Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-10-08
The Sturw Trller.
THE COFFIN SHAPED BOX.
From the Detroit Free Press.
BY F. E. CHASE.

From the Detroit Free PreSS.
PART II.
At Burlington looked eagerly about fol-
my sample-box, but it was not in sight. ]
was disappointed at this, but as Shrowl
could not have had time to take it away, ]
did not feel hopeless. Leaving my box
temporarily in the station, I started out in
quest of John Shrowl. To my surprise
found that no undertaken bearing that name
did business in Burlington, and that no one
in that line knew of any such person. Af'
ter spending two precious hours in vain
search for this man, I returned respondent
ly to the station. The very demon of i'll
luck seemed to pursue me. disliked very
much to question the people in the station
but there seemed to be no other way; be-
cause my own charge might make my quest
of Shrowl more like matter of business.
My questions elected the following infor.
nation. Shrowl was an undertaken doing
business in Council Bluffs. He had come
on to Burlington to meet the body, which
had arrived on the train before mine, and
while waiting had stopped at the-Hotel
learned further that my sample box had
at all. No. was "through to Omaha" and
Shrowl, who would seem to have been no.
titled of it's arrival on this train, had put
in an appearance, bag and baggage at the
proper time, had ordered the body forward
ed to Council Bluffs and had gone on with
it. I learned at the telegraph Office that
Shrowl had received message from De-
troit the Gay before instructing him that
the body had been shipped. This then
was the meaning of the "Please notify"
It was addressed to this chain of undertak-
ers through whose hands the box was pass
ing. Here was nice muss. Shrowl was
already in Council Bluffs with my samples,
He must have arrived by 7.3O O'Clock sure.
ly. 1 had allowed the only train that could
have got me there in time, to 60 on without
me, while followed a will O. the wisp in
Burlington. The 1910 a. m. train out o1
Chicago was the earliest through express
and this would not get me into Conncil
Bluffs before $40 a. m, of the next day
By this time the arrangements for the funer-
al would have been made, and, in all prob:
ability, the exchange discovered. l did
not mind Shrowl's discovering it-he would
have to be let into the secret in any
case-but in my absence he would at once
notify. the friends, and I should be-where
I did not dare telegraph to the man fol
fear the message might fall into other hands
and, as l was total stranger to him, il
would have to be, unfortunately, very ex'
plicit. I thought over my list of acquain.
tances in Council Bluffs, but could recall
no one in whom l dared cOntide. l had nc
business connection there and but few
friends. No, there was nothing to be done
but to wait for the 10:40 train from Chica.
60, arriving in Burlington at 7:30 am.
1t was now past noon. l gave directions
to the people at the depot to have my box
forwarded by the midni ght train, and went
back to the hotel. had seven hours and
half to kill time enough for ShroWl tC
over, or to have set irrevocably in motion
the entire police and detective system o
Western Iowa. I went into dinner and
partook sparingly of beefsteak Ia Shrowl
and cold shudders la detective force. Gra'
Wy suggested ShrOWl again, and pickles the
one l was likely to find myself in. l could
not eat, SO | arose from the table and saun'
tered out into the street. The flaming pos
ters Of a theatrical company advertised tc
play at the matinee that afternoon, caught
my eye, and / went and purchased a ticket
and presently found myself in the theater
The curtain rose upon one of those lurid
compositions in which all the characters are
criminals, more or less deeply dyed, save
one who is detective. The first act intro.
duced grave robbery. l looked at my
play-bill. The principal male character was
an undertaken. rose and went out.
don't remember how got through the
rest of the afternoon, but promptly at 7:3(
o'clock I appeared at the depot. I then
learned that my train was an hour behind
time. Pm afraid / swore. Pm afraid
went out into the calm, peaceful evening
and smote the star-sprinkled vault of Heav.
en- with great waves of profanity; and il
/ did, don't think anyone will blame me
particle. 1t was S.45 before the rumble OF
the approaching train was heard but when
it rolled out of Burlington it bore two
more passengers for Council Blutfs-one
dead, the other one only half dead with
nervousness and apprehension.
1t was 10 in the forenoon of the next day
when l slipped from the train at the Bluffs
I saw my box safely bestowed, looking
closely for some evidence of suspicion on
the part of the depot hands, but none was
apparent. A few inquiries showed me
that the information l had received con.
cerning Shrowl was correct. He was well
known here, and had arrived only yester.
day from the east with body. Whose
BODY nv informant did not know Il did
alas y nor what disposition had been made
of it. He gave me ShrowPs address, how
ever, and started at once in quest of him
AS stepped out of the depot l heard q
newsboy calling his papers: Something IN
his cry arrested my attention. l listened
more closely, and my heart almost stopped
beating. He was selling his papers on 8
sensational item about a body-snatchine
case! I managed to buy a copy without
absolutely fainting away, and having put
safe distance between myself and possible
observers, 1 openedit. There was the item
For the first time l saw the point of the
newspaper phrase "scare head" Half q
column of the largest and fullest face O
type vaguely outlined case that might
we'll be mine, and wound up with the cheer
ing information that "the police are on the
track of the miscreant." / had scarcely
strength to read the five lines of news item
that followed. l managed to do so, how
ever, and felt better. The item had some