The Irish standard., 1890-04-12
DURING THE WAR.
Two Incidents in the Career Of an
Express Messenger.

Express Messenger.
Tn tho First the Robbers Got Badly Left,
and in the Second We Came Out
Best In a Trial Of Shoot
ing-Irons.
Even in these days of peace, with
every money-handler armed for defense
and surrounded by every safeguard,
banks are touched" stages held up,
express cars robbed, and the highway
robber and the horse thief have no COM
plants of lack of business. This being
the case now, you can imagine the state
Of affairs during the war, even though
YOU were not living witness. Along
about 1868 the bad men of the times
reaped a constant harvest. Money was
abundant, every day full Of excitement,
and embezzlers and absconders outnum-
bered honest men, And, too, banks,
express companies and other big money
handlers were green to many of the
tricks and schemes, and the idea of buy
ing a revolver for an express messenger
out of company funds would have been
voted down instanter. He must arm
himself, and if he pulled through he
was good fellow. If he didn't, it was
looked upon as ''an act of Providence"
MY first adventure occurred while
making the run between Cincinnati and
St. Louis I had been on the road about
six weeks and the business was so
heavy that we had to have an extra
man. While took charge of the money
he looked after the parcels and boxes,
and we had whole car to ourselves.
NV assistant was named John Goodhue,
and he had been one of the check clerks
in the freight department of the Cincin-
natl Office. He was an easy-going, good
natured man Of forty, much given to
taking things easy, but as he was the
only man the company could or would
spare I had to take him as found him
and make the best of it. Whenever we
pulled out of either city we were very
busy for the first half hour. I saw that
every thing was properly checked of
and accounted for in the line of money
and valuables, and then assisted him it
he was not already through. 1t thus
sometimes happened that was busy at
nv safe in the corner for the first twenty
miles out and that little or no converse
tion was exchanged between us.
| On this particular evening Goedhue
was ten minutes late at the train, but
he took hold with unusual spirit, and
when the stuff was all in we had the
car pretty Well filed. I was at my safe
when the train pulled out and l heard
Goodhue moving about and going
through the usual routine. We had
nothing to put off until we reached
farm thirty miles away and then 1T was
something in the line of freight. |
therefore took things easy and was
smoking as did my work. had on
that night, in addition to my own safe
and $4,000, a paymaster's safe which
contained nearly quarter OF million.
was sitting on this and bending over
NV own when received a blow on the
head from behind. 1t fell upon the left
side Of my head and glanced to the
shoulder, but it knocked me over side
ways in heap on the floor. was not
stunned, but it came to me in second
to '.play 'possun1." Even while falling
I realized that it was a plan to rob the
car. and wondered who Goodhue had
behind him. rolled over Ion my back,
Qroaned two or three times and then
Strengthened out, and after minute l
heard voice say: ''Come out, Jim
he's settied!'
It was the voice of the man who had
struck me, but not the voice Of Good
hue. 7 heard a. second man come for
ward, and then the plot was exposed.
Neither was Goodhue, and both were
strangers.
"Guess you've done for him, Tom,"
said the last corler as he stood over NE.
sCouldn't help it, Jim he'd bad
given us a fight if hadn't. Now, then,
we've got things coopered. In five min
utes we shall be at Blankville. There's
nothing TO go off, but Ill open the door.
Sit here Oh the safe
The whistle blew, the train slowed up,
and pretty soon we were at standstlll.
The robber opened the sliding door
and stood as cool as you please for two
or three minutes, and I heard him re-
Div to the agent that there was nothing
s 20 20 OIL. las SOOA uA1 "a GIL $780,
out he shut the door and came over and
said:
ssOpen the oGker door. Five miles from
here is the stretch Of woods, and we
must be ready to dump the safes at the
word
MY revolver was under me, in its hol.
ster, and was helpless. The first move
j made would have brought them upon
me, and they would have been certain
to make sure work of it this time. !
had to let them carry out their plan.
but was forming another. The stretch
OF woods was t.. 8 miles long, and be-
!; tween Blankville and the next stop was
q distance OF eighte On miles. The two
y srna Ill stations between were not on our
time card. The train sped along alta
rate otf forty miles an hour, and pretty
soon out went the safes. hen the men
IAN out at the end Of tho ear, set the
! brake, ana pulled the bell cord That
WAS what the but q ia not wait to q
Ssee 81 hear it. They we're no sooner ING
clear OF the car than j rose UP AM took Ok
a Wing leap stfal & bit out into the dark 4,