The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-09

The Discovery Caused His Surprise and
Grief-It Was His Mother.
I'VE are not superstitious set gener-
orally" remarked a grizzled baggage mas
ter Of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chi
cago road the other day as he lighted
cigar in the Grand Pacific and sat down
for talk
I'VE are not superstitious, but become
accustomed more or less to the presence Of
death in the corpses that are transported
In the baggage cars, for day scarcely goes
by but we have from one to three stiffs,'
es the boys call them, on board Yet there
Is always a check held on ones impulses
A fellow don't feel like letting himself out
naturally when he knows that corpse is
In the same room with him, or at least I
can't, and I'm nearly as tough as they
grow, for I've been on this road for fifteen
years.
What / wanted to tell you about hap
pened several years ago. At Fort Wayne
as we were coming west, there stood cof-
fin box on tie trucks ready to be loaded
into the car It was marked for Denver,
and we were to carry 1t as far as Chicago.
BY the side Of the trucks, with one hand
upon the box, stood young and we'll
dressed man, with band Of Grape tightly
pinned around his silk hat, and known at
glance TO be in charge Of the remains.
Whenever any one accompanies the corpse
we always handle It silently and gently
out of respect for their feelings, for there's
few OF us but have buried our own, and
know how TO feel for fellow who sorrows
for loved one.
THE SAD FACED STRANGER
After showing tickets the young man
asked permission TO ride in the baggage
car and was refused, of course He went
away hurriedly and disappeared in the
depot. We saw no more OF him until the
train was ready to pull out, when be sp-
peared at the door with permit to ride in
the car signed by the superintendent.
That settled it with us. His box was part
ly covered with trunks, as the car was
crowded and the run unusually heavy.
Please remove those trunks was the
first thing the gentleman said
I'VE complied with the request. and the
passenger sat down beside the box on
grip. resting his elbow upon the cover
toward the head He never stirred from
that position. unless it was to lay his
cheek against the rough pine boards, and
face. Who was it covered there9
Say, Tom said my mate on the run,
that fellows either mighty soft on the
stiff or else he's got live pal in there what
he's gettin' away with
That was a sumner The papers were
full Of just such happenings, and possibly
this fellow had Tascott cooped up there
and was spiriting him out to the mount
NV I Inff 70 oil
like that to get by me, and so | laid
plan to trap the fellow and turn him and
his charge over TO the police. The more |
thought over the matter the stronger was
convinced that the attention paid to the
remains was unnatural and put on.
OPENING THE BOX
"'Will you wish lunch at Valparaiso''
] inquired of the stranger when we reached
Plymouth.
"'Will they bring it to the carr said the
young man.
mo | replied, but If you want to
order dinner we will send one for three in
stead OF two
"'Will everything be safe in here'' anx-
tously asked the faithful watcher.
"'Oh, yes; we'll lock the car
"'All right, wish you would make an
order for me, and without another word
he turned back to his charge, and | don't
believe he stirred In that forty mile run.
Instead OF sending an order for dinner
] telephoned the sheriff Of Porter county
TO be at the depot with tools to open a
coffin box and coffin. for thought had a
prize then instructed the young man
who was helping me to jump ont Of the
car as soon as we had loaded the baggage,
and TO go into the eating house with the
stranger and keep an eve on him
when we reached Valparaiso there
were twenty minutes for dinner, and it took
us but few minutes TO load up the trunks.
The sheriff stepped up and asked me if |
was the baggage man. gave him the wink
and said;
"'You will find the baggage man here
after dinner and swung out on the plat
form, followed by my assistant and the
westerner The sheriff, who caught the
cue. was persistent. and so, calling to the
others that would be in in minute,
went into the baggage room and around
the other side OF the train, gaining en-
trance to the baggage car through the OPP
posite door from which we had left, and
which | had purposely opened. All was
clear sailing now, and it took but "A sec
ond TO run the screws up and lift off the
lid
DISCOVERED HIS DEAD PARENT.
There rested rich coffin, and we both
drew back aghast as our eyes fell upon the
plate which bore the inscription
..-.....-.-..--..-.......-