The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-14
SOUNDS LIKE ROMANCE.
.NEx-RoBBER TELLS THE STORY
OF HIS REFORM.

rwlce the Amount He Lost, Prayed
and Made the Thief Shed Bitter Tears.
From the Neto YorkWorld.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y, July TO-
Almost quarter of a century ago a So
saIlsd Desperate, one Of whose many aliases
COS Phil Taylor, but who managed 30 con-
zeal his real name, was suspected Of having
brntally assaulted and robbed passenger
on the steamer Phil Sheridan on the upper
Mississippi river. The assaulted man said
he was robbed of over $4,000 in vsluables
and money. The crime was committed
inst as the steamer was making q
landing at the levee at MoGregor,
IN Northern Iowa. Two or three shots
we're fired at Taylor, who managed to es-
cane over the lofty bluffs that wall
the town. All efforts to capture him proved
unsuccessful, notwithstanding that imagin~
srv trails were followed by detectives for
,ome time. EARLY on Wednesday evening
of this week a former western mana
iournaIist-recognizsd Taylor seated on the
Grand Union hotel piazza. A quarter of a
century had greatly changed his appear
snce. He had passed the Goth milestone
NJ life's roadway, had become somewhat
rotund and the frost of years had whitened
his locks.
"How are you, Phil Taylorm said the
journalist. approaching him and extending
his hand.
'EMy name is not Taylor, =" replied the
older individual, who was considerably
embarrassed aud whose face assumed an
ashen hue.
Confident that he had made no mistake
the newspaper man said: What did you
do with that SIS, 900 of plumber that you
hat fhsa
Phil Sheridanl Perhaps you do not remem-
Der me, but have vivid recollection OF
seeing you before. and perhaps-did you
ever see me beforeg
Taylor looked his interrogation squarely
In the face and shook his head in the mega
tive. The newspaper man then coolly and
calmly observed: II don't suppose you
know me. but you are Phil Taylor all the
same And, by the way, did you ever know
what became OF the gang that shot City
Marshal Hawley at Beloit, Southern Wis
cousin. along about that times"
The stranger became uneasy, but made
no reply. The newspaper man then In
Quired: "Wers you ever acquainted with
Bob Graham and Glenn Barnes OF Beloit,
and do you know anything of the causes
that led to the brutal and fatal assault on
City Marshal Janvrin of Beloit, who was
brother of FL. H. Janvrin, who at one time
was one OF the proprietors OF the United
hotel of this place"
The elderly man continued his reticence
for moment or so longer and then in low
and measured voice said: NOW l know
who you are" mentioning the name Of the
interviewer and where he had seen him in
the west, and adding. shut ann changed
man since that time-indeed / am-and II
you'll agree not to use my right name I'll
tell you my story in a few words"
~ agree to the proposition. Drive
ahead"
Hal; aA h,,k
not mixed up at all in any of those Beloit
episodes, Notwithstanding that my name
my alias, / mean-was mixed up with the
affair for months. / never did up or put
away a man in my llfe-thank God didn't.
When robbed that man on the Mississippi
steamer was desperate. / had lost my last
dollar on the gambling table, had even
pawned my diamonds and watch and blown
them In too. l knew the man had q large
amount of money with him. When l en-
tered his state room he was asleep. l was
about leaving with the swag when be
Awoke and jumped for me- He was pow
erful man, but ! was little too much for
him, and just as the boat touched at Nc
Gregor's Landing / tore myself loose and
jumped ashore. As knew every inch of
sue ground there, and as it was dark, cas-
fly escaped up over the bluffs. made my
way TO North McGregor, a short distance
up the river boarded an outgoing freight
train, after paying a brakeman s. note to
let me into freight car. The next day /
brought up on the outskirts of DEBORAH and
purchased q horse and blackboard of q
farmer, and for the next two months kept
off the line of railroad and telegraph, NOV
ing westward all the time. There was not
moment of the time l was not afraid of
being arrested. disposed Of the horse and
wagon In western Nebraska, and then
skipped across the country by rail. 1 had
not been long in Frisco before resolved to
fnvaafnd
money in mining and lumber and decided
that If successful would restore the money
to its rightful owner. quit gambling and
drinking-in fact, was never more than a
moderate drinker-but anyway, realized
that rum was a rank poison, a rotten fake.
Success attended my business Investments
beyond my most sauguine expectations, aud
In five years l was worth easily 100000 In
clean, cold cash."
did you return the $4,000 you stole
from the Chicegoan!n
Eyes, and more too. / made 1t a round
$4,000"
"Did you hand IL to him psrsonallyp
II did. wrote to him stating my inten-
ton, but did not give my right name or
proper address. | wrote him that II he
would give me his word Of honor that he
would not cause my arrest that would re-
store the amount and more too, and that he
could notify me of his acceptance of the
agreement by inserting specially worded
2-line advertisement ia one of the Frisco
newsp aperB watched the papers closely
forl about three weeks, when my eyes
caught on to the much-looked FOR accept
ance. inside of seven days after that 1 was
In Chicago and called at his residence. He
didn't know me. frankly told him who
was, and even then l was nervous lest he
had some concealed officers ready to pounce
upon me, but he assured me to the contrary,
though he admitted that he was armed. l
then and there paid him thirty 81, 900 bills.
DE at first refused to accept anything ex-
cept the amount he had lost, but insisted
and he wrote me a receipt for the full
amount"
What next took placer
I'm glad you asked me this Do you
know that he-twenty years my senior
asked me if would object to receiving some
advice from him. said would not object,
for knew by his appearance that he was a
whole-souled, Christian gentleman. Then
he drew his chair close up to mine and
grasping me by the hand, for an hour and a
half talked to me as father would to son.
Was l Affected Should say l was He
touched my heart as it never was before.
The tears rolled down my cheeks, and when
"a ha--ha rwau q oraod old nd y,,a r.,