The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-06-19

bullion. was positive l nad OVerlooK: /
ed him when collecting tickets, still
did not see how had, either i deter
mined to ascertain and arose from where
| had seated myself, and said
Ticket, please
You took it once," said he. Il
81 think not" l answered; "if l did,
you have check"
He fumbled a moment beneath his
coat, and produced one of my checks. !
Gall right" said l, and turned my at
tention to the supper the waiter had just
placed on the table.
After we left Corning we made no
stop until we reached Creston, some
thirty miles on. / went into the baggas,
car and assorted my tickets; there was;
just two hundred and eighteen tickets,
through and local.
l finished my work, locked the tickets
up in my box, and lighted a cigar; my
thoughts returned to the wooden-legged
man, John, the bumper. tried to re-
collect whether or not had taken his.
ticket. / had it. l could count my pas
sengers, and if the number correspond
ed to the number of tickets, all right; if.
they did not, would see where the mis-
take was
Entering each coach 1 counted the
passengers and set the number down in
my book that / might not forget. When
| had counted them all / added the fig,
ures up, The sum total was just two
hundred and eighteen! I went over
them again with the same result. Going
back to the baggage-nar requested my
brakeman to go through and count the
passengers aboard He came back and
reported two hundred and nineteen. -
This left no doubt in my mind ! had
passed some one, and that some one was
John, the bumper, I believed. But how
had he obtained my check was a ques-
ton asked myself, and one l could not
answer.
Gong back into the fourth car l saw
a lady who was evidently hunting for
something.
"What is the matter, madame ?" /
asked
20! are you the conductor2 | have
lost the check you gave me-"
"Where did you put it p l asked :,
"In this little BRASS" Indicating the
small arrangement near the window of a
car for holding ticket 81 placed it
here, and don't see how it could have
fallen out
'Never mind; you needn't look for it,
| said and passed on.
Returning, l asked her who occupied
the seat behind her when she first missed
the check at this instant the door of the
car opened and the man with the wood
en- leg came in.
/ "The gentleman coming in the door,"
she answered
That was sufficient for me to know.
John, the bumper, had stolen the check
and was riding free. / remembered now,
when l came through the car to collecss
tickets, the door of the closet was fas-
tened; and just then arrived at station
| had gotten out, and when / came back
passed the door without trying it. The
man was in there, and as soon as pass.
ed out of the car had taken seat be-
hind the lady and stolen her check.
/ was trying to think what measure to
pursue. To put him off and have trouble,
or let him ride at the company's expense.
| did not like his looks /; it seemed to me,
whether on account of the stories / had
heard or not, that he could knife a man
without winking, and I decided to let
him ride awhile at least.
At Creston received dispatch from
the dining car conductor which read:
"Collect seventy five cents from a
wooden-legged man known as John, the
bumper. He did not pay me-"
If l had ever doubted that the man
was dead beat, was convinced now.
On leaving Creston / went through
the train searching for him with the de-
termination of collecting my fare. 1
looked in vain; he was nowhere to be
found.
1t was now nearly nine o'clock, and
looked in the wood.5oxes and poked
under the berths in the sleeping cars.
thinking perhaps he might have conceal.
ed himself, but without avail / sent a
dispatch back at the next station saying
he had gotten off.
We had been delayed at Creston, wait
ing for the st, 10. branch, which was
thirty minutes late, and we we're speed
ing over the rails at fearful rate. l
was in the smoking car with my feet
fixed comfortably On the back of anoth.
er seat, and had just lighted cigar, " hen
word was brought us that Billy-the ex.
press messenger-had dropped "chunk
of dough-" a silver brick, on his foot,
and was "howling" terribly. went
through the two baggage-cars and came
to the express car. 1t was built exclu-
sively for express and only had doors
on the side. To enter the car it was ne
cessary to walk around upon the iron
railing which led to the doors and cling
to the railing overhead, which was,when
we were running fast, dangerous feat
for one not accustomed to it to perform
j was soon in the car and had cut Bill
II ly's boot off, and made him as comforta
BILE as possible with an old blanke
} spread on two or three trunks, bed
improvised for him. 1 remained in tht
car until arriving at the next station
when had Duncan go ahead and do th'
messengers work. About twelve o'clocl
/ went to see how he was getting along
He was unable to sleep any; his foo
, panied him badly. but he was in gooc
? spirits.
81 guess there's a rod loose under
3 neath," said he; "it's been scraping th
bottom of the car for the last ffteel
minutes"
e "I'll have it fixed at the next STOP"
answered.
t In about thirty minutes we halted a
e Charlton and / asked the watchman t
e examine the rods on the car. He did sc
t and said there was no rod loose, and
e there was it could not be heard in tn
: car when we were running. That wa
! so; strange hadn't thought of it. Be
k meath the car there was square bo
about eight feet long; this box was tw
y feet deep There were sliding doors o
It each side of it, which were always keI
locked. The box contained Journals,
81 IL. NJ e