Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-06-25
A MYSTERIOUS FRIEND.
The Little Old worsan Who
Warned Farmer Robinson.
How the Plans of Three Criminals Were
Frustrated by tho Intervention of a
Strange Apparltion-The Story Told
BY Reliable Man.
IN. Y. sun. 7


In 1879 thore lived in Central Iowa a
family by the name of Robinson, consist
ing of father, mother and two children
the latter being boys, nine and twelve
years old respectively. Robinson was a
well-to-do farmer, well thought of by the
neighbors, and a Christian man. There
was, there fore, no one who questioned the
truth of the incident he related. He had
a brother in Des Moines who was taken
very i'll, and sent for him, and he left
home, expecting to be gone at least
week. He had hired man, but the BOYS
were old enough to care for the stock, and
the wife was not n woman TO borrow
trouble.
Robinson was in perfect health when lie
left home, and there was no reason to feel
anxious for those he left behind. He
reached Des Moines of a Saturday night
His brother was very low, hut it was Le-
lieved that the crisis had passed and that
he was mcnding. On Sunday night, al
midnight, the watcher who had been at the
tedside during the first part of the night
called Robinson ana retired. The patient
was resting easily, and the watcher had
only to give him medicine once every
hour. He gave it at one O'Clock, and If
teen minutes later, while lie was seeming
ly rs wide awake as ever in his life, a
little, old woman suddenly entered the
room. The sick man was in the parlor
bedroom, and the woman came from the
sitting room, the door of which stood
open. Robins on bowed to her, and while
somewhat surprised ut her presence, he
supposed it was ell right, taking her for
neighbor who had come in. She looked
to be fifty five years old, was very small
for woman, and years afterward he
could describe her dress and features.
She stopped in the center of the room, and
Robinson tip-toed over TO lrer and said /:
"The doctor thinks he is much better" !"
"You must go home," she bruSquely re-
marked i'll answer.
"Who-me."
"Yes."
"But ca,pa to take care of James"
"You must be home by ten O'Clock to-
morrow night:" said the old woman.
"Why?"
She beckoned him further away from the
bed and then whispered:
Tomorrow night, before midnight,
three bad men will enter your house to rob
and murder. You must go home!"
How did you learn this?" he asked,
knowing well enough that she would not
joke him at such a time, but unable to
credit her with all seriousness.
''They poisoned your dog tonight" she
answered, and they are now sleeping in
the barn. There are two of them now, to-
MORO night there will be three. II YOU
love your wife and children do not tarry
here"
"But-but-"
"Go--go" she commanded, lacking cut
of the room.
"Charle', Who is that woman!" asked
the sick man, and Robinson turned to the
bed to iinl his brother wide awake.
81 do not know"
II W her in the room just before YOU
came in. She came and leaned over me.
She must be strapSer.'
Robinson passed into. tho sitting room,
and from thence to the kitchen, but the
woman had disappeared. he called his
brothers wife, but she had TO such person
on her list of acquaintances. The doors
were all locked and the windows down,
and 1t did not seem possible that she could
have left the house though thoroug
search failed to find the least trace of her
presence. 1t was two O'Clock when the
search was abandoned, and that hour the
sick man was amazingly better. He not
only declared that had seen the woman
and heard all she said, but he stoutly in =
sisted that his brother should go home as
soon as possible. AT ten O'Clock in the
forenoon Robinson left for home The
nearest railroad point to his farm was
seven miles, and as he had to wait at a
Junction for several hours he could not
reach his house before ten O'Clock in the
evening. When he reached the station at
which he must leave the railroad he told
his story to the sheriff and a team
was hired and six well-arrsed men went
out with him. 1t was half-past ten
when they reached the house. They ap-
preached IL across the fields, aud came up
just as two men had entered by an open
kitchen window, while the third was on
guard outside. The trio were speedily
captured, On then several points corrob-
orative of the little old woman's declara-
ton were picked up. The family doy had
died suddenly, with every eyidence OF hav-
ing been poisoned. Two trarnps had been
noticed hanging about the place the day
before, ana two Of the arrested parties
were identified as the fellows They had
siept III tHe Ourhs anu Iney nau peen Joined
by third. They intended to rob the
house and steal horse and buggy to get
away with. In hopes of shortening his
term of imprisonment at the expense of
his comrades, one of the trio turned States
evidence. He sail it was understood be-
tween them that should Mrs. Robinson
and the children awake they were to be
killed.
Now comes another singular feature of
the case. At eleven O'Clock cf the night
on which Robinson reached home. his
brothers wife was sitting up with him,
and, as he was resting very easy, she fell
asleep. The little old woman reappcared.
sat down, and sail to the patient:
Your brother reached home IN time. 7
am glad to see you getting better so fas..,
With that she was gone, and none of the
parties have been speaking Of ever saw
her again. People who know the brothers
well are firmly convinced that they saw
and heard just what they allege, and those
who scott at the story find it hard to ex-
plain why Robinson started for home as
be did, and arrived just in time to arrest
three hardened fellows, who werc pronpt.
iy sent to State prison.
IGNORANT VISITORS.