St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-12

saG&Fyt%.$. GuWdiu 70 p
<SX2#Lf| land is the gem
AZIyt;ws, eral Northwest
E1aYrrz Eesa ~. L-.=<e. ern agent of the
ssJTJS~l.t I.yHr,,l Chicago, Bur-
nv nv ~ EtsIEHAfSl ington &Quincy
HINN| lsEgssSssSNAAStQN road with head
sEy4AS4Ali Il AZ. 4AEttlSix% quarters in this
a1S ~ x ES,sSgf NIEF@t@ city. Ed is
ETE5SVESeSSS sseSsgsssAINA very smooth in
%Ssss 1NaSr@N dividual and
%gSsE>SEH<D carries smile
SsSx>A around with him
that is as soil and seductive as the smile of
a barber. He don't make any loud talk, but
he knocks quite hole in the atmosphere
as he walks around with an eye to business
and the welfare of the interests of the
Burlington q Northern road. He is one
of the handsomest men in Northwestern
railroad circles, and never fails to cut
swathe through the female population of
any town that he chances to visit.
The only fault that can be found with
Ed is that he wears his hands in
his pockets and when a man asks him a
question it takes him about ten minutes to
settle on an answer to give him. His busi-
ness takes him all over the Northwest and
last fall he found himself one night in
Neche, Dakota He came into town on
horseback, having ridden long distance
that day over the prairie, and seeing that
his horse was well cared for, he went into
the hotel and after eating supper sat down
by the stove to enjoy his pipe. For several
weeks. residents in and around Neche had
suffered severely at the hands of horse
thieves and many of them had not yet got
over their thirst for revenge for the loss of
valuable horses. Of all this Ed was SUI
premely and blissfully ignorant and he did
not office the roughly dressed citizens sit
ting in tWos around the room with their
heads together, casting, now and then
furtive chances at him, and he sat with his
feet piled up on the stove, leaning back in
his chair. gazing in dreamy way through
the cloud of blue that rolled from his lips
ceilingward.
From the faces of the other guests in con-
versatiOn it was apparent that they were
fast working themselves up to high pitch
of excitement, and occasionally one of them
would get up and 90 out, returning in few
moments and continuing the conversation
with added earnestness. The old round
faced clock that hung on the wall over the
head of the nodding clerk at last indicated
the hour of 10, and knocking the ashes from
his pipe Ed arose, and yawning laZily,
asked the clerk to show him to bed. A few
moments later he was Snugly enScOned in
bed and had forgotten the world in deep
and dreamless sleep.
About midnight he was awakened by the
sound of voices in the hallway near his
chamber door, and listening he heard some
one say:
ssOf course he's the man. Amt that horse
he drove inter town dead ringer fur Their one
stole from old Gunther's farm. Yer bet he's
one of Their gang, an we purpose ter swing
him right now. Their rest of Their boys er out
back eff Their house riggin' er rope up on er
tree an we'll make short work ov him."
'tWhat rooms he in?' asked another voice.
mo. 20, this one right here
When Ed heard the number of his room
mentioned his hair Tipped up and he
jumped out of bed with his heart coming
up against the base of his tongue The
situation flashed upon him in
an instant. He had been taken
for horse-thief, and the horse in tine
stable, that he had bought so cheaply of
man he had met few days before back in
the country, was the proof on which he
was going to be strung up to tree. He
got inside his coat and vest as rapidly as
possible and, bent on making his escape, he
went over to the window with the intention
of throwing it up and dropping to the
ground, but when he reached the window
the sight that met his gaze caused him to
stagger and nearly faint. Under tall
elm tree was a crowd of men with lanterns,
and in the dim light shed by them Ed could
catch an occasional glimpse of a rope dang
ling from limb. One end of the rope was
looped, and just as he looked out heavy
stone was being jerked up and down to test
the strength of the cord. 1t is any
thing but pleasant for man to be forced to
stand around and watch the preparations
for his funeral without the privilege of die
tating even the smallest and most unim-
portant detail To add to the cheerfulness
of his situation, Ed heard the tramp of
heavy feet in the room below and minute
later the crowd began to climb the stairs
and gather in the hall, where they sent up
boots and yells and anathemaS against all
horse, thieves regardless Of age or nation
atty. Something had to be done, and that
quickly. In his desperation Ed resolved to
stand his ground and sell his life dearly,
but on examination he found that the only
thing he had to make defense with was
six-bladed pearl-handled knife. He knew
that this was of no use in such an emer-
gency and, glancing around the room for
some means of escape, his eyes fell
on the yawning fireplace. Slipping over to
the window he softly raised it, and fastened
it open to give the angry mob the impress
sion that he had jumped to the ground
and made his escape in the dark. Then he
crossed the room to the fireplace, and, but
toning his coat tight about him, tying a
handkerchief around his neck and pulling
his hat low down over his eyes, he crawled
into the fireplace, in which the fire had
long ago died out, and grasping the iron
roo that ran across the chimney over his
head, he drew himself up between the brick
walls ard gained foothold. Hardly had
his boots disappeared above the opening,
when, with savage whoop, the mob threw
itself against the door, which gave way like
a barrier of rushes, and poured into
the room, snarling and bowling like
pack of hungry wolves. When
they found the bed empty and the
window open, they swore like horde
of demons, and those who had been under
the tree arranging the rope were asked
if they had seen any one jump from the
window, OF course they had not, and
they were in turn cursed for their stupidity.
After tearing up the bed clothes and wreck
ing the furniture the gang adjourned to the
bar-rOOm, where they succeeded III gettlug
bowling drunk. From the songs ana evil
dences of hilarity that came from the room
below. Ed knew that his late enemies had
become harmless, and, dropping down from
the chimney, he tied the sheets together.
and fastening them to leg of the bed
stead, lowered himself to the ground. The
night was dark, and the air full of cold
mist, but Ed knew the country. and strik-
| ing the Pembina river, he established re-
| morl ahIo roto of Snap6 and kent il nm until
! he reached Pembina, when he climbed on
the first train going east. and in due time
arrived safely in ST. Paul. He is emphatic
| in his assertions that so long as horse re-
mains in Dakota, he remains in the United