The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-09-13
s'Listen,'' returned Mr.. Reed. impressively,


evidence against my accompces."
He was gone Three minutes later he was
at the police station.
Two men stood within-one, detective Of
police; the other, the cashier of the X. bank,
trembling and pale with agitation.
''We are ruined he said with despair.
"Clearly'' answered the detective.
''What can / do-abscond-hang myself?
In either case it will be said that took the
funds"
The detective remained impossible.
'My poor wife and children cried the cash
ier'' what will become of them? Poverty
disgrace. Who can testify to my innocence?'
up said Mr.. Reed, entering the door.
An angel from heaven could not have been
more welcome than this tattered reporter.
Briefly Mr.. Reed told his story-omitting
all that was of merely journalistic interest,
making no mention of the telegraph Office OF
the Depastator-when, at the most exciting
point of his narrative, he caught sight through
the open window of curious, ferret-like face,
framed in sandy hair-the mau that he had
encountered in the railway station-"our
speciap' of the Deudstator-who was now lis
tening so eagerly to the strange recital. Mr..
Reed sprang through the window, knocked
him down promptly, took him by the collar
and led him into room of the police station,
supplied him with pencil and some manu-
script slips, told him by all meals to write
full report of what he had heard-and turned
the key on him, with the remark that he
would release him the next day. before break
fast, but too late for the morning edition Of
the DerastatOr. He then finished his story
to the detective aud the cashier.
sit will be of no use to follow them before
morning-it would be impossible to find them"
said the detective. ''Can you take the cars
with us at 2.30?"
Mr.. Reed consulted his watch. ''11.32-I
will do it.'
Without waiting for the grateful words Of
the cashier, or the promises of reward which
he offered-Mr. Reed entered his carriage,
fastened back to the Office, and prepared to
make his reports. His pencil flew over the
paper with the utmost rapdity and the copy,
in shorthand, was delivered to skillful COM
positors. At 1915 Mr.. Reed, seated i'll his
carriage, was driving to the Battery. On ar
irving there, he readily found the little news
boat, belonging to the Daily intimidation,
ready to start, went on board and in few
minutes the boat, under full steam, was on
calm, and the wind offered no obstacle to the
passage of the little steamer
At 1 a. m. the newsboat lay beside the
Montezuma, which lowered black and huge
above it. A ladder was let down from the
Sonth American steamer; Mr.. Reed went on
who unreservedly gave him his dispatches
and added some interesting details. The re-
porter thanked him for his kindness, re-de-
scended the ladder; and the little steamboat,
headed for the city, made good time. Half a
mile from the Montezuma-they met another
steamtug-the newsboat of the DeoaStator.
Mr.. Reed had conquered.
He soon arrived again at the wharf, entered
the carriage which there awaited his return,
and reached the Office of the Intimidation at
2 a. NJ. He gave the dispatches to his chief;
dictated his report rapidly to photographic
writer, who found it no easy thing to follow
the words of the reporter; and requesting
that the forms be left unlocked as his nights
reporting was not yet fnished-he ran down
the stairs, entered his carriage again, and was
driven at full speed to the And street depot.
At exactly 2.30-Mr. Reed entered at one
door of the railway station as the detective,
accompanied by the cashier of the X. bank,
and force of police entered at another.
A special train was ready-they went on
board. and soon were outside of the city.
Nearly fifteen minutes had elapsed. The
train, according to Mr.. Reeds calculations,
must be near the place where he had fallen
over the embankment. The engineer stood
ready to reverse his engine at a moments no.
tice; the brakeman's hand was on the brake
They entered the cut-and had gone few
rods only when Mr.. Reed saw a small dark
object lying on the track. The engine was
stopped. The reporter descended and went
toward this object. 1t was his notebook.
The blow of the thief's knife had been par
TALLY resisted by the notebook, which was in
the reporters breast-pocket, and instead of
proving fatal, as it must otherwise have done,
had cut through his coat, partly through the
notebook, and inflicted slight wound on his
arp. This, then, must have been the exact
spot where he had fallen. To avoid arousing
the suspicion OF the thieves, the engine was
run halfmle further, TO small way-sta-
fion tho rfv alinhtod nd 4
tective went out to reconnoitre few minutes
before organizing the descent upon the bank
thieves. The reporter, the cashier and the
force of police waited inside the station. 1t
was small wooden building, with rough
shed for freight at one end. The remainder
of the building comprised the waitng-room
for passengers, and the ticket-office, separated
by partition wall.
As Mr.. Reed sat near this partition, he was
startled by the familiar call-signal of the tele.
graph; and in the clear, uncompromising ac-
cents of the Geographic needle-he heard
these words:
Nothing from the Montezuma. Tele-
graph the Nicaragua as soon as signalled."
Mr.. Reed with difficulty restrained himself
from any manifestation of his joy. This,
then, was the little station from which the
DeuastatOr received its news. And now
there remained only the bank-robbery to ar
range.
The detective came back, and, followed by
the others, led the way through path in the
marsh, over rocks, broken trees; past pools,
each seeming the silent witness of some dark
deed. Soon they surrounded the house where
the thieves were.
1t was Jacob who first appeared at the door.
The thieves were out-numbered, overpower-
ed. They made little resistance; and were
soon in irofs, in the car. The boxes of gold
and securities belonging to the x bank were
also placed on the car, and at 1856 A. NJ. the
train, with its passengers and freight, arrived
at the And street depot.
Mr. Reed took hurried leave.of the cash
Ter and the detective, saying to the latter: