Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-01-19


( and into my brain should it be fired
The effects of some drug are still work
ing upon me, and as come more to
life, as it were, / recognize the fumes ol
chloroform.
Two other black-visaged men are busi-
llY sorting out my valuables, and are
throwing all dangerous bonds and pa
pers into one corner the of car, while
they are placing in bags the currency
and notes. The man watching me
speaks and says: mo. 1, he is come to. +"
No. comes close and looks at rue; he
also is black-visaged, made SO, now
see, by Grape veil or mask. Without
speaking, he returns to his work OF
sorting the money. Having nothing
else to do, 1 look more closely at myself.
Small, thin cords, which cut deeply into
my flesh, are tied around my wrists and
ankles, while others tie me tightly to
the hammock / must, indeed, have
been far gone in sleep, and deeply drug
ged, to have allowed this. The robbers
evidently mean me no harm, but how
can L face the company after this rob-
Ibery? How account for the absence OF
Joe, without bringing about his dismis-
sal? AS for myself, it will be. the old
story. The papers viii say was will:
ing confederate, and submitted to being
tied and robbed. shall beimprisoned,
perhaps for life. My poor wifeand chill
dren will be worse than fatherless.
No. Il. who is. hard at work yet with
his companion, ,opening the bundles and
sorting out their contents, here for the
first time speaks. Were rearing the
hog tunnel, No. q, be says, in light,
lisping voice. Even in my half stupor
I know that voice. If it is whom think
it is, his left arm is slightly crooked, the
palm of the hand turning nearly out
wards. As lie moves into the light of
the solitary lamp 10 glance at some bonds
1 plainly see the turned hand. "Bill
Lane, /" cal, won't you free my hands?
this cord hurts me.' With a horrible
oath he springs forward: "You've sealed
your DOOM" he says; "you must die
now" / plead for life, for he has cast
aside the Grape and see the devil in his
eye. Bill used to to be on our run as
messenger, but a robbery occurred of
which he was suspt cted o. assisting in,
or at least of allowing himself to be
robbed, and was discharged.
,,Iaol ~, x-oi, Tl,a a;
confer among themselves for few mo-
ments, and then my hammock is un-
hooked and thrown upon the floor anG
4 am rolled up in it, and into an incred-
tied up tightly, and one of the robbers
cries its weight. am slight of form,
and he can easily lift the living Lundle |
up and throw it ON his shoulder. How |
can they get me from the car? How
they got in is as yet mystery to me-
The doors are locked onthe outside, and
could not be broken open with the train
at full speed from without. As lie up
on the floor, nearly suffocated and in
fearful pain from my cramped position
and the tightness of the ropes, Bill his.
ses in my ear, "We are going to throw
you over the Rocky Run"
5Even death in the form of being cast
a living bundle from the cars into the
waters of the run, which we cross in
short time at an immense hight; is PEE
ferable to the agony am enduring.
think prayed with all my soul then
[ have prayed before going in'o battle,
when expecting to be wrecked at sea,
and at other times when my life was in
danger, but 1 never prayed before, /
think, with all my soul. Then there
was chance of escape. here there was
non-. My senses, quickened with ag-
ony sof the moment, were wonderfully
acute, or else I was already in delirium.
/ thought L heard voices at the forward
ventilato:. / thought Iheard him say,
"Watch close and shoot if there is dam
ger" OF course it was fancy, for the
train was going at full speed, and Ned
must be at his post on the engine.
Next I heard cautious footsteps on the {
roof of my car-probabIy, if anybody, it !
was brakespnan going over the car to
the engine for his lunch can, which was {
there keeping hot. / lay still, praying
a few moments longer, then more foot
steps are plainly heard on the roof. This /
time / was sure there were two or three
persons. All, forgot, no doubt, they
were confederates watching outside,
while the three within did the plunder-
ing. All of sudden the bell pull over
head ratified as if energetically pulled; {
the eng 5ine whistled brakes, brakes, and !
L felt every brake on the train was being !
put down to purpose. .
The robbers consulted for 1.oment, t
and then one said, "It is nothing, they !
are stopping fora hot journal perhaps.
Bill sprung to me and pressing his re-
voIver hard against my body, Missed,
''if they call for you, say all right" Be- i,
fore could reply, a rasping noise was 9
heard, followed by the report of a pistol e
and the fall OF o heavy body across my
already overtaxed frame, L tainted. i
When came to, Ned was chatting my
bands, and half dozen men were rub ?
oing smy swollen and chafed limbs, I
while brandy was being placed ON my
lips. Ned was almost hysterical when 1
came to, but the craziest of all was little !
Jack, the wood passer of the Engine, .
who kept shouting ~ shot him, 1 shot
him." till some one knocked him down a
20 make him quiet. 4
Then it all came out. Tbessrobbers had :.
been con, ea,ed on the rear of the car, n
md had watched me through the graf G
ng. On my going to sleep, slender !,