The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-08-17

The young messenger looked twice in
the eyes Of thesmen and once into the
muzzle Of the revolver, before he dis
played the keys.
aHere they are, he said, extending
them.
NO. no, Gleason" was the response,
and the twinkle Of the dark eyes told
our messenger that the face beneath the
mask was smiling. 1t is a combination
lock, you see, and We happen to he ig-
norant of the cabalistic word-yOur So
same. Open the doors for us if you
please.
Gleason saw that pleading would avail
him naught There was stern determin
aticn in the robbers tone, death in the
depths of the black eyes. He had often
read Of such burglaries; how cashiers
were made to open the safes their own
banks and throw thousands at the feet
of the robbers He had never dreamed
that such an event would happen in ex
press car No. j6,much less that he would
be compelled to assist in robbing the
patronizing public.
But he was at the mercy Of the vii
lians, and his life was in startling jeop
ardy. He came forward with pale face,
and stopped before the safes.
"Be lively about il" said one Of the
men. ''You know the locks like book,
and we know how 10 treat man who
obeys our orders with elacrity. We give
you two minutes grace in which TO work.
If at the end Of that time the doors do
not swing open, the p C 4 st L will lose
her best messenger
The imperiled man did not reply, but
fell to work on the locks. The combina-
ton was quite intricate, but Gleason was
familiar Herewith, and in less than. a
minutes time he opened the fist door.
aNow for the packages said one of
the men.
The messenger put forth his hand, un-
locked an inner door. and started
aghast.
The money part Of the safe was
empty,
whats up, GIeason?" exclaimed a
mask, looking at the messenger with as
toEishment
Gleason pointed to the empty recepta
Gle, almost too amazed TO speak, and the
robbers exchanged strange glances.
."0pen the other safe.7. commanded
one.
The messenger obeyed. 1t, TOO, was
moneyless.
George Gleason, we want no trifiing.
You know where the money is"
"How should / know" cried the mes
senger, mystiffed more than the robbers.
"Did know that you were coming, and
secrete the matter? so, who betrayed
You? Here are my books, look at them
for yourself swear to you that there
were seventy thousand dollars worth of
express matter in the safes when we left
Coshocton. Haven't left the car for one
moment, though have dozed, but like
a cat. A footstep, however soft, will rouse
me. You ask me where the money is,
throw the question back to you. Upon
pain of death could not tell YOU
He ceased. and the foremost robber
SAID:
''This beats me. believe you, George
Gleason. Somebody has robbed the
safes before we struck. They did it while
you slept VIII you slacken the speed
of the train?"
The messenger seized the bell-rope,
and the speed ofthe train began to di-
minish.
Now gooo night, Gleason said the
disappointed robbers, moving to the
sliding door. we hope the company
won't discharge you for sleeping at your
post. OF course we are disappointed
We expected to make big haul to-
night
The next moment they sprang from
the car, and the messenger heard a pro
longed whistle.
Then he saw the bell rope moving and
the train returning to its usual speed.
He fell back into his chair completely
mystified. He could not imagine who
had robbed the safes, whose empty
pockets stared at him from one corner
of the car.
His thoughts were suddenly inter-
rupted by the conductor, who bounded
into his presence.
They did it, eh? Money all gonel
Curse the iends They had man on
each platform, masked and armed. How
much did they get?"
Not dollar" said Gleason.
The conductor looked at the safes and
then at the man whom he seemed TO re-
gard as mad
Where is the money them"
Il don't know
The train stopped and as the messen-
ger had told his story. search for the
packages began.
1t came to an abrupt and happy ter
mination. The engineer placed the lost
valuables in Gleason's hands.
Bob, the fireman, saw you climb on
TO the coal in the tender, and then you
stuffed all these envelopes into one cor
ner. When you went back into your
car We pulled iem out, and intended TO
keep em for You ill we got to Grafton.
Why, you had your eyes open, but Bob
and me knew you were in walking
trance
Thus spoke the engineer, and the
reader may imagine with what thank
fulness the messenger received the en-
velopes, not one of whose original num-
Der was missing
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