The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-05-08

not take me half minute to do all
this. Then I waited. IL was but a
few seconds, but it seemed hours. I
heard the roar of the approaching
train. Then the engine dashed past
me. shall never forget the row of
lighted carriages passing about a foot
away from me-closer than even that,
1 suppose-and hanging and waiting
for the crash to come.
And it came. There was dull thud
"A whirr and rush, aud all was dark.
When | came to my senses l was ly-
ing on the floor of the postal van.
Two men in their shirt sleeves were
busily engaged in sorting letters at a
rack ] felt bruised and stiff all over,
and 1 found that my left arm was
bound in a sling made out of hand
kerchief.
"Where are .we?" I asked.
They turned around.
ooh, you've come to, have you?"
said one of them. "Now, perhaps,
you'll give an account of yourself
It's precious lucky you're here at all,
let me tell you, for if you had been
taller man we should only have got
part of you in the net. As it is, you've
got your collar bone broken. We've
tied it up bit. Now, perhaps, you'll
speak out; and look here, if we find
you've been lodging the police, don't
you go thinking yon'll give 'em the
slip any further. The mail van ant
a refuge of that sort"
told them the motive that had
prompted me to take the desperate
step had done. They wouldn't be-
lieve it at first. Luckily, though, I
had put the evening paper and my
diary in my pocket, so ! showed them
the paragraph and the entry. They
were civil enough then.
"Well, sir, we shall be in Silkminis-
ter about three or little after 1
hope you'll be able to save the poor
beggar. You must excuse our turn
ing to work again, and the best thing
for you will be to rest yourself"
They piled a quantity of empty
mail bags on the floor and made me
rough shake-down. Before he went
to his work again the other one
said:
"What a pity you never thought of
better way out of the difficulty than
coming in here SO sudden like"
"There was no other way"
"Yes there was, sir"
"What was that?"
"Why, you should have got the sig
mailman to telegraph to Silkminster;
he could have done it all right"
What an idiot had been, after all
However, should be in time to stop
the execution.
A little after 3 we drew up at Silk
minister station. There was police
man on the platform, and I at once
told my story to him, the result being
that we drove around to the Jail and
insisted upon seeing the Governor. OF
course, he was deeply interested in
what had to tell him, and at once
made arrangements to stop the execu-
tion. The Home Secretary was COM
municated with by means of special
wire. Fortunately, he happened to
be in town, after a couple of hours of
anxious suspense reprieve was re-
ceived from him.
"Well," said the Governor, "T don't
know which 1 ought to congratulate
most, Mr.. Fenthurst or yourself, for
you have both had most narrow
escape"
Little remains to be told. I soou
identified the condemned man as the
person whom had met in the train.
He also turned out to be the son of
my old friend, as had fully expected.
After the due formalities he was dis
charged. Suspicion having strongly
attached itself to his name, however,
he was very miserable, until about II
fortnight afterward the real murderer
was discovered and captured. Charles
Fenthurst and myself became fast
friends, and although l was fearfully
shaken and upset for some weeks after
the adventure, l never regretted the
night on which l was picked up with
the mails, Strand Magazine.