Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-11-22
HOW WAS ROBBED.
BY ZANE BLAND.

orS naQ come 10 expect me as mucn ~
they did the return of spring and fall
and, as the line gave general sstisfsc
ton, had no trouble In keeping up my
sales, and was growing lazy; for
dreaded unpacking and repacking my
samples more than 1 did selling the
goods, and sometimes wished the house
would send a packer along with me
but of course this was only or very
warm days.
About this time the managers
greatly enlarged the capacity of the
shoe shops, and this meant new terri
tory and new statesmen. Instead OF
putting the new statesmen on the new
territory, they put them on the old, and
the old ones on the new. Ny lot fell
In Colorado, and few towns In ada
cent territory. 1t was on my second
trip that L first met Morgan Howard, as
will call him for good reasons, as /
think. He was in the employ of a large
dry goods firm, and was working the
Colorado trade. 1 met him first at
Trinidad. At that time business was
not so much classified as at present;
nearly ali the dry goods stores also
handling boots and shoes, hats and
caps, and sometimes clothing. It was
in store of this kind, Hammersly &
Pages, firm whom had sold on my
previous trip, that met him, and Mr..
Page introduced him. 1t does not take
travelling men long to get acquainted,
and as we we're handling different lines,
and found our routesto be almost ex-
al, 1,o1 70
make the trip through the mountains
together, both for the sake of compan-
ionship and for the reason that il max
ing overland trips, which we would
often be compelled to dc, We would
generally save something by going
together.
We got through our business in Trim
idad on Saturday morning, and as we
wanted to Sunday there, proposed we
drive to FL Mora, small coal town
about six miles north, where had sold
a good bill on my previous trip, to
company store, run or managed by
Wilcox & Son. Accordingly we drove
over, arriving about noon, and were
lucky enough to find the elder Wilcox,
who did all the buying, at home. I say
lucky, as he owned some large cattle
ranches which lay several miles away,
and where he spent the greater part of
his time, leaving the store in charge of
his son. He had just returned, and
was in excellent spirits. introduced
Howard, and we both had very nice
little order to take back with US. Just
as we were starting Wilcox handed me
$3.50 on his previous bill. for which 1
gave him a receipt, and we hurried
back toward Trinidad, arriving there
about sunset. At that time, and in
TACT yet in good many of the mount
ain towns, there were a great many
rough characters about; gamblers
and criminals who found it unhealthy
farther east, and never liked to have
much money about me over night, so
after supper slipped over to Ham
merslv & Pages, the banks being
closed, and had them put the Wilcox
money in their safe.
The hotel being crowded that night,
to accommodate the clerk, Howard and
took g room with two beds. Being
tired I retired early and slept very
soundly all night, not waking till late
in the morning, and then with o rack
ing headache, and nauseous feeling at
the stomach. Surprising it was caused
by poor ventilation ] was looking
around to see the arrangement of the
windows, when was surprised to see
the decreasing lying on the carpet and
the door partly aiar. I got up and
found my clothing all disarranged and
my pocket-book, which always slipped
into one of my socks and placed near
the middle of my bed under the mat
tress, lying wide open and empty.
/ Immediately awakened Howard,
who was snoring heavily. and told him
what had happened, and how I felt.
He declared he felG the same way. 7
rang the bell, and when the boy APP
peared I sent him back to tell the clerk
to come up at once, which he did, and 1
told him we had been robbed, and
called his attention to the broken door
casing.
DO you not smell chloroform?" he
asked.
1 replied 1 could not; nor could
Howard. Others came In now, and all
tAS SuAG1A VI CANCAAAAs hO
police were at once notified, aud all the
male help and ONE of the guests were
searched, but with no success. 1t was
done by som inmate of the house, the
night clerk declared. as it was impos-
sib that any one came in the rear way,
Us every; hing was In proper shape on
opening mp in the morning; and he had
Keen in the Office all night, and no ore
had pas ed that way after the usual
bedtime. Fortunately, 1 had but fifty
or sixty dollars taken, my expense
rnoneY, as had taken 1t over to the
store the evening before, and the thief
had kindly left my watch.
Af.er breakfast, on returning to my
room ,uld plainly smell the odor OF
ch'oroform, aud also found a cloth on
my pillow which. suppose, had been
saturated with it aid thrown over my
face Leaving the matter in the hands
of The police, and the managers OF the
hctel, I drew my money from the
store, loaned hundred to Howard, and
we started on cur way to Durango, IN
tending to stop at one or two points on
the way. We intended to work our
way over to Gunison via Durango, SD
verton, Ouray and Montrose, making
such other towns as we thought best,
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