The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-05-27


sSrected to party in South Paris, Containing
three thousand dollars
sDo YOU know that mani" he asked me-,
pointing to the superscription.
ssYes," said I
..Dosod know ahetshs IFesT
ssYes.F ~ ~ 49,
'.How far from your depot?"
ga mile and half, L should think, Oh
the old Rumford road
s -ssWel.n he pursued. 81 don't care to
have this lay over at the depot, and you'd d
better deliver it yourself"
told him would do so. - s5-as -
NAV here remark that we had no regu-
lar Office at South Paris. 1t was my Gus
tom to deliver such matter as was consign-
ed to parties living in the village, within o
radius Of hall a mile o. SO; while parcels
goingsbeyond these limits usually left
with the station master to be called for.
And SO. even at Norway, it was understood
g BY our patrons that We did not deliver ex-
press matter beyond the limits of the vii
G 1sge corporation. - - -
As was leaving the Office, observed
81 one of the porters, assisted by clerk, lift
ING soldier into the wagon of the Kenne-
bee Express. Said soldiers right leg was
swathed in thick bandaees from the knee to
the toes, and he hobbled upon erutches;
= his uniform was worn and soiled, and ne
dppCcdC0 W OO OAO WIZ A4oG DOO-- -
& vice. - ~ I&sk 80 .
tsPoor fellow" said the clerk, as he met
C. me upon the sidewalk. 'tHe's got two
minnie balls through his leg-wounded at
Gettysbnrg. Hestarted down from the In
ternational for the depot on his crutches,
but he gave out here.
At that time, when the great battle was
vet a thing of the present, 8 hero of Gettys-
burg was an object efinterest to me; and 1
hat 10 the
warn.worn and Shattered veteran; but he
had gained his seat, and was driven away
before I had opportunity to salute him
At the depot saw my freight safely In
the car, and after We had started took
turn through the train. found our Get
6 tyspurg hero in the forward Car, occupying
a whole seat, with the rim of his old
g. slouched hat pulled down over his face,
probably asleep. Poor fellow He was
6 weak and weary. 49, a ss5a
We arrived at South Paris at half-past
three D. m, where found my team wait.
ing for me5a common express wagon
drawn by horse which I considered as
rather superiofto express horses In gen.
eFaL As the last packaQs was, placed in the
wagon, observed the veteran of Gettys-
burg hobbling toward me, on the platform.
- had strapped mp the taiIboard. and was
= on the wag 70 my seat, when ne addressed
- me: 1EF 1rss-as- ss-ssfi 80
'sSay, my friend which way ye going"
ssJust round the village, to deliver
freight, I" told him.
He looked disappointed.
81 1wss ia hopes . sshe said '.that ]
should and somebody going up%the old
Rumford road a piece, Ny leg is about
p'1ssS Ss%snbsrsa The psekage = had to
deliver on the ssr1s road, snd ! told him II
he tlldn hind riding Ero1ndi through the
g Syillaee, Ixodld take him as far as the old.
JordzH Place. He said thai il would Be q
Esgreat help to him. Sc xith theassistance
of the station baggage master, Ishelped
oShim r his seat He was large, heavy
= man, and as he seemed unable to help him-.
: self in climbing. the labor of hois6ng him
up was not light one. - -
81 shall come down easier, = he said,
-ztISzA Al Fight, s.Ireplied, as i toOkfay seat
Esat5g hissidesS Es Esssa .Sf45Ssk :
made Quick worfzsf deliveridgs1y stuff
Ia the village, and when We had struck the
old road beyond asked my companion his
name. He said it was John Smith. Then
1 led him to tell me of his experience In the
army. ahd more particularly st Gettysburg.
He said hs was . Name bow, but was not
in Maine regiment He was in Ohio
when he enlisted and Joined regiment in
that State. - .-F,g .-s.ss
p I asked him which one. -. -
~ He told me the Forty y-eighth. -. !
saA This staggered me; I proceeded with.
my questions and ere long had gainedfrom
him all he knew of Gettysburg, and more
- Idon,t like to be sold: but had been sold
now, certainly. The man by my side vas
a humbug In the first place, knew that
the Forty-eighth Ohio was at Yicksburg,
with Grant, while Gettysburg was being
fought And then had heard the whole
story Of Gettysbmg from voanded officers
= Who had come from The feld; and this
mans story was not like the story they had
told. 1 had made up my mind that the
fellow was Sucker" or Q. ssSponge, when
was interrupted in nv meditations by o.
sudden lureh of the wagon. one OF the
wheels having dropped into a slough-hole
"a upon that side ON which the waT-vorn and.
shattered hero sat expected, when I
had recovered my own balance, to see him
- pitched from his perch; but not SO, I saw
that bandaged leg, which frs, had beer. as
= useless as . dead mans leg, suddenly
straightened out; the swathed foot was
- planted fatty and squarely upon the board;
and with full pressure upon the disguised
lime he held himself, and regained his
equilibrium.
- I pretended not to notice; but had no.
ticed and reflected That right leg, so
carefully nursed,s was as stout, and as
% strong, and as free for use as my own. Had
e the fellow taken all this trouble of decep-
ton for the sole purpose of getting ride?
/ could not believe It Had he done 1t for
60 the purpose of exciting sympathy that he
might beg with better success? He did not
c. look like asnan proneto beg. Then why
vast?
~ had been In my present position of
messenger nearly two years, and as never
- went upon my route without more or less
money entrusted to my care, I had learned
to be suspicious. This man had been pre-.
v sent when Prindle gave methe money pack
age ofthree thousand dollars, and had prob
ably overheard the agents directions He
meant 70 rob me, OF he had come with me
for that purpose. looked into his face;
and now that I regarded him no more as a
waf-zorn Eetenn and hero, I discovered
him to be an ugly and repulsive looking
person. And he was powerful fellow. TO
boot should say, almost twice as heavy
e as myself But I was not to remain long
We had entered q secluded part of the
road, with deep wood upon my left hand,
when my companied drew a revolver from
his pocket and pointed the muzzle towards
me-. 4fF-~tss ~ s-az.s= .s=-s-4s-r-s-.r=
a-sASive me that pocket-book of yoursI" he
T eOmnanded., Don't make no words Give
. It up or diei Quickf ~
Ny pocket-book, beside the three thou
sand dollar package, contained full two
thousand dollars belonging to parties in
NORWAY. sMyIinstinot was born Of Office.
-. tfhoueht more Of the property entrusted to
nv care than of myself Just thenI heard
wagon wheels in the distance something
coming up behind us: Should I try and