Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-01-22
OVER FORTY YEARS AGO
HOW THEY TRANSFERRED LARGE
SUMS IN lS49.
Carrying $4,000 From Atlanta To New
man, Ga - Passing Night of Ter
ror--A Georgian's Remark
able story.

er's, who was in rather bad health,
and found his family physician there
to see him before he left for Milledge-
vile the ensuing week rs a legis-
lator, say Ben amin Leigh of New
man. Ga, in the Atlanta Constitution.
I'm course OF conversation ! men
toned that | was going TO start next
morning with ii load of cotton to At
lanta. The doctor said to me that he
expected that he had a package of
$40. 600 awaiting him there and for
me to call on John +. Minis. the agent
of the Georgia railroad, for it.
so next morning being Monday. /
started with my load OF seven bales Of
cotton TO Atlanta and arrived there
on Tuesday evening and next morn
ing sold my cotton bought what sup
plies / needed, and, when ready TO
start home | walked over 10 the
Georgia railroad depot which stood
then where the new one does now
stepped into MIR. Minis Office, which
was crowded with wagoners waiting
for freight from all parts of the com
pass, at least two dozen OF them. !
said to Minis: DIR Terrell has re-
quested me to call on you to see If you
did not have package for him. and if
you have. send it by me.
Minis answered in the Affirmative
and stepped back to the safe. which
he opened, and took out the package
and as he walked back 10 me,
cautioned me to take good care OF it,
ms there was $40 900 in it. This
declaration nearly gave me the hor-
rors. as the eyes Of every man in the
large room Immediately turned on the
package and me.
AT first | hardly knew whether to
take it or not but soon recovered
and just then Minis asked me how far
lived from Bob Burch. Bob before
tat, was an old Taliaferro county
/ friend Of Minis | replied that he
lived on an I'D Looming plantation. lie
then said he had s44l for him. and
asked me ii would carry il 10 him.
/ to which | replied in the Affirmative
He then stepped TO his money drawer
aud counted ont the money TO me in
the presence OF all present. | just
thought that | was in it and that
would carry all the mon y in Atlanta
( if they re uestod me to do so. |
opened my long cail-5kin pocket book
and put Burah's mon y in it. in view
+ OF all, irld put the ten tdousand-dol-
( lar package in my light-hand overcoat
/ pocket and left the depot and soon
/ was out OF town, accompanied by no
one but my old WAGNER who knew
nothing OF the money | had with me.
/ / met that day a great many wagoners
gong to Atlanta, many OF whom were
I from Coweta, and some Of them my
neighbors. reckon looked back a
hundred times to see if any of those
who were in the depot at the time
/ got the money were pursuing me.
Just after sundown | reached a
camping place which now is about the
western boundary OF Fairburn. The
weather was just such rs we have had
/ for the last month, clear dry and
/ cool, with the moon ut It's full. As
soon rs the mules were embarrassed
and fed my WAGNER made fire and
! boiled coffee, and already having
( bread brought from home, | soon ate
my supper had my pallet made down
on the ground, which was always
my custom in camping out and soon
/ laid down and got to thinking about
the probability Of being robbed, If not
murdered before day
There vas not breeze in the for
! est and cricket could be heard al
most q quarter Of n mile and the moon
shining almost like day and while
/ yea in this mood, / heard a whip crack
in the direction of Newman. / then
knew / would have some company
through the night. Directly two heav-
/ ily loaded wagons with cotton. drove
up and formed a sort OF semi circle
around my campfire which was still
/ brilliant. You can better imagine
/ than I can describe my relief OF mind
when ! saw two heavy well-set colorcd
wagoners and their young MASTER
/ Jennings, from Troup. / had no fur
/ Their fear Of robbery through the night.
and | slept well all through the night
/ not having any fears OF robbery from
/ outside the camp or inside it, because
/ | was the only one that knew OF the
amol,nt Of money hat was in the camp.
Il got UP early next morning and
started for Newman, at which place
arrived early in the afternoon, and de-
livered my ten-thousand-dollar pack
age according TO instructions TO Batty
j.. Mitchell, and returned home-four
miles before night and next day
turned over the &li1 to my friend and
neighbour Burch.
Those were the good old days OF
honesty and security from robbery and
murder. There is rot enough money
in the universe TO induce me TO take
that much money now on my person
and start for Newman with the same
| mode of trayel