The Van Buren press., 1878-04-23
--------'-----1------- - -----
MISCELLANY.
The Mystified Messenger.
- >

who knew that George Gleason, the fay
orite express messenger of the Z, G. 4
St l.. Poad was somnambulist His
strange freaks, performed during som
nambulistic trance. were known to o
small circle of friends and associates
who mentioned them not when our hero
was appointed to the position he was
destined to fill with honor.
| For two years he ran his car withou,
incident, no train robbers attacking it.
and he became the favorite messenger Of
the road. Strange to say, during the
time, while he dozed often in his car. he
did not once fall into the somnambuistic
state, and he was congratulatng himself
that the singular frances had left him al
together, when occurred the incid ant
am about to relate.
His downward run on the night eX-
press extended from Coshocton to Spring
field, distance of one hundred and eighty
miles. There were few stations of i'm
portance on the rout, and the train made
but two halts between the two cities
The officers Of the road were, at the date
Of our story, and still are, careful men OF
business, jealous of integrity. When
robberies became common on other roads,
the messengers of the p. c. & St. l.. were
sure to receive orders demanding extra
precaution, and it was to the obedience
of these orders that much of the popu-
larity Of the road was attributed.
"Hello p exclaimed messenger Gleason
one evening, while looking over the col
umns of the Cleveland Herald, "the ex-
press ears ofC. c. d |. c. robbed Of $50,
600! That's good haul Why don't
the thieves try my car? Here I've been
on the rord for two years, and never for
a moment has the safety ofa dollar in
my hands been jeopardized."
He considered himself one of the luck
lest messengers in the country, and, with
the paper IN his hand, stepped into the
express car. which moment later NOV
ed out of Coshocton. 1t was beautiful
autumn evening, and the messenger sat
at the open side door, enjoying cigar,
until the sun went down, and darkness
fell over the earth. Then he shut the
door, lighted the lamps and saw that
everything was safe He knew the value
of the contents of the company's safe,
and he thought what a haul thieves
would make if they would successfully
burglarize his car on the present trip
But he felt secure for he dropped into
his chair and fell asleep.
The train had run of forty miles
before the messenger would again be call
ed to eervice, and he thought of this, per-
haps, when he setted into the chair, re-
~ wed upon a doze. BY and-by he rose,
and his eyelids parted. He walked di-
rectly to the safes, which stood side by
side, and opening the combination locks
threw wide the burglar proof doors.
Then he took forth valuable package after
package. until he had emptied the strong
holds of their treasures. 1t is safe to
say that messenger Gleason deprived
the safes of money and other valuablcs
to the aggregate of seventy thousand
dollars.
After doing this he closed the doors,
and with the packages walked out of the
car to the tender. 1t was filed with coal,
black and grim, and the heavy smoke of
the engine, the toy of the smart breeze
blowing, beat against his face. But he
did not seem no heed it, for he climbed
upon the tender with one hand, and dc
libeiately secreted the packages among
the coal in one corner. Having accomp
lished this singular task, he returned to
the express car, washed his hands, which
had been begrimed by the Jumps of coal,
and retired to his chair, where he breath
ed like sleeping man.
George Gleason, in state of somnam-
bulism, had robbed the safes, and their
iron doors guarded the messengers books
and few old papers of little value. He
slept for half an hour longer, when he
awoke and rubbed his eyes. His first
action thereafter was to consult his
watch
"We're approaching Grafton" he said
to himself, and drew another cigar fro m
his pocket for quiet smoke. A minute
later the fragrance from "Flor del Flu
mar filed the car, and the messenger
was half enveloped in smoke Grafton
was get nineteen miles away.
All at once Gleoson heard his name
pronounced, and turned quickly in his
chair He sprang to his feet a moment
afterwards, and, as the half consumed
cigar fell to the floor, his hand sought the
pocket that held u revolver. For there
stood before him two men whose dark
masks hung far below their chins.
Don't draw, Mr.. Gleason" said one
ofthe strangers, and the messenger saw
a revolver covering his head. ave don't
want to be so gentlemanly as to slav
you here. The road can't spare you, in
deed it can't!'
Gleason's hand shrank away from the
pocket it had touched, and he looked at
the men for moment in silence.
"What do you want" he asked.
"What most men earnestly desire
money T.
81 have none
''But the safes have
Then open it then if you cam said
the messenger with smile.
with your assistance we,,will, answer.
ed one of the masked men, who until
that moment had not spoken. "Mr. Glea-
son, we didn't come here to parley, and,
as we mean business, we proceed to it at
once. Yon have the keys, and will
oblige by producing them"
The young messenger looked twice in
to the eyes Of the men, and once into the
muzzle of the revolver before he display