The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-06-05
THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 1889

mind completely at rest by finishing the
investigation, especially as it would be
nearly an hour before we reached Mud
borough. Accordingly undid the straps,
and took the key out of my pocket. Great
God what was this? The key turned in
the lock without any impedimenti
caught the lid in my hand-it opened at
once But inside
Oh horrori horror horror, Tongue heart
cannot conceive nor name thee.
At one glance l comprehended that the
stronghold had been rified, and stuffed
with worthless rags and papers!
Both Joy and horror when they reached
their most intense stages develop into
emotions which are heterogeneous to all
other facts OF consciousness, and for this
reason these absolute emotions, while
they can never be forgotten, can yet new
er be perfectly recollected in the sense of
being revived by the imagination. In
saying this | am not writing Tor the sake
of effect, but merely stating a fact that
will be acknowledged by most people
who have experienced a sudden and inn
mense revolution OF fortune.
When, at a glance, saw that the box
was stuffed with rags and shreds OF news
papers-dived my hand into it and found
Jumps of lead and iron instead of gold,
there came upon me a feeling simple,
unique and unintelligible unless to those
who have experienced 1t. This is the
only description can give of the effect
that was produced when suddenly com
pretended that E22,000 had been
stolen from my charge while sat drugged
for drugged evidently had been, and
that by the cigar incautiously took from
| Hill. 1t meant, of course, utter ruin
possibly worse, for might / not be re-
garded as an accomplice in the robbery,
as my dream seemed to foretell? | shiv-
cred while | sat wondering how the theft
could have been perpetrated, but with al
! WAYS the same curious, new, and horrible
feeling about me. Who stole the money
from the box? The man who got into the
compartment at Rugby?
He was evidently either a principal or
an accompice in the robbery. The cigar
! that Hill gave me must have been drugged,
and the money must have been stolen,
| and the lead and iron substituted for it,
since he left Rugby. Yet, how was the
| thing done? It is very easy to talk about
walking off with $1,000, but, as l
! knew well enough, 1000 sovereigns weigh
about nine stone. How were nine stone
In gold, besides several bulky parcels OF
notes, taken out of the carriage, and rags
]
substituted for them in the stronghold.
| The man who Joined me at Rugby--the
manufactured" as | called HIM for want Of
better name--did not carry box or
anything else in which he could conceal
the money while he was leaving the train
and then, the weights? he certainly did
not bring them into the carriage with him
at Rugby. He must, therefore, have had
an accomplce-IIill, probably. Where
did this accomplish join him? Since
| leaving Rugby we had stopped at only
two stations, Stafford and Crewe. The
accomplice or accOmpliccs-Hill or who
ever else they were-must have got in at
Stafford, and the party must have left the
train at Crewe.
The guard would be sure to have noted
! them. They might be apprehended If
they were pursued in time. Ought to
ring the alarm bell and stop the train? l
| looked at my watch it was now half-past
| 2 o'clock, and we should be in Mud
borough in three-quarters of an hour.
| No. No useful purpose could be effected
by stopping the train in the open country,
and the consequences might be very seri-
GUS. The news would be spread far and
wide that the express train had been
robbed of gold which was on its way to
| the Bank of Marlborough, and this would
! probably lead 10 4 run" on the bank
| Itself, as the good people would never
| pause in their excitement TO remember
that the loss must fall on the Lombard-st.
| bank, because the money had not
| been delivered, and was in the custody of
one Of its officers when it was stolen.
1t was clear, thought, that had better
make as little fuss as possible about the
matter, so strapped the box up, restored
! it with some difficulty TO its place under
! the seat, and sat down to wait for our ar
! rival.
Principally at S:l5 we steamed into Mud
! borough junction. 1 looked out of the
window for the guard, who came to me
directly the train stopped.
''You have had sound sleep, sir" he
said, pleasantly.
Guard" said, "comein here at once"
reckoning him into the carriage as l
spoke.
"Who got into this compartment at
Stafford" | asked.
'No ore, sir" was the answer. "The
| gentleman who got in at Rugby left at
Stafford. l locked the door Immediately
he got out, and nobody has been in the
compartment since. That Til swear"
"Good God!" 1 exclaimed, 'then how
didthey get in here? The strong box has
| been robbedp
Robbed, sir,' he cried, looking at me
! with blank amazement.
Yes, robbed" I continued. "I have
been drugged, and while l was asleep
G22, 600 has been taken out of that box,
| and Jumps of iron and lead put in it's
place"
'But it is impossible, sir, he said, after
a moments pause, and speaking as if he
were dazed. THE gentleman who got in
at Rugby got out again at Stafford. was
as close to him as / am to you when he
| left the train. He had no luggage of any
| kind with him, not even a handbag or a
rug, and that he could not have taken the
money away with him l am perfectly GER
| tain. That box was all right then. Seeing
that you were asleep, examined it, and
saw that 1t was quite safe. l locked the
! door as soon as / had done so, and from
| that time until now the door has not been
| opened. OF that l am quite sure"
Then" said |. "the robbery must have
| been committed between Rugby and Stat
ford. The man who got in at Rugby must
either have handed the money through
| the window to somebody in another COM
partment, or somebody must have crept
along the footboard while the train was in
motion, and thus have brought the weights
that are in that box, and taken away the
gold and notes."
''That is an utter impossibiIity," was the
/ prompt reDly "Pll get into the next