The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1890-12-24
A ROBBERS RUSE.
ny W. l.. FRENCH.

nA W. as
Great Scott how / must have slept
Broad daylight sure, and plump 30
o'clock. Only twenty minutes till train
time, and the depot not open yet.
Wouldn't the old man howl If he was
10 hear Of it?"
Thus spoke Station Agent Manning,
OF the town Of Merton, Neb., one cold
January morning 10 his haif.wakened
spouse, as he hurriedly tumbled into
his clothes.
Perhaps Jack has got the depot
open" responded his wife sleepily.
He may have, but | don't hear him
moving down there, replied Manning,
and, yanking on his shoes, he went
down the stairs Clor be aud his wife
occupied rooms over tho depot and en-
tered the Office. Here he found things
In state OF the utmost confusion. The
safe-door had been blown of it's hinges
and lay on the floor. The money
drawer had been pried off and lay be-
side the safe-door, and even the ticket
case had been broken open, but n
hasty examination revealed nothing
missing from it.
Jack Holden, who slept on q cot in
the Office, lay there now, securely
bound and gagged. Manning hastily
relieved him from his uncomfortable
position, and, putting the Office hur-
risdly to rights, so that nothing would
be seen 10 cause troublesome questions
to be asked on the part Of early pas
sengers who might be about, he hast.
ened TO unfasten the doors of the one
waiting room to the depot.
There we're but few passengers to he
waited on, and as soon as their wants
were attended to ard the train had
passed on its way, Manning sat down
10 bis instrument and ticked an account
OF the affair 10 his Superintendent
Several messages passed, and then
word came that the officers would be
down on Q special.
Though showing q calm outward ex-
terror, the agents mind was greatly
troubled. On the evening Of the rob-
berry he had received a package addressed
to o party In Merton, by the late
express, said to contain 81, 900. This
he had placed 10 the safe with his own
hands, without mentioning its receipt
20 anyone.
Although he had worked for the COM
pany number of years, he felt that
unless the real robbers could be traced
suspicion was liable 10 fall en- him, rs
the only person in Merton knowing of
the money being there
In the aflerfoon q special came In
bearing the Superintendent, some other
officials, and noted detective. After
hearing all the agent and his assistant
could tell them, they made thorough
examination e4 the pEauisezr -aad, alter
holding private conference with the
detective, went the way they had come
without expressing any opinion as to
whom the robbers might be, q fact
which worried Agent Manning a good
deal, and when he tried to learn some.
thing from Detective Gay he found
that individual -perfectly silent ON that
point
The next day another detective came
in town, and IL did not take Manning
long 10 find that he was being con |
stantly shadowed wherever he went, |
while his companion, Jack Holden, was
subjected TO the same watchful care on |
the part Of the company.
This only served to prove 10 himself |
that his ideas were correct and that he |
was suspected, with Jack, possibly, as
an accomplice.
The company offered o reward Of /
5000 for the return of the money 1
and capture of the thieves or thief, which ,
ever it might prove TO be.
Manning, knowing that he was sus-
pected, determined IL possible to un-
ravel the mystery and clear himself i
from tho least faint OF suspicion. To do
this he asked for and obtained leave
of absence for thirty days and departed
for Denver, where the man who had
sent the package Of $25. 900 resided.
He found that he was followed by one
Of the detectives, but this made bnt
little difference 10 him, as he had made
up his mind to follow certain line of
action till he saw that IL was going 10
prove fruitless.
The man who sent the money was A
young bank cashier, named George
Monroe. He learned on inquiry that
the young man had, few months be-
fore, received q legacy of $50, 600 on the
death OF nm aunt, and that, while lac
bore q good reputation among bis as
his worst fault was that he was
Inclined TO be fast and spent money
Monroe told Manning, who intro
iuced himself 10 him as a detective In
he employ of the company, that he had
sent the money 10 Ills old school-friend
Arthur jennings to buy real estate for y
him in the town Of Merton, where he
aad understood the land was liable 10