Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-03-22
CAUGHT BY TELEGRAPH.

i Rh5 tcteSrdpn .OperdtOI duu oidtiOu-
agent on one of the Western lines oi
railroad, when this adventure,o of which
am going TO tell you, happened me.
1t was. wild and stormy night, and
% the depot was nearly half mile out
of town, the set of losfers which usual.
ly collected about the stove in the
waftIng-room had eventually conclu.
ded 10 seek some place nearer home to
spend the evening in, and, for won.
der, 1 was quite alone.
The express from the West was due
at nine-ffty.' After that l should be
at liberty, and / began to wish the
evening was over, long before the train
came along, or else that had some
one to talk to, for the depot was in one
of the lonesomest spots that could have
been selected, and the wind kept up a
dismal moaning in the pines close by,
and every now and then seemed to be
positively howling in the wires Of the
telegraph. 1 began to feel nervous
and fid zety. ~
AT last che train came. j was also
express-agent, and the expressman on
the traiE handed me heavily sealed
envelope, remarking, as he did so: BE
careful OF that, Branthwai.e. There's
abig bonanza in that package If ii
were yours or mine. -
Money! asked, noticing that there
were but two passengers getting Off
two men in shaggy overcoats and
sl0uchy looking hats, whom / concluI
ded, without thinking much about
them, or paying little attention IL
them, to be hunters returned from
some .up-c0untry trip. =
Yes; trifle of twenty Thousand,
believe answered Phillips Old
Powers is sending it down to his son,
who's putting up mill somewhere
near here, Isn't he?' -
sYes, on the other side of the-river,
Ireplied. ITS lucky to have rich
father, Phillips.'
YOU'RE right there answered Phil
lips.
And then the train started of, and !
turned and walked toward the Office.
As neared the door, with the pack
age in my hand, one of the men, who
had been watching me, made spring
toward me. i don't know how hap
pened to be on the lookout for them,
bat must have been, for 1 jumped
back almost the same instant that he
made his move, and before either of
them comprehended what was about,
] had made dive between them. aud
succeeded In getting into the Office, and
had tie door bolted almost before
knew what was doing.
Ihesrd a volley of curses hurled af-
Ter me, and then knew by the sounds
and the creaking of the door, that both
of the men were trying TO break it in.
prrf 4 Rod e.. ,<<ft hat dr>sr f1ar
= It was of hard wood, well seasoned,
and would resist all their efforts in that
direction.
put the package in the safe and
locked it securely hefore l stopped to
think what was to-be done. Then
sat down to think, while L could hear
the men talking outside; 1 knew they
were holding a-council over the means
10 be used to effect an entrance, and
obtain possession of the money | had
n ceived. -
II was anything but pleasant siiua-
tion to be in. Here was /, alune, half
q mile away from any assistance, at
ten O'clock at night-and stormy
night at that-and the probabilities
we're that nearly everybody was al
ready in bed. III they were not, no
one would think of coming to the de-
pot at that time of night.
Outside we're two desperate men,
who knew 1 had large sum of money
Ia my possession, and they knew thai,
u they could effect an entrance, wo'd
amount 10 but little in the way of pre-
venting ans accomplishment Of their
viilainous' purpose.
Suddenly a Thought occurred to me.
The clerk ut the hotel where board
cd had taken q fancy to telegraphy and
We had piit up 3 wire between the ho-
Eel aud the depot.
Why couldn't advise him of my
danger and have him send help?
heard new sound at the doOr just
then which sent the blood in great,
ffightened waves all over me. The