Kirtle, and we must sift it out
Let us go to the superintendent
To the superintendent we went an6
/ told my tale, to which he attentively
listened. He then dismissed US with
orders to wait upon him again in two
hours, and not to say anything to any
one about the coffin. On returning al
the appointed time the superintendent
conducted us into the Directors room
where we found the President and Sec
retary of the Company seated at the
long table busily conversing with an
other gentleman. Harley and W atkins
sat on settee against the wall, and
two men, whom l knew to be our rail.
road detectives, were lounging neal
them. Mr.. B, the president, was
the first to speak.
"Mr. Kirtle will please tell us about
this mysterious cof1n.''
I told my story, showing the entry
in my pocket book, and telling about
the disappearance of the checks. nev-
er alluding to my suspicious of Harley
and Watkins. Evans was then exam
ined, and stated positively that no cof
fin went through his hands that night.
He then related how he had looked for
the checks and had discovered that 90,
327 was missing. The strange gentle
man then cross examined Evans Did
he count them and read the numbers OF
the checks when he placed them in the
box ?-No, he had not. They were
done up in brown paper, just as they
came direct from the makers hands,
Then this missing check which turns
up on the coffin might have been stolen
from the maker hands, and have never
passed through the Company's at all ?
1t might have been.
Harley, Watkins, and his fremen
we're then examined; and they all pos
lively testified that the train never stop
ed that night. While they were testi-
flying I remembered that the firemen
had applied for the place Of my assist
ant and had been refused. Of course
this did not allay my suspicious. Rar-
ley and Watkins wanted my place for
the fireman, and had taken advantage
of my assistants absence to catch me
in a scrape.
Just at this moment another railroad
detective came in, accompanied by an
other man who proved to be the Sta
tion-master at Edgaston, and whose
presence had been demanded by tele-
graph. He declared positively that the
train went past his station at fall speed,
and that no marks Of footsteps were
visible in the snow on the platform next
morning. Moreover, no coffin had
come to Edgaston, which only con-
consisted of a few houses, and he
would be sure to know of it.
The president having consulted with
the strange gentleman (whom found
to be the Company's lawyer) and the
secretary, after first cautioning us not
to speak word about the matter on
peril of losing our situations, told us
we might retire. Recalling me, he
laughed, and advised me not to go to
sleep again and dream such curious
dreams. Ifelt a choking in my throat
at the very idea of his doubling me-
Thenceforth the matter was apparently
dropped. Only apparently, for soon
found that was dogged." Twas sus-
pected and the detective followed me
everywhere I felt bad over it natu
rally enoug gh-felt hurt at being sus-
pected but confident Of my innocence
I did not dread scrutiny, and went
about my work as usual and did my
duty as I had done it before. But I
every where met my shadow" and
for months I felt myself under a
cloud, with little hope of promotion
Naturally enough l always felt queer
when thinking of that New-year's eve,
and it's mysterious freight; but waited
patiently for the fit and proper time
when the mystery would be revealed !;
and that it would be explained I felt
quite confident. In fhe mean time the
''shadow" did not pursue me without
results, which affected others-the 9th
ers whom I suspected. Harley was
discovered by my "shadow" in some
peculations in the matter Of his ticket
money, and Watkins and the fremen
were found to have occasionally shared
with him. In the course of their ex-
animation it was discovered that / had
carried freight to small amount for
Watkins but as had Harleys order
for doug so I was returned to duty
with kind approval of the business
like manner-in which I kept all my Or
ders. Thus my suspicious of Harley,
Watkins, and the firemen were con-
firmed. If the latter had obtained my
place the three might have carried pri-
vate freight to any extent, and with
considerable profit. While these facts
were developing Evans had the misfor-
tune to be killed and SO when the year
rolled round Of all those who had
known of the "coffin story" only, my
self, the baggage-master at Edgaston,
and the Directors remained on the