Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-03-30

SluHe1S IL UuSy WlQ your TRUNKS. D0y'i
done give us up, suah."
After little, he chuckled:
"Deys done missed gettin' missus's
silver. Here it am, all safe under dir
chile's feet.''
In half an hour, though it seemed an
endless time to us, we were at the half.
way house, and received every possible
kindness and attention, but we did not
resume our journey till the next day, and
then with well armed man on the seat
with Pompey. Meanwhile, the alarm
had spread, and dozen men were in
pursuit of the robbers. Our broken and
riaed trunks were found by the road
side where they fell. Madame Fairfeld'e
costly jewelry and velvets were gone,
Miss Cecilia's laces and Jewels also,
while my poor possessions were sighted,
excepting beautiful cashmere shawl,
which was my mothers, but which she
had lovingly insisted on adding to my
wardrobe. I had also, like any school
girl, put my purse with it's precious con-
tents into my trunk, and that of course
was taken.
There is just little sequel to my
story. About two months after my ar
rival at Cressonburg, one day an officer
appeared at Madame Fairfeld's and re-
quested us to go over to the court house
and help identify man who had been
arrested, and who was supposed to be
the highwayman who had attacked us.
Cecilia and turned pale at the thought,
for he had haunted our dreams ever
since; but Madame Fairfield thought
best for us all to go, and so we drove
over and went timidly over the long
flight of steps and into the great bare
court room. There was to be an inform
al examination of the prisoner, and as
we entered, we saw group of men
gathered about a wretched. hageard
looking man, heavily handcuffed, and
sitting in corner of the room, with an
officer in close attendance.
We drew nearer and looked at the man
in sort of terrified fascination. Yes, it
was the same QUE who bad stood 80 near
me on that memorable evening. There
was no mistaking him, but assurance
was made doubly sure when I looked
down at his manacled hands and saw.
with cold chill of horror, that sickening
long red scar. He was too stoid and
hardened to show the slightest recogni.
ton Of us; but months afterward, when
he was serving out his sentence in the
states prison, he confessed that he had
been proving around Frederick, and had
been in the silversmith's when Madame
Fairfield made her purchases. He had
then followed her home, and ascertained
in various ways who she was and when
she would start on her homeward jour-
ney. He and his accomplice had hoped
to take off the trunks unobserved from
the back Of our coach, and so become
possessors of the silver. The plan was
evidently for him to engage lis in such
interesting conversation that we would
take no notice of affairs behind us. It
was only when this device failed that he
resorted to his pistol and came SO near
adding my innocent blood to the other
crime of that red-scarred hand.
Penelope's story was received with
great appreciation, and now she turned
gracefully toward the Quaker lady, and
unconsciously adopting the plain lon
gusgEs 6iw said flieno wise, tell us thu robbie,
story"
Then the gentle old lady cast down her
eyes little deprecatingly, and said:
"Why, Penelope, if thee means the
little incident which I once mentioned to
thee as having befallen me on this road
over which we are now going, 1t seems
hardly worth repeating."
But, being strongly urged, she began
FRIEND JAMES w1sE's STORY.
I" 1t befel me on this road over which
we are journeying with so much security,
and it hardly seems possible that such q
thing could have happened here and
only SIX years ago. Yes, right about
this very spot it occurred, and it was
six years ago the first day of next
month. -Four or five passengers, of
whom I was one, were in the regular
coach running over the mountain to
Santa Cruz. One of the passengers was
young man, who seemed even more
than tn: average youth of the present
day inclined to join in the conversation.
and was not pleased with his manner
OF speech. It seemed to me both bold
and frivolous, as If he had been indulg-
ing too freely in intoxicating LIQUOR:
50 l maintained a serious and marked
silence toward him. There was but
one woman beside myself in the ON
pany, and she was the wife of the driv-
er and sat beside him. The stage car
RED the mail and also express matter.
just as we reached clump of trees,
suddenly roughly dressed man sprang
from behind one and, Selling the horses
by the bits, pointed a pistol at the
driver and ordered him to throw out
the express-box. At the same time he
stepped to the side # the stage and
told the passengers to take out their
money. All were so taken by surprise
that there was no time for q man to
draw weapon, and there was no re-
sistance made. The driver assured the
man that he had no express matter,
but tossed down the mail bag. Among
the passengers the first to take out his
money was the laxative youth.
He made quite a show Of get
ting out two dollars, which he
said was all he had, at the same time
urging the rest to shell out" as he said,
there being no kind of use in refusing.
The pistol was cooked and pointed right
into the stage, and the robber ordered
us to be quick. If there was any hest
tation the murderous looking weapon
came nearer, and SO the men, even the
driver, took out their wallets, and the
poor frightened woman meek y pulled
out her little purse. The wretched man
took it all, and then, with an oath, kicked
the mailbag up to his hand, shook it,
and tossed it into the stage, saying there
was nothing in that which he wanted
he was after money. Now, it so CHANGED
that had quite large sum of money
In my purse which was conveying for
another person, but I gave it very little
thought, neither was greatly moved by
fear. One feeling alone was borne in
upon my mind-that of great pity for
the poor wretch who took so base way
to obtain that which he might so easily
have earned by honest labor. I also felt
a moving of the spirit to bear testimony
against his great wickedness. But while
| was in this frame of mind thought I
detected glance of understanding be-
tween the young man in the stage and
the robber without. as if telling him that
he bad overlooked me. Still I main