New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-10-20
AN JJNWELCO PASSENGER,

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8
A cold winters night found stage
load of us gathered. about the warm
fire of tavern barroom in a New
England village. Shortly after we ar
rived a peddler drove up and ordered
that his horse should be stabbed for
the night. After we had eaten supper
we had repaired to. the barroom, and
as soon as the ice was broken the con-
versation flowed freely. Several an
ecdotes had been related, and finally
the peddler was, asked to give us a
story, as men Of his profession were
generally full of adventure and anec-
dote. He was ayshort, thick-set man
somewhere about 40 years OF age, and
gave evidence. OF great physical
strength. He gave his name as Lem.
uel Whey, and his home was in Dover,
N. H.
swell, gentlemen" he commenced,
knocking the ashes from his pipe and
putting it in. his pocket, suppose I
tell you OF about the last thing of any
consequence that happened to me?
You see am Cow right from the Far
West, and on my way home for win
ter quarters. It was about two
months ago, one pleasant evening.
that l pulled up at the door of a small
inn in q small village in Hancock
county, Indiana. I said twas pleas
anti meant twas warm, but it was
| cloudy and likely to be very dark. I
went in and called forsupper, and had
! my horse taken care of, and after I
] had eaten sat down in the barroom.
| It began to rain about O'Clock, and
for a while it poured down hard, and
it was very dark outdoors.
CHOW, I wanted to be in jackson
early the next morning for 1 expected
q load of goods there for me, which I
meant to dispose OF on my way home.
I; The moon rose about midnighU. and 1
/ knew if it did not rain that could get
/ along very comfortably through the
mud after that I asked the landlord
| If he would not see that my horse was
fed about midnight, as wished to be
| off about two. He expressed some
surprise at this, and asked me why
! did not stay to breakfast. l told him
that I had sold the last load about
out; and that a new lot Of goods was
I waiting for me at jackson, and
wanted to be there for them before
| the express again left in the morning.
There was number OF people about
while I told this, but took little no.
tice of them, one man only arresting
my attention. l had in my possess
] sion a small package of placards which
Twas to deliver to the sheriff at Jack
/ son, and they were notice for the
detection of q notorious rob-
Der named Dick Hardhead. These
sbills gave a description of his
person, and the man before me an
! swered very we'll to it. Intact, it was
perfect. He was a tall, well-formed
man, rather slight in frame, and had
/
! that his face bore those hard, cruel
marks which an observing man can
not mistake for anything but the i'll
dex Of villainous disposition.
"When went'up to my chamber l
! asked the landlord who that man was,
describing the suspicious individual.
! He said he did not know him. He
had come there that afternoon and
intended to leave some time the next
day. The host asked me why I wish
! ed to know and simply told him
/ that the mans countenance looked
j familiar and I wished to know if l had
ever been acquainted with him. I re.
solved not to let the landlord into
the secret. but to hurry on to Jackson
and there give information to the
sheriff, and perhaps he might reach
thelnn before the villain left; for Ihad
!; no doubts with regard to his inden-
/ tity:
/ II had an alarm watch, and having
set it to give the alarm at one O clock,
went to sleep. was aroused at the
proper time and immediately got up
and dressed myself. When I reached
the yard I found the clouds all passed
/ away, and the moon was shining
/ brightly. The hostler was easily
aroused, and by two o'clock I was on
the road. The mud was deep, and
my horse could not travel very fast
i yet it struck me that the beast made
more work than there was any need
! of, for the cart was nearly empty, my
whole stock consisting of about half q
dozen tin pans and q lot OF loose rage.
| However, on we VENT and in the
course of half an hour l as clear OF
the village and at short distance
ahead lay large track Of forest,
mostly of great plies. The road lead
directly through the woods, and, as
near as / could remember the distance
was not far from twelve miles. The
moon was in the east, and as this
road ran nearly west, should have
light enough. I had entered the wood
and had gone, perhaps, half mile,
when my wagon wheels settled, with a
bump and a jerk, into a deep hole. |