The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-02-21

stuck to her text, and pointedly refused
to draw the bolt The iron door looked
like strong one, and capable of offering
great resistance, but l determined TO
break it open at all hazards. / then
called upon my five assistants, who, with
their united siren 9Th and weight, forced
the door open and we marched in tri-
umphantly, but not prepared for the re-
ception our she tormentor had IN store
for US. She had ready in hand bucket
full of boiling water, which she attempt
ed to dash upon the crowd with all her
might and main. Fortunately for US,
women are not adopts at singing things
straight or with sufficient force to- be
dangerous, as she succeeded only in
scalding the polish off from the boots of
some of our party. She then turned ex-
citedly to refill her bucket, but Billy
x was too quick for her Selling
her around the waist, he drew her away
from the hot-water tank and planted
himself between her and the dangerous
element. Her next move was to seize a
long-handled stew-pan. Her Scotch
was up in good earnest, and she swept
down on Billy with the speed of a Kan
sas tornado, striking him with such force
as to nearly shatter his left arm. The
melee then became general. 1t required
the united strength of three men to sue
cessfully master the Infatuated woman,
and not then until she had broken a
watch chain, torn open a vest or two,
and put herself in predicament hardly
presentable for promenade.
Having overcome the gate and squelch-
ed the amiable woman, our next move
was to go up stairs and try hand at the
safe, where l had surmised the stolen
money might be secreted. An hours
work was sufficient to show us the in
side of the safe, but nary dollar of green
backs was there in it. This was dead
ener on our prospects.
left the premises with my men, but
continued to keep piper" on the house
from the outside. This system of sur
vigilance was kept up for nearly two
weeks, when one day was honored by
visit from exjudge Stewart, noted
criminal lawyer of the time The Judge
signified his desire to have private in
terview with me. Once alone together
the judge commenced by saying, "The
fact is, Col, you and your men are frett-
ing and worrying one of my best clients.
l refer to the man at whose house you
were the other day, and whose safe you
cut to pieces. As far as you are concern
ed and for all that you can do towards
cOnvicting him of the robbery of that
$50, 1000, he doesn't care a straw He is
no more a sneak theft than l am, but be-
tween us he is one of the heaviest
''cracksmen" of the United States, gun
of the heaviest calibre. He would scorn
to sneak a paltry 100000. His are
jobs like the Ocean bank and so forth
He CHANGED to get hold of a portion of
that 100000 in the way of exchange
with broker down town and really knew
nothing of the robbery at the time
You couldn't hold Merriam for having
the stuff in his possession nor can you
hurt hair of my clients head could
you catch him. But the truth is lust
here, he's heavy man and don't want
to be shown up in triffiing affair of
this kind. want you to see him under
a flag of truce and he'll tell you all he
knows about the missing $50 900, which
is mighty little 1 can assure you. He
will then surrender into your hands
every dollar he ever received of it if
you will in turn agree to let HIM alone
and bother him no further. He wants
to be at peace with you"
The old judge then pledged me his
word that his client, the man l was in
quest of, was one of the biggest bank
busters in America. But he is, said the
judge, as square as a brick and his
word is as good and as much to be de-
pended on as the word of A. T. Stewart
or John Jacob Aston. being perfectly
well aware that the man was in pur-
suit of was not a sneak-thief, his being
an entirely different racket among the
professionals" and that had really no
case against HIM, nor had the smallest
chance of recovering the money excepI
I could brighten somebody out of it,
therefore accepted the terms offered by
Judge Stewart and made a promise ON
my part to meet his man, and that no
advantage would be taken of the inter
view.
1t was about nine O'Clock at night
few days after the interview had with
Judge Stewart, and while / was sitting
in my office, that a stranger entered and
placed card IN my hand upon which
was written as follows: waiting with
carriage at the corner of Broadway and
Bond streets. Enter and ask no question"
Signed with the signal agreed upon. l
entered the carriage in waiting which
was Immediately driven off at rapid
pace To what point was going had
not the slightest knowledge. l had per-
feet confidence, however, in my arrange
ment with Judge Stewart, and had not
the remotest fear of harm. The drive
was long one, the length of Broadway,
thence into Central Park to the upper
end of it, and finally into Harlem Lane
over ten miles from the starting point.
At length the carriage was stopped.
opened the window and looked out and
discovered that we were standing beside
buggy in which two men were sitting.
One of them spoke and asked me if ev-
erything was all right said, yes, sir, as
per contract with Judge s., and on
my part there is no deviation" One of
the men got out of the buggy and stepped
into the carriage with me after telling
the driver to drive back to the Stetson
house. could not see my companion
distinctly but he talked and acted like
jovial sort of fellow. He slapped me
on the knee and began to joke me about
the skirmish my party had with his
Scotch girl, and the cutting open of his
safe and finding it full of emptiness;
said he supposed felt disappointed.
He laughed right heartily and treated
the whole matter as though it were a
huge joke on me.
We finally drew up at the Stetson
house, and my new acquaintance procur-
ed private room where chat could be
had without molestation. A square view
of the man came to interview was then