Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-09-05

Henry and Charles are both dead.
They will be sent home Thursday"
Everything seemed consistent, and
any doubts 1 had entertained Of the
good intentions Of the stranger were
speedily dissolved. 1 didn't 60 back
to the office, but turned my steps to-
ward my boarding place, thinking
as walked along that Thursday
would be an uncommon day with me,
with two corpses and $4,000 in spe-
Gle In my Car.
The money was safely deposited In
the car an hour before the time for
the train to leave Thursday morning.
It was securely locked in two strong.
iron bound chests, and then they
were slowed away in the large safe.
and the heavy doors made fast. I
thought everything was pretty well
fixed. A few minutes before we
pulled out two wagons passed by the
car, one Of them containing two Of
ficers and the other six men, who
were evidently acting as pail bearers.
I looked around for the bereaved
brother with the peculiar eye, but he
was nowhere to be seen. I thought
1t little strange that he should be
absent at such 70 time, but forgot
all about it In moment.
The collins were placed In one end
OF the car. and after 1t had been ar
ranged that one of the msr should
come into the car and take a look at
the bodies when We arrived at Red
wood, he shook hands with the others
and entered one of the coaches. As
the doors closed on him, the bell
rang and we went steaming away.
I was pretty busy for an hour or
moro, and We had passed two or
three stations before. had time to
cast more than q casual glance to-
ward the quiet passengers at the end
Of the car. But after . little, when I
had leisure, an uncomfortable wish
took possession of me to look at the
faces Of the dead men. 1t wasn't
mere morbid curiosity, and I can't
describe 1t any way better than to
say It was q sort OF vague desire
which I could not quiet without sat
isfying It.
/ noticed that the lids were not
fastened down. My next discovery
was that the screws were gone. This
struck me as strange. for was sure
/ had noticed them when the coffins
were lifted into the car. I remem-
bered that had given the attendants
permission to arrange the caskets to
their own satisfaction, and that they
had been a long time doing it. If
they had removed the screws unob-
served at the time, what possible OBJ
ject could they have had In doing so?
With this question In my mind ]
raised the upper portion of the lid OF
the coffin nearest me and took look
at the face of the occupant. He was
q young man, with a full face and
square features. His cheeks were
not sunken, and he had decidedly
fresh appearance for a young man
who had been dead nearly two days,
/ thought.
Replacing the lid, I passed away to
the other coffin. Here q new and
startling surprise met me. The man
In the coffin was the man whom ! had
seen In the express Office! That red
eye was staring straight at me; and ]
was not mistakeni For q moment
my CONSERVATION was to great for
words. I could not have uttered q
sound had my life depended on 1t.
This man who was alive after the
accident, which the paper said caused
the death Of Van Scooter and GriRgs,
and who had made arrangements for
the transportation Of their remains
was now here IN this coffin, to all ap.
pearances deadl Then remembered
that the bereaved stranger had said
that the dead brother resembled him
very closely. But two brothers are
not apt to have red glass eyesl Such
q coincidence as this was beyond the
pale Of reasonable probabilities.
While yet I gazed at the supposed
corpse. the other eye opened q little
and was sure that It was looking ai
me. / was convinced that there was
fraud here, but to show that ! had
discovered 1t might cost me my life
So / very quietly replaced the lid o.
the coffin, and took q moments time
to think the matter over.
I remembered my conversation
with the expess agent. which We
feared had been overheard by the
clerical-looking stranger. and could
only come to the conclusion that tht
whole thing was deliberate plan tc
murder me and gain possession o
the $4,000 In my charge. There
was no denying that the man with
the red eye was alive, and / had nc
doubt that the other man was also
Kneeling down, / placed my ear closs
to the side OF the coffin. and could
hear him breathe quite distinctly.
remember that the attendant who
had boarded the train intended Il
enter the car at Redwood. ostensibly
for tbs purpose Of seeing the bodies
and could not doubt that the thret
men intended to attack me after tn,