The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-10-23
About this time I beoan To tb;nt

About this time / began to think
somewhat seriously. From what had
heard and seen, / soon made an nv
mind that the individual behind me not
only meant to rob me of my mail, but
he was prepared to rob me of my life.
Ii resisted him he would shoot me,
and perhaps he meant to perform that
delectable operation at any rate. While
l was thus pondering, the horses pIung-
ed int another another deep snow.drift,
and was again forced to get out and
tread down the snow before them. /
| asked my passenger if he would HELM
me, but he didn't feel very well, and
wouldn't try; so I worked all alone land
was all of q quarter of an hour getting
my team through the drifts.
When l got int the sleigh again be-
gan to feel for the mailbag with my
feet. found it where had left IT; but
when attempted to withdraw my 1901
1 discovered it had become entangied
in something-I thought it was tne
buffalo robe, aud tried to KICK IL clear'
but the more kicked, the more closely
was it held. reached down my hand,
and after feeling about few moments
Ifound that my foot wasin the mail,
bapl / felt again and found my hand
in among the packages of letters and
papersf / ran my fingers over the edges
of the opening and became assured that
| the stout leather had been cut with
knife!
Here was a discovery! began TO wish
that had taken a little more fore
thought before leaving Danbnry; but as
l knew that making such wishes was
only waste of time, | quickly gave IT
up, and began to consider what l had
best to do under existing circumstances.
wasn't long in making up my mind
upon few essential points. First, the
man behind me was a villain; second, he
had cut open the mail bag and robbed 1t
of some valuable matter-he must have
known the money letters by their size
and shape; third, he meant to leave the
stage on the first opportunity, and
fourthly, he was prepared to shoot
me if attempted to arrest or detaln
him.
revolyed these things ever in my
mind and pretty soon thought of a
course to pursue. knew that to get
ny hands safely upon the rascal must
take him wholly unawares, and this
could not do while he was behind me-,
for his eyes were upon me all the time
so must resort to stratagem. Only a
little distance ahead was a house, and
an old farmer named Lougee lived there;
land directly before it huge snowbank
stretched across the road, through
which track had been cleared with
shovels.
As we approached the cut saw q
Hight in the front room, as / felt conf
dent l should, for the old man generally
sat up until the stage went by. ldrove
on, and when nearly opposite the dwell
ling stood up, as had frequently done
when approaching difficult places. l
saw the snow bank ah cad, and could
distinguish the deep cut which had been
shovelled through it. urged my horses
to O good speed, and when near the bank
forced them into it. One of the run
ners mounted the edge of the bank, latter
which the other ran into the cut, thus
throwing the sleigh over about as quick
as though lightning lad struck 1t. MY
passenger had not calculated on any such
movement, and wasn't prepared for it;
but had calculated, and was prepared.
He rolled out into the deep snow with
heavy buffalo robe about him, while l
alighted on my feet directly on top of
him. l punched his head in the snow
and sung ont for old Lougee,-1 did not
have to call asecond time, for the farmer
had come to the window to see ME pass,
and as soon as he saw my sleigh over
turned he had lighted his lantern and
hurried ont.
"What's to pay" asked the old man,
as he came up.
Lead the horse into the track, and
then come here" said l.
As l spoke partially loosened my
hold upon the villains throat, and he
drew a pistol frem his bosom, but l saw
il in season, and jammed his head into
the snow again, and got it away from.
By this time Lougee had led the horses
ont and came back, and l explained the
matter to him in as few words as posi-
BILE. We ha uled the rascal out into the
road, and, upon examination. we found
about twenty packages of letters which
he had stolen from the mailbag and
slowed away in his pockets.
He SwOrc, and threatened, and pray
ed; bat we paid no attention TO his blair
ney. Lougee got some stout cord, and
when we had securely bound the villain
we tumhied him into the puug. lasked
the old man if be would accompany me
to Littlcjohn, and he said, "Of course"
So he got his overcoat and muller, and
ere long we started on.
Preached the end of my route with
my mail all safe, though not as snug as
it might have been, and my mail-bags a
little the worse for the game that had
been played upon them. However, the
mail robber was secure, and within
week he was identified by some of the
officers from Concord as an old offender,
and am rather inclined to the opinion
that he is in the State prison at the pres
emit time. AT any rate, he was there the
last heard ofhim.
That's the only time l ever had any
mail trouble, land think that, under all
circumstances, came out of it pretty
we'll