Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-09-18
A SPLENDID SENSATION.
Story Of a Trunk Mystery and
What Came Of It.
The Owner OF tho CHASTITY Box Neatly
Nabbed and Compelled to Reveal
Its Contents-It Was the
Sherln7s Treat.

A number of years ago, when rail-
roads were but few in this country,
travelling was very slow and tedious
undertaking; fifteen or twenty miles
an hour was considered rapid and by
some people dangerous speed.
At an early day in his eventful his
tory, and when he had but commenced
his professional career, the popular
Ethiopian comedian, Eph Horn, was
travelling with band of minstrels in
the western part of Ohio. In those
days six performers were considered
an adequate number to form first
class troupe, which nowadays COM
prises at least forty.
The band being small, their expenses
were very light. which enabled them
to stop at all the small towns and vii.
lagos, as well rs at the large cities.
Their usual mode of travel was by
wagon, and they had very little trouble
in securing from the different farmers
q vehicle large enough to accommodate
the manager, performers, and an i'd
vertising agent, as we'll as trunks,
wardrobe baskets, fiddle boxes, wash
pails and numerous other articles, the
inevitable concomitants of q travelling
troupe.
Horn and his companions were now
about to make trip by rail over one
of the three roads which were all that
had been built at this time in the
Buckeye state.
When they arrived at the platform,
which was elevated about three feet
from the ground by the side of the
track, and used for a depot, a wagon
drove briskly up. containing the bag
gage of the company. The men who
had charge of the luggage quickly
hustled it into the baggage car, while
the minstrel boys sprang into the one
appropriated to passengers, and took
possession of the best seats they could
lind.
The steam whistle now gave forth a
loud and startling sound, and with q
jerk which temporarily frightened the
passengers, the train commenced to
move with an ox-like speed over the
fat rails of the road.
Eph could not long remain quiet; fun
was the elixir of life to him, and he
was soon at his tricks. Many wonder
full and soul-stirring stories were told
by him to his companions, which were
= simply intended for the ears of the in
9 experienced country people, who were
a gathered around, gaping and listening
5 with intense interest to every word thai
5 fell from his lips.
{ The stories were so romantic and ter
q rible that the auditors were entirely a.
a loss to conjecture what sort of com
pany they had unexpectedly faller
among. They had not seen any of the in
struments or baggage, and had not the
slightest idea that the garrulous mar
q rator Of wonderful events was nom
other than the celebrated negro min
= strel, Eph Horn.
Finally there appeared to be some
thing of mysterious nature going Oh
among those who had been listening a
one by one they cast look of glarinj
J wildness upon Horn and his companion
and stealthily left the car.
For once the great jester was take
by surprise.
"What's up? What in thunder is tn
matter with those gillies?" he asked
as, with a look of wonder and amaze
- ment, he gazed around among the de
- serted seats.
II can't say" replied one of his con
panions. "All know is I saw ma
enter that door with the conductor
point toward US with his cane, the
- whisper something in the others ca
The conductor shook his head and di
appeared, and very soon after tn
passengers got up and left the ca
81 casting their eyes over toward OF
party, and looking very much frigh
ened."
At this point the train came to g. SUI
den stop, and moment after, to til
surprise and CONSERVATION of the fes
Vt i've Eph and his jolly comrades, she
lg if, wearing rosette upon his hat. an
Mt followed by two of the town const'
bles, the engineer, the conductor, til
passengers, and all the attaches 81
gagged upon the train, entered the CT
in which they were, and with EXPIRE