Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-07-02
A MYSTERIOUS VALISE.
The Story Told by an Ex-Life.
GuardSman.

''Sentry, will you kindly keep your
eye on my bag for few minutes?
am going to have plunge in the Ser.
pentine,' said well-dressed, middle
aged gentleman to me, one warm sum.
mer morning few years ago, as l was
on duty at the park gate of Knights
bridge Cavalry Barracks.
''All right, sir,'' 1 replied. eff l am
relieved before your return, shall hand
it over to the next sentry
''Oh, shan't be more than half an
hour at the latest, as l must be in the
city by nine. l prefer leaving my va
lise with you; there are so many vaga,
bonds always swarming about Hyde
Park, that it is quite possible that one
of them might take a fancy to it while
/ am bathing. 1t doesn't contain very
valuable prOperty-only a suit of clothes
and few documents of no use to any
one but the owner, as the saving is.
All the same, however, have no desire
to lose it," So saying, the gentleman
turned away, and walked briskly across
the park in the direction of the Serpen-
tine.
The request to look after his property
did not in the least surprise
me, as numerous robberies from the
clothing of persons bathing had for
some time before been reported to the
police. lifted the bag-upon which
the letters w. N. were painted. and
which was in the battered condition in
dicative of having been much tumbled
about-and placed it behind the low
wall that lay between the barracks and
the footpatf.
The barracks clock struck eight.
Fully half an hour had elapsed since the
owner of the bag departed. and as yet
there was no sign of him; the quarter
past" was chimed from the neighbor-
ing clocks, and still he did not turn up;
and, as the inmates passed, | thought
to myself that it was time he was look
ing sharp if he really wished to be in
the city by nine.
About half-past eight l perceived
great commotion in the park. Men
were rushing from all quarters in the
direction of the Serpentine; and soon
afterwards ascertained from passer-
by that the excitement was caused by
one of the numerous bathers having
been drowned. An uneasy suspicion
was at once excited within me that the
person who had come to such a sad end
was the gentleman who had left his
valise in my charge, which suspicion
was intensified when / was relieved at
nine, with the article still unclaimed. |
reflected, however, that its owner NAV
have been chained to the scene of the
disaster by that morbid curiosity which
induces people to linger about the spot
where any calamity of the kind has re-
Gently occurred, and then, finding that
he was pressed for time, and knowing
that his property would be perfectly
safe, had gone direct to the city.
l handed over the bag to the sentry
who relieved me without mention
ing to linn anything of the circum-
stances of the case; and when he
returned from duty at eleven, eagerly
asked him if the valise had been called
for
No." he replied; lit is still living
behind the wall /"
l went on sentry again at one clock
and no one had come for it. 1t was the
height of the London season and HYDE
Park presented its customary gay APP
pearance; but the imposing array of
splendidly-appointed equipages, dash
ing equestrians and fashionably-dressed
ladies and gentlemen. which at other
times was to me a most interesting
spectacle. that afternoon passed by un-
Needed, as all my thoughts were GEN.
tered on speculatioas regarding the tate