Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-04-27

ton. eGra ssy1V.
! Meantime | was not idle.
bound the conductors hands and
feet with his suspenders and
gagged him with my handkerchief
In this condition l sat him down
against the, .et of a large pine
tree and throwing my overcoat
across my arm, left him there. As
soon asI got out of sight OF my
priSonerll took off my small coat
and turned it. Itwas a small fan
mel sack made to be worn either
side out. 1t was black on one
side, white on the other. hasti,
" put pine knot in my cap and
threw into pond hard by, and put
on soft hat which | had been
carrying In my pocket, This hat
was white and very broad brimm-
ed. I now hastened to The vicini-
ty of the railroad track and as the
train with its excited attendants
began to pass | coolly joined the
crowd Of persons who walked be-
side the carsF tHE9 'irs o.iE lis
"Singular what's become of
him." | remarked to the man
:
nearest me.
"Tarnation queer, indeed was
the reply.
"He's sloped with the money"
said a putting ia! man on my left,
"bet my boots on that
"That's my notion" said |.
"Yes, yes" continued the tat
man approvingly, "that'sit 'zactly.
| knew a conductor out in Texas
to do this very same trick once"
aYou did,"
"Yes, sir, and he never has
been found"
"Indeed!"
$50, sure's the world, and they
said he had pile of money on
hands too"
@'Real sharp william, wasn't he?"
"Was that, sure +
."Hist, listen What's that p
"Help f! help! help!'' roared a
voice down in the swamp.
Everybody halted to listen.
"Help, help!"
"It's the conductors voice,
yelled a brakesman, and forth
with everybody rushed into the
swamp. In a very little time we
mad found my man, who had man.
aged to spit out his gag. l helped
to unite him.
"How the dickens came you in
this fix?' said in an assumed
voice helping him to his feet.
t'Ding if | can tell you; must
"a been the, devil. Great big black
fellow sitting on hind platform.
Asked him for ticket; said he had
none. Asked for money, said had
no money either. Stopped the
train and went to kick him off.
Ding scamp pulled the bell-rope
and clutched me. Slung me of
the platform, whaled me like bla.
Fzes. Took me down in the swamp
and tied me. Pistol two feet long.
Ding if 'twasn'tr'
Well, after everybody had con-
gratufated the conductor we all
went back to the train and got
aboard. | look a seat near the
middle of the hindmost car.
Hoot! hoot! yelled the whistle
and away we sped. | leaned back
in my seat and soon fell asleep.
Everybody was excited and talk
ing but me. Fact is | was ex-
Ehausted. -F es.FrvT
"Ticket, check p
I.sv Some. one punched me in the
ribs. l sprang wildly to my feet.
"Ho, ho; here, what ails you 2"
said the conductor laughing.
rubbed my eyes and satdown.
"Thought that fellow of yours
had got me-" muttered, coolly
taking off my hat as if looking for
my check. .
"Lost," said / /; "must have fall
len out when that internal brush
dragged my hat off,
The conductor rubbed the knots
on his head, made by my fist, and
said. smiling painfully,
"You fellows must have torn
| about like possessed, about one
halt of you are minus your checks;
but ding if | amt monstrous glad
YOU found me! Awful beating
THAT fellow gave me. He'd a
killed me if, the train hadn't a
come back just as it did Bless
my life, you ought to have seen
his eyes. They had the devil in
''eml 90
The conductor passed on.
rode to Savannah, where found
friel.d who furnished me the
means to get home. Such is the
history of my first, last, and only
lhigh,cdy roJbery. = Z