Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1890-11-28
Misctllame1Ms.
SAVED BY A DEAD MAN.

was sitting in saloon near big
express building. During the winter
of 1885," said burly man with shock
of black hair, II was in the Wells-Far-
60 service between Kansas City aud
San Francisco. The run was made up
on the Atchison. Topeka and Sante Fe
and Southern Pacific Railways that Join
at Deming On Christmas Eve, bear
ing eastward, with the journey so far
done from Frisco, the train drew out OF
Yuma, facing the Arizona Desert 10 the
midst Of an astonishing storm Of sleet
and rain Yuma marks the California
line, and there, as we took on the stage
company's strong box, counted upon
the last disturbance of the night. Until
daybreak the journey lay through alkali
stretches, where at every 100 miles the
train rushes shrieking through poor,
monumental cluster Of Luts and halts
long enough for the locomotive to take
on water
''Unscheduled stops, however, were
ls sslreqnent, Vt that tune, and there
hug within the car rack Of repeating
carbines, charged and primed.
''In taking account Of the Yuma
strong box, weighing nearly 200 pounds
and 'vouched' to contain $50, 900 10
gold, | glanced at the carbines. look
ed again when remembered that the
safe contained as much more
81 assorted expressage list bills aud
overhauled the carbines as the train
flew and the storm beat I knew the
route so we'll that | could call tho towns
and tanks as the engine whistled or
stopped.
"'Toltec,' | thought, as at midnight
the hoarsc whistle began to sound. we
pass her with a howdy. No, by George,
we're going to stop
II opened the door enough to see a
lantern swaying at small station and
little group on the platform surround
ing box, and evidently preparing to
put it on board.
i" Tumble it in, quick | said
ga little slow, partner, replied a
man on the platform. Its coffin
IA moment later was alone with the
corpse in prison as secure as tomb,
while the wheels roared beneath an the
storm ragged outside.
Somehow | was nervous and couldn't
keep my eyes off that coffin. fancied
that it moved and was slowly rising up
on end or that it was preparing an on.
slaught; then that it was about to dis
close the dead.
1.-THE last of these notions-that the
occupant of the coffin might liberate
hersef-got hold of me and | couldn't
shake it off. Tho box was of usual size
and exceptionally ill-made. The wood
was rough, warped and full of knots and
knot holes. All this might easily have
been due to the limited facilities of q
desert town don't knew why, but I
couldn't resist turning it over, face down
It seemed TO roll horribly.
"rben | imagined | heard a noise at
the car door and at the same moment n
movement in the coffin. knew il was
foolish, bnt rolled the stage compsny Is
strong box, with It's 200 pounds Of gold.
to the coffin aud set it upon tho lid
toward the larger end.
Then | lighted my Pipe. noticed
afterward, though | didn't think of il at
the time, that most Of the knot holes
toward the head Of the coffin were COW
cred and sealed by the fat iron bottom
of the safe.
Several minutes passed and the en-
CINE bad blown its 'view-halloa ? at a
wayside cattle town, when suddenly
sounds began to issue from the box.
There was scuffiing, grooming, a
kicking against the sides.
40 say that was Mortified doesn't
express it. The struggle in the box
continued. staggered to the gun
rack. tore down carbine, cooked, aim
ed and fired it through the box ten feet
away.
"Muffled shrieks now mingled with
the humping and threshing 10 the box
I fired again. The shrieks were re-
doubled. l became frantic, and shrek
ed like lunatlc myself, while | fred
again and again at the box until the
magazine was exhausted, and then
rushed TO get another.
But the pine box was split and torn
the iron box was slowly crushing it down
Through gaps in the wood blood was
streaming and no sound whatever issued
from the coffin.
Finally long. deep groan escaped
from the box Plainly II was q mans
voice | managed to tear away the
shattered lid. There was no coffin in