The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-09-08
Gear Lake, Iowa. Aus. Il. 1850.
THE MYsrnru1D MESSENGER

There were comparatively few
persons who knew that George
! Gleason. the fayorite express mes
senger of the p. c. IL St..L. Road,
/ was a somnambulist. His strange
freaks performed during Il somnam-
buhstic trance were known to q
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
without an incident no train rob
bers attacked it, and he became the
favorite messenger OF the read.
Strange to say that during the time,
while he dozed often in his ear, he
did not once fall into the somnam-
bulistic state. and he was congratu-
lating himself that the singular
frances had left him altogether,
when occurred the incident | am
about to relate.
His downward run was on the
night express. extended from Co
shocton to Springfield, a distance of
one hundred and eighty mile.
There Were few stations of import
ance on the route, and the train
made but three 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 their patrons interests,
and gentlemen of integrity.
When robberies became common
on their road, the messengers of the
=. c. IL St. l.. were sure TO receive
orders commanding extra precau-
ton. and it was to the obedience of
these orders that much of the popu-
larity of the road was attributed.
Hello !" exclaimed the Messen-
GER Gleason, one evening while look
ING over the columns Of the Cleve-
land Herald. The express car Of
c. c. d J. c. robbed of S30,00Ol
That's a good haul. Why don't the
car thieves try my car? Here I've
been on the road for two years, and
never for moment has the safety
of . dollar in my safes been jeopar-
died"
he considered himself one of the
luckiest messengers in the country,
and with the paper in his hand,
stepped into the express car which a
moment later moved out Of Coshoc-
ton.
Ii was a beautiful Autumn even
ing. and the messenger sat at the
open side door enjoying a cigar un-
til the sun went down, and dark
ness fell over the earth. Then he
shut that door, lighted the lamp.
and saw that everything was safe.
He knew the value of the con-
tents of the Company's safes, and he
thought what a haul thieves would
make if they would successfully
burglarize his car on the present
trip.
But ne felt secure, for he dropped
into his own chair and fell asleep.
The train had a run Of forty-nine
miles before the messenger would
again be called 10 service, and he
thought of this perhaps when he
settled into the cnair resolved upon
Il doze.
By-and-bv ne arose. and his eve
lids parted.
He walked directly to the safes
which stood side by side, and open
ing the combination locks threw
wide the burglar proof doors. Then
he took forth valuable package after
package. until he had emptied the
strongholds of their treasurers. 1t
is safe to say that Messenger Giea-
son deprived the safes of money and
other valuables to the aggregate Of
seventy thousand dollars.
After doing this he closed the
doors. and with the packages, walk
ed out to the tender
Ii was filed with coal, black and
grim, and the heavy smoke, Of the
engine. the toy of the smart breeze
blowing. beating against his face.
But he did not seem 10 heed it, ior
he climbed upon the tender with
one hand, and deliberately secreted
the packages among the coal in one
corner.
Having accomplished his singular
task he returned to the express car,
washed his hands, which had been
begrimed blythe humps OF coal, and
retired to his chair, where his eyes
closed and he breathed ike a sleep
mig man.
George Gleason had robbed the