The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-04-14

members OF his church, the citizens
of the place generally and people
from adjoining towns
His farewell address was very able
and touching, and in the course of it
he remarked:
The way of evil doors is hard.''
The words had scarcely fallen from
his lips when man in the audience,
rising exclaimed;
'.None can be better qualified to
attest the truth of that statement
than you are"
The strange interruption nearly
paralyzed those who heard it, created
death-like particularly as
the voice of the speaker seemed IA
miliar to most of those present,
though his features were not
brought visible pallor to the clergy
mans countenance while he trembled
from head to foot.
"Do you recognize me now?" he
continued, removing wig, a false
beard and colored spectacles, reveal
ing the features OF the missing teller.
Words would fail to depict the con-
sternation consequent upon this reve-
lation; increased, if possible, by the
"'My God!' which the clergyman
calculated in pitiful tone.
''Last Wednesday evening"" James
presently began, II went to the bank
to do some writing and had been
there about two hours when I heard
someone at the outer door. Going to
the door l found Mr.. Ford''- every
one glanced at The clergyman, who
had sunk into a seat-"and a man
who was stranger to me-
ed saw a light in the bank and we
called to get out of the severe
shower said Mr. Ford, as we have
no umbrellas
Il invited them to enter and they
were hardly inside and the door
closed when Mr.. Ford observed:
"'We came here not expecting to
find anyone in the building; to rob
the bank, which we shall do; and
necessity compels us to make you our
prisoner
They gagged me with one hand
kerchief; bound me, hand and foot,
with another handkerchief; helped
themselves to the contents of the
vault, which was open. Then
"'You keep guard over him while
l 60 home and get my team to con-
vey him from here Mr.. Ford said,
addressing his companion; after which
he extinguished the light and left
the bank.
IAN hour later 1 had been taken to
Mr.. Ford's home where I have since
remained, prisoner-with plenty of
food and a good bed to sleep on, but
a prisoner just the same"
He stopped and nodded at me, sit
ting beside him. / arose. removed
the facial DISCUSSES which l wore,
thus creating a new sensation, and
began:
without going into all the details
of my investigation, l will say that
my various clews pointed to Mr.. Ford
as concerned in the burglary-par-
ticularly his sudden resignation, his
unusual nervousness since the crime
was perpetrated, mutterings that l
have heard from his lips when he
passed me-supposedly a stranger
the fact that window in the upper
| part OF his house has been heavily
curtained as it was not prior to the
burglary.
'.Soon after he came here, this
evening, | effected forcible entrance
into his house in such way that
| should leave no traces of nv deed if
unrewarded.
''ln the curtained room, previously
referred to, I found James, prisoner,
as he has said. I released him,
passed him the wig, false beard and
glasses which Iwore; fastened to my
boarding-place near by and procured
suit of clothes for him which I had
never worn, which l felt assured
would fit him, so nearly are we of the
same size; provided myself with
another makeup; came here with
him."
silence ensued, which was broken by
Mr.. Ford, who arose, and in a firm,
but sad voice, said:
Il am guilty, as have been repre-
sented, but not the absolute miscre-
ant that you have reason to believe
me. Please listen to my story, which
will be brief.
when the rebellion began my
father was wealthy farmer in the
South; at it's close I was a penniless
orphan.
"Unaccustomed to labor and used
to having my every wish gratified
whose qualification money rendered
possible, drifted into evil ways for
supporting myself, though I was never
responsible for any heinous offense.
= A'Sickening of the life l was lead
ing, l resolved to turn over a new
leaf and, under an assumed name, in
q state far removed from where had
ever been before, locate as a clergy
man. l eventually settled here.
'sLast Wednesday afternoon a one
time associate, who had learned my
whereabouts, came to my home, and
vowed that if l did not settle debt
OF honor-amounting with interest
to 81, 000-which I owed him, he
would reveal my previous character.
l informed him that it was impossible
for me to do SO, and he said if
would aid him in the attempt to burg
larize the bank-whose spoils were
to be his If the attempt was success
! ful-he would call It snuaro Af%n,|