St. Landry democrat., 1879-04-26
MODJESKA OUTDONE.
The Terrible ID aBgers That Nennced
Bob BurGette,

Bob Burdette,
Wabash und.) Cor. Burlington Hawkeye.
I have suffered such terrible fright |
since leaving Carlisle this morning. One
of the numerous trains on which l travel
every day was late, of course, and the
consequence was that had to wait over
in Peru several hours. This is the city
where all the Peruvian bark used in the
United States is manufactured. L saw
a Peruvian dog manufacturing some
He had a boy up on the fence, and wa
giving him Peruvian bark enough every
minute to scare all the agues out of
America for the next ten years. But |
digress.
went to a hotel in Peru, and took
room with fire, a lame window-curta'n,
an invalid water-pitcher and some other
portable articles of furniture in it, and
left my baggage carelessly piled up in
great stacks around the room. Judge OF
my dismay, when after leaving the room
for few moments, returned to discover
that desperate attempt had been made
by party OF men, who had evidently
been following me for several days, to
steal my diamond necklace. You rem2m
Der the necklace very well ,~of course it
is the same one I lectured in last season,
and was present from Khalil Bey, to
whom it had descended among the family
Jewels. 1t was originally obtained by
his grandfather, who was a Buddhist
priest and stole the necklace from the
image of Rhundal-up' Ghud, in the bill
district, Jabbal-al>Jal. The stones were
unusually large and brilliant, and some
of them Weighed nearly four ounces
when killed and dressed. 1t was valued
at $34, 900. The robbers, four in number,
who had probably seen me wearing it,
and had followed me for several days,were
masked, and effected an entrance into
my room by CHM bling telegraph pole
about two miles down the Wabash track.
Thence they cooned " along tie wire
until they got into town, when they got
onto the roof of the station and descended
to the ground, went around behind the
hotel, found lad Ter probably left there
by some accomplices, got on to the roof
of the hotel, entered the chimney and
worked their way down it into the cellar.
It was then easy work to come up the
cellar stairs, 60 into the wash.room and
wash their hands and remove their masks,
and then they came out into the Office
and asked the Sark the number OF my
room. The'A the deed was all but accom-
plished, when, by piece of wonderful
ortune, returned to my room, having
been out in the back yard stealing enough
wood to make the FIRE last iftee
minutes, just in time to prevent the
spoliation Of my jewel-case. The rob.
bers escaped, leaving the hotel and the
city in the same manner as they had
entered it. I think, indeed, I have been
rather indiscreet, seeing that | travelled
alone, in wearing so much valuable
jewelry. I inclose necklace herewith.
Hang it up on nail in the Hawkeye
office until I return home, and don't let
Newt wear it every time he goes to
party
A very thrilling accident happened to
the train in which went to New Car.
Isle yesterday. We were crossing a long
bridge at a very high rate OF speed, the
captains chronometer indicating gait
of 9Th on the first quarter, when sud-
denly the engineer staggered into the
special drawing>room car i'll which al
ways travel'-big coal.stove in the mid
die, tool-chest at the end, and long seats
at the sides, 50 you can lie down and
pound your esr when you are aweary-
the engineer came in with face OF ashy
paleness and said to the conductor: "We
are lost !"
"What has happened ?" eagerly asked
the conductor.
I leaned forward and caught the
engineers agonized whisper: "She's
blowed all the packin' clean out of the
ash panV
Few, few of the other passengers reals
lied the Imminent peril through which
we were passing; bnt I sat and listened
to the labored sound of the men at the
pumps, and silently prayed that night or
Butcher would come. Night came along
after while, and we were saved but
Butcher did not put in an appearance,
and I afterwards learned that he was de-
tanned by deafness.
I am enjoying one of the pleassntest
lecture tours I ever made: and Provi>
dence is evidently on my side. / have
nearly lost my diamonds, like Modjeska;
had a railroad accident, like Eoze; got
myself scratched with a cat, ike Cary
sprained my back kicking over piano
stool, ike Nilsson had q row about my
dressing-room, ike Minnie Hauk (iani- |
tor wouldn't let me hang my overcoat