The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-09-06
The MAN WITH THE RED EYE.

THE MAN WITH THE RED EYE.
About eight years ago, when / had not
railroaded il as long as | have now, /
was employed as messenger on IA Yves
tern railway. | don't know as il is nee
essary for me TO say what line il was,
but will call il the Il. T. Sc G. r. r., To
save myself the trouble of pronouncing
the whole name.
| had not been on the run more than a
month previous TO the date of the occur
renee of which / am going TO tell you
| had been running on n branch route
for more than year, and might have
stayed there a good deal longer, if had
not been chosen TO take PaXton's place
when he went off. You see, two or three
attempts had been made TO rob the eX
press car, and at last, at the end of a long
run, Paxton was found dead in the car
with a bullet hole in his head. But the
safe was closed tight and secure, though
an attempt had been made to blow il
open, which proved Intellectual. But the
strangest part of all was that the key was
missing from PaXton's pocket, and il
was not found till good six weeks af
terward. Then ii was discovered at the
side of the track, with Il card tied on it
ON which il was written that robbers
were in the car, and he expected they
would murder him if he refused TO give
up the key. He was true to the last
Well, you may suppose that l felt Just
the least bit squeamish about accepting
such an uninviting berth but the Super
intendent gave me orders, and meant
To do my duty, however disagreeable il
might be. Then the pay was larger than
| had ever received before; and l was
acquainted with good girl who was
ready to help me inhabit a house when
al. Il 81.
that was quite an object to me, can AS
sure you.
Well, everything passed off smoothly
enough for several weeks, and had be
come accustomed to the route, and made
dozen or so of very pleasant acquaint-
ances, and l was growing to be very well
contented with my life. L had almost
begun to think the robbers, whoever they
might be, had given up all thoughts OF
ever making anything out of my car, and
sought another field of operations.
One day was informed by the agent
at R that some time within week
l would have to take charge of about
$50, 900 in specie in its transit over our
road. The officers of the express com
pany had been advised of this intended
important ship, in order that they might
exercise redoubled vigilance in view of
the great risk incurred in the transporta-
ton of such a valuable consignment
The evening after my conversation
with the agent, he called me into the of.
flee, and told me the specie was to GO
over the road the next day but one. He
produced an envelope and handed it TO
me, saying as he did so:
There, Bill, are your orders, direct
from the Superintendent with his own
signature attached. Read them carefully
and obey them to the letter, for little
mismove might cause great loss to the
company and cost you your position"
Il shall do my duty TO the very letter.
replied.
81 am sure you mean TO do SOL said
the agent, but you cannot be too care
full. Some of the members of the light
fingered profession are smart as light
ming The plans they can't devise aim
worth thinking OF, and they are as fertile
in eXpedients as the evil one himself.
thought I'd just put you on your guarC
in friendly way, and"
There was slight sound at the door
If the depot hadn't been deserted by ev
cry one except us two, and the switcl
engine hadn't been up at the end of TIN
yard, where we could hear its incessan
putting, / don't believe we could hav,
heard the sound at all. But we both no
ticed the sound ut once, and as | looked
out of the office into the large room be
yond, l saw man standing Just inside
the outer door, with his head inclinet
toward us as If he was trying to over
hear ourconversation. He saw me abou
the time l first noticed him / knew i
from the little start of surprise he CAV
as his eyes met mine.
He was all over his surprise in a min
ute, for he drew his face down to an eX
preston of the utmost unconcern, ant
came boldly forward to the windows O
the office through which the agent al
ways transacted any business he Nigh
have with persons without.
He was very fair appearing man, ap
parently about 40, though he might hav
been little older. He was dressed il
black, and, wearing high hat, he Nigh
have passed very well for one of tn,
cloth II his nose hadn't been Just a trif,
luminous. The other popularity no
ticed about the man was that he had ,
queer sort of red-looking eve. II an
peared fixed and staring, and as he came
nearer ] concluded that il was glass. /
was so strange and unnatural in its ex
preston that thought / should know
IL If should see il peering at me owe
The wall of China.
Us there a small package here fol
Isaac G.. Van Scooter" he asked in a bust
W
glance of the agent.
The agent referred TO one of the bis
registers on the desk, and answered il
the negative.
Queer" said the man with the rec
eye, 1T ought TO have come yesterday
Have you read the Evening Chronicle y
And after this abrupt Interrogation tn,
stranger stood quite motionless, cycling
the agent intently for as much as a min
ute.
We both answered No"
The man took paper out of his pocket
and spreading il open before us, put one
oil MS slender forefngers upon the fol
lowing paragraph:
Fatal ACCIDENT-This afternoon n,
two men, named respectfully Henry Var
Scooter and c. III. Griggs, were at work
chopping timber in the pineries neal
Scranton, tree fell upon them, killins
Van Scooter instantly, and infiicting in
iuries upon the person of Griggs from
which he died in less than an hour
They are residents of G., and il is un
derstood their remains will be taken t.
that place for burial"
Henry Van Scooter was nv only broth
eF-my twin brother-who resembles m,
very much, and Charley Griggs was my
sisters husband. It's a sad biowt a sa1
blowl don't know how my sister vii
bear it. It's about this sad affair that
came here, chiefly. l want to send tn,
two bodies through to c. by expires,
Thursday, by the II 40 train. What viii
b. the charges ~
The charge viii be twenty-five dol
lars" answered the agent.
The stranger bowed soiemniy In rec
ogniti0p Of the replyS Then he Ngas Il
tent for o minute or two, during which
lime be appeared 20 be struggling viii
his grief.
The bodies will be here on Tbursda,
morning" he said. II hope you will max
al arrangements to prevent any delay