The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-27

"'H Here, he said, are some papers.
There is man in this city named John
Wilson. You have heard Of him-has a
big wholesale liquor house. Well, it is
curious thing You both write obscurely,
but you couldn't tell your signatures
apart. See!'
sHe held out letter to me with what ]
could have sworn was my own name writ
ten on it, The John Wil' was plain
enough, and the three last letters ended of
in an illegible dash as mine did,
"'Now,' said the man, this paper is
transfer of property by John Wilson t.
some parties who have a lawsuit against
him. If you will sign your name to it, it
will pass as his-and here are your $50"
'sHe opened his pocketbook and showed
me roll of bills.
"'Why,' gasped as the meaning Of the
affair burst upon me, this is forgeryP
"He was eying me coolly.
"'What if it is?'
Il won't do it.
"Before knew it was sitting in the
chair and he was standing before me with
pistol aimed at my head.
eyes, you will, he said. 'I'll give
you three minutes to decide, or you die
81 was helpless, without weapon,
staring into the mans cool, determined
face, knowing that at the slightest move
ment he would undoubtedly shoot me. The
worst of it was that my strength seemed
to be gone. / felt sudden drowsiness
and could only stare into that mans eyes.
l remember that he had a cast in one of
them, and thinking that he would be quite
good looking if his beard was trimmed in
a point.
''All this time the man was raging and
swearing and threatening my life. Sud-
denly there was d sound down stairs as il
something had been thrown against the
front door. My adversary turned. AS
he did SO made quick movement and
pinioned him. He was a powerful fell
low, but got him underneath. In the
struggle the pistol went off, the bullet
striking the ceiling. 1 knocked the man
down, gave him a blow on the head, enough
to have settled an OK, then picking up his
key rushed down stairs, unlocked the
door, but forgot the key and left it in the
lock.
1.-THE street was full of people, but did
not dare to ask for assistance from any of
them. My hat was gone, my clothes torn
in the struggle, but went on several
squares looking for a policeman. Not one
came in sight until found myself on the
Bowery.
"sCome with me- said to the first one
met.
'''Where TOP he inquired.
"sCome, come,' l said breathlessly.
He looked at my wild condition and evil
IDENTIFY thought I was either crazy or
drunk, but he came, while told him as
best could about my adventure, he seem
ing very skeptical.
ssAfter making several turns found
myself hopelessly lost. I couldn't find the
place. The policeman was about to take
caught sight of the little bakers shop.
empty house. The door was locked, and
the key was gone.
g tThe baker will know about it, said
the policeman.
ssWe went to the little shop and found
fat, honest looking German.
stWho lives in the empty house?'
asked.
s'That house belongs to me. It is emp
ty. No one lives there now. A man rent
ed it for week, and he was good man
paid in advance. He came in just little
while ago and said he didn't want it and
brought back the key. He was a good man
and paid in advance
1.-THE policeman told him the story, and
he was Mortified. Taking the key, he went
with us to the house. 1t was dark and
stuffy inside, as if the house had not been
opened for weeks. We went up stairs to
the back room. must confess to tremor
as we opened the door. I struck match
and lit the half burned candle on the ia
BILE. The room was just as I had left it.
There were my hat on the table and the
bullet hole in the wall, but the valise and
the red haired man were gone.
'sWhile the policeman was examining
the room sat down on the chair, over
come by that strange sensation of exhaus-
ton. Death seemed to be in the atmos-
phere of the place, and l believed that it
was the effects of the cigar which had
been given me; that it had been poisoned.
1.-THE policeman and the baker made a
thorough search, but could discern no
clew. The rest of the house was vacant,
and evidently no other room had ever been
occupied. 1t was the mans intention to
lure me to this place merely to get my
signature, and evidently to make away
with me afterward.
1.-THE policeman reused me from my tor
por, took down the particulars of the
affair, the appearance of the man and my
address but said there was no hope of
ever finding him.
II made my way to my own room about
8 o'clock in the morning, and without I'M
dressing, threw myself on the bed like a
log, to sleep off the effect of the drugged
cigar.
1t was late in the afternoon of the fol
lowing day when I awoKe, and intensely
hot. went to the window and sat down
to think over the events of the evening
before. AS did SO l remembered where
I had first seen that man-at the window
| of the house back.
Looking over, saw sitting at that
| identical basement window, writing, that
very same red bearded rascal and would
| be murderer. l watched him closely and
saw how easy it would be for me to jump
out of my window, run across the court
yard and seize him.
| Looking around to see if there was a
man in sight to come to my assistance in
the struggle, sense of coincidence over
came me. Everything was the same as 1t
had been that first afternoon when saw
| him. The children were fighting on the