The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-12-01

bearing this particular package.
From the detective standpoint /
found an interesting condition Of things
Al Atlanta. The office here WAS one Of
the naost important Of the eompany's in
the entire south, and / was surprised TO
find that the cashier in charge was an
old college chum OF mine, a member OF
the same Greek college fraternity to
which I belonged.
"Rather a curious business for liter
AIRY man to be in, Ralphr was his
friendly taunt, as / began my inyestiHa-
ton Of his Office.
For the frat time was heartily
ashamed Of my work; but / mentally re-
solved to be, II possible, relentlessly
searching in my inquiries at this point
The official records NJ Atlanta showed
that the rifed package had arrived by
the night run over the West Atlanta
railway, on Saturday night. II had
been checked into the express office and
deposited in the Office vault, with other
valuable express matter, about mid
night, less than thirty minutes after the
arrival Of the train.
At that time, all traine departing
from Atlanta on Saturday left at the
hour Of noon or later; aud it was the in
variable custom OF the express messen
gers, whose runs terminated in that
city, to repair to the Office shortly be.
fore noon, each Sunday, to check out ell
their express matter into their separate
pie boxes" as their several iron safes
were called.
This particular package had, there.
fore, as shown by the office records and
the messengers books, laid in the
vault OF the Atlanta Office for fully
twelve hours.
Might it not have been Withdrawn
any time within that period and weed
ed? Or, might it not have been dex-
trously thrown aside, in the confusion
OF night work, and rified at any time
during Sunday morning or Sunday
afternoon, at the cashiers leisureH
1t at first looked bad for the Atlanta
office; and it also looked bad for my
friend. But q time lock, set in the
presence OF half dozen employees, and
the opening Of the safe in the presence
OF several OF the same persons, dispelled
my first theory; while the second one
was shattered by the positive assertion
Of the messenger who had brought the
package from Chattanooga that he had
seen 1t deposited in the vault, aud the
equally positive assertion by the out
going messenger that he had seen the
package brought from the vault by the
cashier to the table, from which it was
checked into his own messenger safe.
"Brice," l frankly said to my old
friend, as | was about departing for the
East In an entirely discouraged frame OF
mind, Everything is as clear as rock
water here. No one in the Atlanta Of
ice has need for further anxiety"
He grasped my hand aud a look Of
splendid triumph came into his face.
IT hope" he almost chokingly said,
you will never know the misery OF
being suspected OF crime, with no way
OF dispelling the shadow, no means OF
knowing your accuser, no opportunity
OF counting investigation, without SEEM
ing, from oyer-ofliciousness, to deserve
Il; aud them" here he shook his head
accusatiyely, "sutfer the added indignity
OF having an old friend come along al
most determined to identify you with
4Su5bOht atC yOu koAAk
as far as Converly Pines"
" being the correct thing in detective
work to never let anyone know the ex-
act truth, lest your extraordinary plans
be in some way endangered, / promptly
answered:
probably not"
cidedIy;: IAN" AM I'm going to return
evil with good in your case"
He wrote rapidly at his desk for q
moment. and then beamiugly handed
me the following note:
DEAR Cox. KATE:-Here's an old college friend
OF mine. Go cd family capital fellow; away up
You girls will find him positive godsend out
there at the Pines He'Sone OF tha officers OF the
company besides. He's looking up that robbed
pacEage matter. Hope he'll and the right party
Eeyerl II It's you, Coz! But don't let him cap
t,lre your heart even II he makes you prison.
err. 10 man ever worried me so much; but
hope that his visit a. the Pines Will prove hap
py one all around. I'm trying TO make him very
welcome With With y0u a'l-t S Ss d.d nearly break
HARRY.
l hesitatcd to accept 80 breezily
written letter OF introduction, but he
passed it upon me. saying: Lovely
girl that Kate Conyerly; il she is my
cousin. I want you to get taste OF
old.fashioned hospitality at Converly
/ babe the fine fellow goodbye in
something like grateful shame at the
character OF my mission, aud left At
lanta thoroughly discouraged in my
ouest
At Greensboro the package had been
transferred, between trains on adjoin.
ing tracks, in broad daylight It was
carried to Raleigh by the messenger
who received It at Greensboro; had re.
NAMED in the Raleigh Office several
hours under conditions precluding the
possibility OF it having been tempered
with in that city; and rode with the
messenger who last handled the pack
age to South Converly, without having
discovered single hopeful clue to the
robbery.
fonnd South Converly a village only
in name. War had nearly twenty years
before swept it away by flame. A great
railway bridge across the Roanoke had
been destroyed by contendiug armies
and had not yet been rebuilt But one
structure stood where once had been
sunny and prosperous hamlet. This was
the log hut of the postmaster, general
storekeeper and express agent all in
one.
He was an ignorant, honest fellow,
morally and mentally incapable OF this
robbery, which had required an active
brain and nimbIe fingers.
"HaIIfax county, Moth Calling, haint
been til same place." no began plain
tiyoly after / mad concluded my lnvesti-
CATION of his shabby little office and