Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-09-06

morbid curiosity, and / can't describe i
in any way better than to say it was sor
of vague desire which I could not quie
without satisfying.
I noticed that the lids were not fasten
ed down. My next discovery was that th
screws were gone. This struck me a
strange, for l was sure l had noticed ther
when the collins were Ii Jed into tie cal
[ remembered that had given the atten
dants permission to arrange the Baskets t
their own satisfaction, and that they ha
been a long time doing it. If they hal
removed the screws unobserved at tina
time, what possible object could they hav
had in doing so?
With this question in my mind I raiset
the upper portion Of the lid of the coffi1
nearest me and toOk look at the face O
the occupant. He was a young man witt
a full face and square features. His cheek
were not sunken, and he had a decided,
| fresh appearance for young man who hae
been dead nearly two days thought.
Replacing the lid, I passed away to The
other coffin. Here new and startling sur
\ prise met me. The man in the coffin wa.
the man whom had seen in the expires!
Office That red eye was staring straight
at me, and I was not mistaken! For {
moment my CONSERVATION was too great
for words. 1 could not have uttered 9
sound had my life depended on it.
This man who was alive after the acci
dent, which the paper said caused the
death of Van Scooter and Griggs, and who
! had made arrangements for the transpor.
tation of their rema rs, was now here IN
this coffin, to all apl earance dead Then
remembered that the bereaved stranger
had said that his brother resembled him
very closely. But two brothers are not
apt to have red glass eyes! Such a coin
cidence as this was yond the pale reason
able probability.
While yet gazed at the supposed corpse,
the other eye opened a little and I was
sure that it was looking at me! I was
convinced there was fraud here, but to
show that bad discovered it might cost
me my life. So very quietly replaced the
lid Of the coffin and took moments time
to think the matter over.
remembered my conversation with the
express agent, which we feared had been
overheard by the clerical appearing stran-
ger, and could only come to the conclusion
that the whole thing wa, a deliberate plan
to murder me and gain possession of the
900 in my charge. There was no de-
nying that the man with the red eye was
alive, and had no doubt that the other
man was also. Kneeling down I placed
my ear close to the side of the coffin and
could him breath quite distinctly. N
1 remembered that it was the intention
Of the attendant who had boarded the
train to enter the car at Redwood, ostensi-
bly, for the purpose of SC cling to the bodies;
and could not doubt that the three men
intended to attack me after the train pull
ed out from the station, and rob the car
before our arrival at the next stopping
place. There was but one station between
us and Redwood, and knew we would be
there in len minutes more.
I had no time for hesitation. Instant
action was my only chance for safety. If
could secure myself against an attack
until we reached the next station, felt
that all would be we'll, In one instant I
had determined upon plan of action. AS
quietly as possible I piled several heavy
boxes of merchandise on top Of the two
collins, and then I knew ! was safe.
Scarcely was this accomplished when we
ran into the station. Immediately found
two or three officers. First the man in
the coach was secured. He was highly in
dignant that he should be disturbed on
such solemn mission. But 1t was no 60.
He was handcuffed in less than two min
utes and marched out on the platform.
1t was an easy matter to secure the two
quondam dead men. They were taken
greatly at disadvantage, and were de-
prived of all power to resist almost befure
they became aware how their nice little
scheme had terminated. All three had
been well armed. ,sa4 ,4 ., .
Bound and guarded the three miscreants
were taken to Redwood and lodged in the
county jail. s.sl.sts.
Before I left 1 look a look at them
through the grated doors of their cells.
When paid my respects to the man with
the red eye, he smiled little and remark
ed patronizingly:
you're a pretty smart young man. It
t; kes middling kee,. boy to outwit us.'
Permit me to sympathize with you in
your sorrow at the loss of your dear broth
er, just a ittle,'' said, ''and more at your
failure to get the $S0,0OO.' Limb 4
They all broke Jail in less than week,
but not before one of them, the youngest
corpse, was recognized as the notorious
Jesse James. ...- .aG
There is no doubt that it was the James
boys or some OF their crew who killed poor,
honest brave Paxton.
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