Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-04-09

Z
street dav before yesterday, too--they
have moved to Cincinnati, he and his
wife. since then-and he told me be-
fore we parted that never since tnat
night has he had such a scare, and
whenever he has q nightmare nova
days it is always about the poor chap
who spoke after he was Dead
THE EXPRESS MESSENGER'S
STORY.
A second bottle having been brought
and opened. a little inward cheer was
imbibed. and the express messenger
settled back in his chair as if he were
fun OF q good story or two which he
would not be ayeTSe TO telling himself.
What are You thinking OFF, asked
the physician. and the other, who has
some three OF four States in his charge,
including Ohio, laughed and fingered
his mustache thoughtfully
Il was just going back to my
younger days for the time being" said
he. and trying to recall o peculiar
experience ! had out West in the lat
ter part of the 'I0S. | was then, as
the doctor says he was once on q time,
holding down q station job which in
cluccd everything from selling tickets
to handling freight, and it was many
hundred miles from home here, which
made IL even more wearisOme. The
country was sparsely settled-sO
sparsely that if YOU found two towns
within ten miles OF each other YOU
We're doing well-and many a week /
have passed there without seeing a
soul but the one or two families that
lived near the station. We got the
papers regularly. which kept us in
touch with the world to some extent
but that was the nearest we came to
civilization in any form.
Things went on in the even tenor
Of their ways for three months, and,
Just as / was wOnderingif I could stand
it for the six that l was expected 10
put i'm out there, a sensation came to
us i'm the form Of q 'hOld-up' four towns
away. The express Gsent had been
calmly murdered in cold blood and
his safe rihed Of something like $1,000
large sum for q man 10 have in those
parts. OF course, the robbery excited
the country far and wide, and l was
kept busy answering questions for the
next twenty-fCur hours after the news
reached our station, while my paper
with the account Of it on the front
page. was worn into rags before they
were through talking about the aIalr
Three days later the town next to
the first, and only two away from MS
was startled by q similar robbery, and
though in this case the masked men
did not set much cash, they succeed
ed in terrOriZing the inhabitants OF
the little place to an alarming extent
All sorts of rumOrS were rlfe-that
Jesse James was going through the
country. and nothing would stop him;
that every express agent on the road
was TO be killed without mercy, and
lot of ret like that 10 which l paid no
attention of course. Naturally enough,
however. I began TO feel little nery-
Gus. and 70 keep better watch than
I he'd done before on my work and my
self. I didn't care 10 have any seance
with q robber If I could help II, and
if I could manage 10 get the drop on
him by q little previous precauuon /
intended 10 do So My pistols were
cleaned and placed handily, and the
doors an perfect as 70 locks and bolts.
Two more days passed, and then
the town next to our station came IN
for it's share of excitement The agent
was dubbed into insensihility about
o'clock one evening. and his safe open
ca and his cash appropriated. The
robbers escaped. as they always did,
and the poor fellow whom they had
battered up died the next day. Things
were getting serious now, and. as my
station was evidently the next 10 be
attacked. / acknowledge I grew q triie
nervous over the prospect \ day or
so passed. and then one night my turn
came. Ii was warm and summerlike
outside. and / longed more than once
10 omen the window, but l refralned
from doing so and worked on with one
cor ont Tor any unusual sound that
might be heard. The little office was
emptv. save for a couple OF crates
marked keep cool which had come
mn on the afternoon train and which
Z had placed in the coolest place I
could md about the station, and l was
inst putting my cash in the safe fer
the night thanking my stars that
nothing had occurred 10 make me feel
the uup!easant effects of being held
up. when. 'as I stopped TO lock the door
of the safe itself, thud. something
struck me On the back. I give YOU
nv word for il. for minute my head
SWAN. I was SO startled and frighten-
ed NV pistol was on top Of the safe,
but I was bending down. and | knew
the moment l made any movement 10
Ger IL / would be laid low with bull
leu or q club, and for a second | felt
my heart seeking my boots Then l
summoned all my courage up ana
turned around.
THE room was empty. Not sign
of q robber or mask or pistol in my
face. nothing except as l had lett 1t
when l went to the safe. For awhile l
felt like kicking myself for my mag
ination. and I stopped agaln TO close
The sale-and again that sharp blow
came over my back. This time l
sprang uD ready TO fight. with pistol IN
hand. and this time there was nothing
10 hght either, Ii was getting inter-
esting now. for l felt those blows as
rI9iuiv as / have ever felt anything,
Vet there was nothing, positively moth
ing TO he seen. The crates near the
safe were still there, my desk. chair,
hook case. ticket shelves, and all
nothing different, and no one IN the
room. / walked unsteadily to the door
opened it ana looked cautiously out
Not q soul in sight. l came back. and
for the third time stopped and tried to
lock the safe.
"This time l succeeded, but q second
after. cracNl something cold and clam
my struck me on the neck and whiri-
ed. with my hair on end. to see what IL
ash 81 hfcr green frog