Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-08-24
| saw that it was now time for

| saw that it was now time fol
me to act. Fortunately had
my pistol with me. / drew il
from my pocket, cooked it, and
turned up the lantern to lis fall
! j waited for the door9of the safe
to be opened, realizing fully that
my only chance Of overpowering
the two ruf6ans, was to take them
by surprise. For if l allowed
them to recover themselves from
the sudden effect of my appear.
ance, they, being two to one, would
soon oyerpower me. -
l had not long to wait. l heard
the handle turn seven times, and
then Bobby gave strong pull at
the heavy door of the safe. @
1t yielded, but in a mement l
stepped out with the dark lantern
turned full on the robbers and
with my arm stretched out hold
ing the cooked pistol in my hand,
The effect of my appearance on
Bobby and Jim was absolutely
terrific. They must have thought
me a ghost, for they both turned
perfectly iyid with fear. f,ls4
Before they had time to recov,
er themselves, l knocked Jim
senseless to the floor with the butt
end of my pistol; and springing
on the other, I grasped him by
the throat and bore him to the
ground. a a9a
Fortune favored me in another
respect, for | saw hanging out of
the pocket of the ruffian had un-
der me, a long piece of strong
cord. He struggled violently, but [
was the strongest man of the twQ,
and succeeded in binding him fast
without much trouble. s.ff.,
When / had White Haired Bob
by secured | turned my attention
to his companion, who Fortunate
ly for me, remained I'M a condition
of nsensibiIity. a-s5 al s4B 5.z
In five minutes | had them
both SO securely bound that they
could not move hand or foot. |
left them while / went to arouse
the house. ~ggaat,
Invent first to. Mr.. Braintree's
room, He slept over the bank. l
knocked loudly at his door.
"Who's there? What is it?'
he exclaimed.
"Get up, Mr. Braintree," I cried
out, 'White Haired Bobby and
Jim have made gan at
tempt to. rob tie bank. They are
both now lying III the vault Sc
curely bound"
''You are jesting, Archer" said
Braintree, jumping out Of The
bed aud opening the door.
1T is the positive truth. The
Rev. Mr.. Elliot, to whom you so
obligingly showed the vault on
Saturday afternoon, and explained
to him how to open the safe, was
none other than White Haired
Bobby himself 9 7sa5ss'f
1t was a minute or two before
Mr.. Blaintree. could realize the
news | brought him. At last the
truth began to dawn on his mind.
"Yon say the will ans are Sc
curely bound onsthe floor lin the
vanlt2" .6 s.lca q a!ai,E gaJd
Z Yes s5l c. sp5,t-ua is
:,But who, bound them?". he
asked, more and more puzzled.
Il did" '' .
a'who helped YOUR ia1' o'
Hl"No one" ...gs ! atai sJ0. 2
aa ''But how the deuce comes it
that you were on the spot?'
/ then told him how Lhad been
fastened In the safe, and he began
to see through the fog.
While this conversation had
been progressing, Mr. Braintree
had been dressing himself. We
went down together, summoned
the officers of the law, and all
proceeded to the vault.
We found our prisoners just
where | bad left them, and in a
quarter of an hour they were
safely lodged in Jail,
It was the last exploit of White
Haired Bobby and Slippery jim,
for they were tried, and public
opinion having been at last a.
reused at their terrible contempt
of laws, human and divine, they
were sentenced to the penitentia-
ry for life. aa
Mr.. Braintree and the directors
of the bank amply compensated
me for my incarceration, declar-
ing that it was the most "fortu-
nate Imprisonment" that had ever
occurred.
No less than three individuals
in different parts of the coun-.
- oIoA Ill.,,