Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-05-03

"Better not try it," briefly re-
piled, and 1 let him worry again
for a week.
1t so happened then that was
detailed to the yard for a couple OF
days to assist IN repiling some
lumber, and when | returned l had
some gossip for Hatch. 1t was to
the effect that the Governor was
being worked for a pardon for one
of the shoe men. and 1t was re-
ported that the lawyer who had
the case in hand was to get SlO,-
600 if he was successful. | cOnld
not give his name, not having
heard it, but yentured the opinion
that the man must have rich rela-
tives at work for him.
erich - ~ he replied. Giles
selling some one out on the quiet ~
1t was a week before anything
further was said. l had saved my
good time and was almost ready
to 90. -Four days before | was
granted my liberty Hatch handed
me piece of paper on which he
had written about a dozen figures
and as many letters of the alpha
bet, and said A:
at is to my mother. She will
understand it. If you can get this
out with you and mail it to the ad-
dress on the back, enclosing your
own address, you will receive at
least $1,000 within week. That
shoe man is my pard. If he is
working the Governor it is to beat
me. I'll take the chances of trust.
ing ysu. We we're in big dia-
mond robbery in London last year,
and the swag is secreted in New
York. If this gets to the old wO-
man she will put it in a safe
place."
"But the address is Chicago" !
said, as l got look at 1t.
"Tbat's all right {; she'll under
stand,' he SAID.
had a sore finger, and l carried
the note out hidden in the rag
wrapped around the digit. 1 went
straight to Clio, put the paper 10
the hands of the bank officers and
detectives, and after working over
the cipher for three days we were
no wiser than at first. The address
was, "Mrs. Anna Walsh, Chicago,
Ill.," and on the second day after
our arrival In Chicago a woman
dressed in mourning called at the
ladies' window and inquired for the
name. We followed her to q saloon
and restaurant on State street and
discovered that she kept house up
stairs, while her son, a young man
of about %, ran the business be-
low. The place was looked dpon
by the Chicago police as suspicious
and with their aid a search warrant
was procured and a search made.
In a tin box in an old trunk in the
garret we found the securities
stolen from the bank at Clio.-
Jordan Hatcb's right name was
Billy Walsh, and the woman was
bis mother and the young man his
brother. Both claimed entire
ignorance of the securities, proving
that Billy had the run of the house
when home and that he had every
opportunity to bring home and
conceal stuff. IL was not until
after their acquittal that we found
the key to the cipher. The note
then read:
"Put the swag in safe place at
once. Don't reply to this"
Hatch had promised me a thou
sand dollars, but he did not mean
l should get it. Mother and son
both knew he was in prison, bat
were afraid to visit him for fear OF
being suspected of having the
securities.
Upon leaving prison the men
were tried for murder and robbery.
They admitted the robbery, but
denied the murder. They explain
ed that they Knocked on the bank
doors, and told Peter that his wife
was dying. In his confusion he
opened the door and both pushed
in, and as he staggered back he
fell and hit his head on the tile
floor. 1t had been so long since
the murder and their lawyer made
such plausible theory that they
we're acquitted of murder though
doubtless guilty, and sent for ID
years apiece on the other charge.