River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-02-26


room until eleven"
lis that so? Why, | met a man who
looked exactlylike him. He was carry
ing a sachel, headed for the bank, and
am sure he went up the stairway"
This statement puzzled and annoyed
me and kept my suspicious active.
wing that Goldwaithe was with
-. 1t the hour of ten l was obliged to
believe my partner mistaken, but yet
there was something about the case /
did not like. About four weeks later,
one morning. as | opened the bank, the
ticket agent at the depot came along
ON his way to breakfast A train
passed at six o'clock and he was Obliged
to be there.
Lost your INVENTOR" he asked as he
came up.
"How-what?''
"Why, Goldwaithe. He went off on
the train this morning. and as he had a
sachel with him. didn't know but he
was going for good. Bought ticket
for St Louis"
| As Goldwaithe had been with me up
to eleven o'clock of the night before,
and had said nothing OF going away, |
was puzzled. This state of mind was
increased an hour later when saw him
in the bank. | started to ask for an
explanation, but on second thought con-
cluded not to. That evening | saw the
ticket agent and asked:
Are you sure you saw Goldwaithe
go away this morning."
Perfectly sure. Why?"
because he didn't go. He came into
the bank an hour after l saw you this
morning"
Great heavens. man, but sold him
his ticket and passed the time of day
with him. You must be mistaken"
But | satisfied him that 1 was not,
and then both of us were puzzled
About two weeks later | made an ex-
cuse To get into the back room upstairs
found a piece of machinery mounted
on the wooden frame, and though l
asked no questions and Goldwaithe vol
unteered no information, felt positive
that it was a drill which was to be
worked by turning a handle. AS told
you before, so long as / had the man
under my eye | did not fear for the
vault. If he was with me evenings /
cared not what he did daytimes
Two or three weeks after the Incl
dent related above | had four-hand
card party in INV room. and Goldwaithe
was one of the quartette. Anime o'clock
was called downstairs by the ticket
agent, who said:
Il want to know whether have seen
straight this time or not. Goldwaithe
came in on the $50 st. Louis express"
You must he crazy, He is right up
stairs in my room at this moment. and
Peters and Thompson are with him."
"But | tell you | saw him. More than
that, he came up the street ahead of
me and turned into the stairway"
I took him upstairs, and when he saw
Goldwaithe sitting there he was dead
beat. Here were three instances of
queer deception. While | regarded
them as receptions or illusions, there
was something uncanny in the Incl
dents. and my interest in the move
ments of Goldwaithe was considerably
increased. On one pretence or another
| got into his rooms or sent friends up
there every day or two, but every thing
appeared straight. One evening he sat
down in the hotel dice to write let
ter. and while he was thus engaged I
walked up the street four squares to
4
met Goldwaithe face to face, and sal
uted.
''Ah. you cut it short?"
Yes
Well mail il and hurry back"
| walked straight to the hotel. and
there sat the man had spoken to on
the street three minutes before. He
was still writing. I asked friend who
Z ,-.,Isv,sr baI hxson ont
and he replied in the negative. | felt
my hair standing on end as sat down,
and during all that long night did not
get a wink of sleep. My partner, the
ticket agent. and myself had all seen
what we had not seen. Was he of flesh
and blood. or was he a wrath who
could appear in two places at once?
1t was on Friday evening thought
| met our upstairs man on the street
Saturday morning / took stepladder
and closely examined the top of the
vault. and also sent a man upstairs to
look at the floor of the back room and
see if il was intact. Every thing was
reported all right. and Saturday even
ing our man said to me;
II haven't slept well lately, and be-
licve | will try change of beds. will
turn into the room next to You for
couple of nights and see If the change
won't bring sleep"
reioiced at this, as / need not fear
/ that he was at work on the vault
satisfied myself that he was in bed be-
fore turned in. and that night / slept
better than for months before He oc-
cupied the same room on Saturday
/ night. and on Sunday forenoon he sur
prised me by saying he would accom-
pany me TO church. He appeared to
listen very closely to the sermon. and
on the way home pointed out its strong
and weak points
/ Ii wa my custom TO enter the bank
at noon TO see if all was well. but on
this day. after we had finished dinner
and ! was about TO start. a friend came
/ in and l was detained about half an
hour. Every thing seemed to be all
right in the bank. but. from force of
| habit. l opened the vault. and one look
showed me that the climax had come
There was a hole through the roof of
the vault. our safe was open. and lying
on the litter of papers was a man.
did not know whether he was dead or
alive when | summoned help. but we
soon found that he was dead and lying
in his own blood. The safe had been
opened with wedges, and the eight |