The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-02-12
DURING THE WAR.
Two Incidents In the Career of an
Express Messenger.
In the First tho Robbers Got Badly Left,
and In the Second We Came Out
Best In a Trial of Shoot
ing-Irons.

/
Best In 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 tho horse thief have no COM
plants OF lack Of business. This being
the case now, you can imagine tho state
OF affairs during the war, even though
you were not living witness. Along
about 1868 the bad men of the times
reaped 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 II he pulled through he
was good fellow. II he didn't, 1t was
looked upon as IAN act Of Providence"
Ny first adventure occurred while
making the run between Cincinnati and
st. Louis. 1 had been on the road about
six weeks and the business was 80
heavy that we had to have an extra
man. While i took charge Of the money
he looked after the parcels and boxes,
and we had whole car to ourselves.
My 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 10
taking things easy, but ~ he was the
only man the company could or would
spare had TO take him as found him
and make the best ofit Whenever we
pulled out OF either city we were very
busy for the first half hour. saw that
every thing was properly checked OF
and accounted for In the line Of money
and valuables, and then assisted him II
be was not already through. 1t thus
sometimes happened that l was busy at
my safe in the corner for the nrst twenty
miles out and that little or no converse
tion was exchanged between US.
On this particular evening Goodhue
was ten minntes late at the train, but
he took hold with unusual spirit. and
when the stuff was oil in we had the
car pretty we'll filed. was at my safe
when the train pulled out and 1 heard
Goodhue moving about and going
through the usual routine. We had
nothing TO put of until we reached O
farm thirty miles away and then 1t was
something in the line OF freight. l
therefore took things easy and was
smoking as did my work. l had on
that night, in addition to my own safe
and $4,000, q paymaster's safe which
contained nearly quarter Of million.
l was sitting on this and bending over
my own when received blow on the
head from behind. 1t fell upon the left
side of my head and glanced TO tho
shoulder, but 1t knocked me over side
ways in heap on the floor. was not
stunned, but 1t came TO me In q second
to 'plsy 'possum." Even while falling
/ realized that 1t was a plan to rob the
car, and wondered who Goodhue had
behind him. rolled over on my back,
groaned two or three times and then
Strengthened out, and after minute /
heard voice say: "Come out, jim
he's settledw
II was the voice OF the man who had
struck me, but not the voice OF Good
hue. heard O second man come for
ward, and then the plot was exposed.
Neither was Goodhue, and both we're
strangers.
"Guess you've done for him, Tom,"
said the last conner as he stood over me.
Couldn't help It, jim he'd had
given us fight II l hadn't. Now, then,
we've got things coopered. In fve min
utes we shall be at Blankville. There's
nothing to 60 of, but III open the door.
Sit here on the safe."
The whistle blew, the train slowed up,
and pretty soon we were at standstill.
The robber opened the sliding door
and stood as cool as you please for two
or three minutes, and heard him re-
ply to the agent that there was nothing
to 20 off, AS soon as the train pulled
out he shut the door and came over and
said:
"Open the other door. Five miles from
here Is the stretch OF woods, and we
must be ready TO dump the safes at the
word"
NY revolver was under me, In its hol-
ster, and waS helpless. The first move
made would have brought them upon
me, and they would have been certain
TO make sure work OF 1t this time. ]
had TO let them carry out their plan,
but was forming another. The stretch
OF woods was to miles long, and be-
tween Blankville and the next stop was
distance Of eightesn miles. The two
small stations between were not on our
time card. The train sped along at q
rate OF forty miles an hour, and pretty
soon out went the safes. Thea the men
ran out at the end of the car. set the
brake, ana pulled Ahe bell cord. That
was what they did, but did not wait 10
SEQ or hear II, y They were no sooner
clear OF the car than rose up and took
flying leap straight out into tho dark.
ness after that money. There was .