Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-04-05

questioned the people OF every paper
house of any description in the street, but
all was of no avail, and the excitement
raised by the letter having subsided and
its contents being characterized as a lie,
most likely sent to cause an excitement,
the talk about it died out, and for six
more months the missing man was still
unbound.
One day after that time a gentleman
entered the station-house and gave infor-
nation that he had been robbed at a
house in Broome street by means of the
panel dodge.
A posse of officers accompanied the
gentleman to the house, where all the in
mates were arrested Among these was
poor, wretched woman all begrimmed
with dirt and grease, who had been found
in the kitchen acting as a cullion-and
who was seemingly crazy. Upon being
taken out into the street she had acted
most strangely, everything seeming to
surprise her. With wonderment she had
stared at the houses and familiar sights
in the streets, but would make no an
swers to the questions put to her. On
reaching the station-house the name of
each prisoner was asked for entry on the
books. The leader of the gang, when
the crazy woman was asked her name,
replied Jane Burt, but was sternly repri-
manded by the Captain, who told the
poor wretched woman to speak for her
self. She appeared to hesitate about
giving it, seemingly being afraid of the
leader of the gang-upon which the Cap
tain ordered the others removed and
questioned her himself After little
coaxing she finally replied James l..
Gardner" If a bombshell had exploded
in that station-house, it could not have
more surprised its inmates.
| 1t was found impossible to tell through
the dirt upon her face, whether the fea-
lures were those of Gardner or not; but
b bath being quickly got in readiness,
and the services of barber procured to
cut his hair, the fact soon became appa-
rent that the crazy woman was indeed a
crazy man, and in all probability he was
the missing Gardner. Not hair was
upon his face, but the barber declared
that some chemical had been used to
prevent and kill its growth.
A messenger was Immediately dis
patched to the bank, and couple Of the
bank employees, on arrival, identified
him. His mother was sent for and she
was allowed to remove to her home her
poor son. There, for over six months,
he lived, never fully recovering his
senses, though at times almost sane.
At last it was determined to test his
brain, and if possible, turn his thoughts
| backward over his past life and misfor-
tunes. He was placed in a carriage one
/ day and driven to the door of his old
bank. A portfolio was chained to his
wrist and he was permitted to alight.
He Immediately ran into the bank, went
first to the hat-rack and hung up his hat
on the peg he lad been accustomed to
use, first carefully removing another hat
that hung there He then proceeded to
his old desk, which also was occupied
Seemingly put out he turned and went
into the room of the cashier, who greeted
him with "What has kept you so long,
Gardner2" IL was robbed, sir twas the
ready reply, by some people in a stage,
and | hurried back all | could" and
then the conflict between the past and
his brain was too much for him, and he
to his home, and brain fever set in
through which he struggled-being often
at deaths door-but at last youth con-
quered, and he was saved Upon ava
kening one morning from a refreshing
sleep, his thoughts were found 10 have
returned, and, perfectly sane, he gave
the following testimony:
He had called the officer to the stage
that morning, now nearly six years
before-as he feared for the safety of the
young lady and himself Upon the re-
moval of the rowdy, the lady had ex-
pressed to him her deep sense of graft
tude for the service he had rendered her.
She had been seized with nervous fit,
and had recourse several times to her
scent-bottle, which she carried with her
When near Canal street she had offered
him the scent-bottle to smell at, and not
thinking, he had placed it to his nose.
From that instant until the time when
he heard kind but authoritative voice
asking for his name, his mind was in a
state of chaos, out of which nothing dis
tinct could be formed. The gang who
had received various sentences to Sing
sing, were pldCcu bciutt OdTuiltii anu
he soon pointed out the rowdy who had
been put out of the stage and the lady.
The driver, who might have recognized
the two who entered while Gardner was
drugged, could not be found, and as
Gardner never saw them till after his
brain had become turned, they escaped
(if they were still in the gang) recog-
milton. The two identified received
Just sentence of many years imprison-
ment. Whether the scheme was a regu-
larly formed one to rob the messenger,
or whether il was concoeted az the
moment, could not be decided The lat
ter is the most likely The supposed
disagreement in the stage was but a
sham, to enable the woman to be pushed
closely enough TO Gardner to place the
bottle to his nose His quick stopping
of the stage put an end to this, but the
woman must have seen her two confede-
rates on the sidewalk, and having drug
ged Gardner. must have beckoned to
them for assistance Why they removed
him from the stage, except that they had
oyer-drugged him and feared he would
die, when they could easily have escaped