The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-18


5 was clean shaven md dcathly pale, and
! he trcmblcd visibly. With revolver
lcvclcd full at the mans face Phil
shouted:
Hands up or you are Il dead man.
The man looked into Pills face,
| glanced down the cleaning barrel of
the revolver which was within few
| inches of his nose and throw ND his
| hands.
still holding his weapon aimed ut
| the mans head, Phil thrust his olsen
| gagged hand into the mans pocket, took
| out the watch, tore the chain free from
| its fastening, Slipped watch and chain
| into his pocket, and then stcrnly said:
Go down this street and don't turn
around.
There was n deadly menace in his
tone, and the man headed westward
down the street and vanished in the
distance.
And now feeling akin to terror
came over Phil. The exhilaration of
excitement passing away left him nerv-
Gus and fearful.
"Robbcrics and murders are not un-
common in the city and in the ter
ritory about the fair grounds. Every
noise 4 stcalthy footstcp! The thief
might have confcdcratcs. He could see
afar off the light of coming car, but
could reach him? All desire to 90 to
the theatcr had left him.
"At first he walked rapidly, then
broke into run, keeping in the mid
die of the street, and heading for his
own rooms Brcathlcss, he dashed into
his wifc's presence and ncrvously
boltcd the door behind him.
what in the world is the mattcr?'
she cried.
Then he regaincd his balance With
something of pride he told her of the
crowded car, the stranger, and dra-
matically gesticulat ting with the re-
volver in his hand, he described. the re-
covery of his stolen watch
with amazement upon her face and
alarm in her voice. she exclaimed:
$50, Phil What have you done?
There is your watch upon the dresserr
And there it was lying where he re-
membered now to have laid it.
Startled, frightened, he plunged his
hand into his trousers pocket and
| drew forth-anothcr mans watch aud
| chainl
Poor Phil collapsed.
The morning papers contained an
account of peculiarly daring highway
| robbery committed the night before.
Rev. Somebody forget his nome
| from somewhere in Illinois, being in d
crowded car, had taken off his valu-
nble watch and chain-tokens of the
4 NY (f ksr Ill
and held them in his hand for greater
security. A highwayman, having
probably seen them, had boldly con-
frontcd him. The reverend gentleman
being taken by surprise and being,
moreover, man of peace, had yielded
them up under the muzzle of n re-
volver. But the police had clcws which
would lead to the detection of the per-
petrator of the outrage. The robber
was strikingly handsome man, of
fine presence and wore n full, blonde
beard. Lie had been identified by the
street car conductor, as one who, nc
companied by a wcll-dressed little
lady, had ridden with him several
times before. Also, man answering
to the same description had been seen
with the Same lady upon the fair
grounds
This finished Phil and he wired me
at my hotel to come to them. I found
them shut up in their rooms. he
wouldn't let his wife go to the restau-
rant for her breakfast. I had to ar
range to have their meals brought to
them. If ever mans appearance could
convict him, his would have sent him
to the pcnitentiary.
Il urged him to make clean breast
of the whole matter, but he would not
consent. He said it would ruin him.
Even if he could escape criminal liabil-
ity, he could not survive the ridicule
which would follow. No, he must
avoid detection.
''The first thing was to return the
property. l packed it in box and
mailed it to the police department.
The receipt of this only called out n
fresh deluge of newspaper comments
1t was sagcly announced that the thief,
forcsccing the impossibility of escap-
ing arrest, had made rcparation in q
vain effort to dcludc the detectives but
that ho was known and would be ap-
pretended within twcnty-four hours
There was great danger that the
people in the house would observe the
similarity in Pills appearance to tho
published description of the robber"
why didn't he go homc?"
81 urged him to do so and so did his
wife, but he imagined that every paper
in the country would be full Of the
story, and that his presence there
would suggest likeness which would
lead to discovery. He was like q
hunted hare. lie dared not stir from
his room. Every voice in the honse