Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-10-31

"A man 10 a fool who keeps pegging
away at day labor for the money he OBJ
tains. Look at the men who make big
fortunes here In the city, How do they
do It? BY day labor? Not much! Ha!
ha! ha! They find an easier and quick
er way. / have helped lots of young
men to good pots and ! can help you
4 will nelp you, for ] have taken a
liking to YOU"
| was startled, and did not know
what to say. He did not give me much
time to speak.
There is more In the life insurance
business than appears on the surface"
he went on, 81 am not plugging in
this business, but am making hauls,
and when / make haul somebody
shares with me. You may as well be
one to share in pot"
II don't think understand YOU" y
stammered.
Come on, let's go out where we can
get something to cool our threats. I
will explain"
We went out to a saloon. I was rot
in the habit Of tasting liquor, but, in
his bland and persuasive way, he In.
duced me to take something. Some
how, I could not refuse, and took
something several times.
l was somewhat befogged when re-
turned to the fiat alone. Aubry had
found that he must leave the city by
a certain train that would not permit
him to go back and await his mother,
and we had parted.
In hazy way I remembered the
scheme he had proposed to me--a
scheme in which I had almost agreed
to play part 1t was the now we'll
known trick of insuring under a false
name and disappearing. Evidence Of
death could then be produced, and the
insurance money obtained. This money
was to be divided.
OF course l was the subject, and
swear Aubry Sparrow had made 1t seem
like a shrewd piece Of business, rather
than a fraud, for he had explained the
plots Of Wall street money kings, which
were quite as crooked, yet escaped the
ban of the law.
He was to be in town again two days
later, and the project was then to be
carried through, in case l had the re-
CURED nerve.
When 1 reached the fiat I found
two men waiting there. They followed
me up the stairs and walked in with
out the least ceremony This made me
rather angry, and I think I should
have fought them both on the spot IL
they had not explained that they were
particular friends Of Mrs. Sparrow
/ explained that she might not be
home for a day or two, but they both
assured me she would arrive very soon.
They were right; she came within an
hour.
Mrs. Sparrow was very much sur
prised to behold her visitors at that
hour of the night or rather morning,
and she was more surprised when they
grasped her and informed her she was
their prisoner She seemed inclined t.
resist, and was on the point of wading
into them both, when one Tipped back
his coat and showed a detectives
shield.
Well, the result was they made Mrs.
Sparrow change her clothes for male
attire, and she came forth altered in
appearance-so much altered, in fact,
that I cried: t..
"Aubry Sparrow"
EYES," said one of the detectives.
''He is very slick, and he makes up as
a nice old lady. His true name is Hol-
colmb, and he is wanted for several big
insurance swindles, to say nothing Of
three or four murders. He has killed
a few Of his accomplices in order to
obtain the insurance on their lives, but
it is recently that absolute proof
against him has been obtained. He was
keeping shady, but we succeeded in
nosing him out here. presume you
were to become another of his victims.
You had narrow escape"
A narrow escape truly, and l had
been taught very good lesson-one
that never forgot.
Months later I saw Holcomb tried
for murder, convicted, and sentenced.
He was not electrocuted, as he found
way to commit suicide before the
time for his execution arrived. The
newspapers were filled with accounts
of his crimes, and the nice. motherly
Mrs. Sparrow proved to be the king
of cold blooded villains.