The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-09
GUARDED NINE SAFES OF GOLD.
An Express Agent Tells of an Excit-
ing Adventure at Chattanooga.

ing Adventure mt ChnttanOOga.
r. A. Mills in Cincinnati Express Gazette.
zette.
Soon after the close Of the civil war thir-
ty years ago. 1 came south to visit my old
and esteemed express friend, L. r. Nor
rison, at Atlanta. Even then the spirit of
progress had taken firm hold of the people
in that war-strickcn city, and active work
work was making things lively. Mortar
was being removed from the bricks which
had been I'm walls of houses before the
bomhardment, but were then in heaps OF
shapeless ruins. Here ana there small
structures were taking on the semblance
Of buidings-some for business purposes,
and others for dwellings. Desolation reign
ed supreme-only the Kimbal house hav-
ing been spared from the complete des-
tructiOn by order of Gen. Sherman prob
ably owing TO the fact that he used II Tor
his headquarters until after the march
to the sea" had commenced.
Merchandise, without classification, was
all carried by the Adams express com
pany and it's fast freight line, sending a
man with each loaded car.
Here l met Route Agent Beard, who Of
fered me position in the Chattanooga OF
flee, whittier / accompanied him the next
day after my arrival at Atlanta, and a
short time after my installation as an at
tache | was transferred to the cashier 8
| desk In addition to carload after carloAd
of merchandise handled by the express
| company some Of the largest conSgn-
/ ments of currency / ever saw passed
| through the office, sent from the north
and destined to southern cities-gold form
| ing the bulk of It.
Night trains were not run south of Chat
| tanooga or on the East Tennessee, Nir-
! ginia and Georgia, which brought the big
| money shipments In consequence express
| matter lay over night at Chattanooga.
Each evening, after checking in the mes
| sengers and registering waybils Tor the
morning runs north. south, and east, l
rolled myself up in my faded blue army
| blanket and, after examining my shoot-
| ing irons lay down on the crossed unter
between the waybills and cashiers de-
II was no unusual thing to check in from
| three to five through safes or gold. one
one occasion nine large safes, nlled 10
the lids lay over night in my departments
the cause why / am writing this nara
tive
on the eventful evening which brought
the nine safes when the train pulled into
| the carsheds the messenger bawled out
to me: Come and take your nine safes
Of goldW regardless of the throng OF peo-
pie present. 1 frowned at him, as much as
! 10 saw: Don't you know the company S
| rules require the utmost secrecy In the
| transaction of their busiaess?" Leastways,
after / had checked him In took the lib
erty of reading him a free lecture on the
subject. in which l was ably supported
by Capt Thatcher, the agent.
As my big office safe was not large
taken out Of the nine safes, and room
| behind my counter was too small, we were
| cOunSeled to range them along the OUT
| side of the counter. 1t required the united
| strength of four stalwart darkies to carry
each safe to the office, at the entrance to
| the carshed
Extra precautions were used to prevent
a raid on the office that night. Capt.
| Thatcher was extremely nervous. About
midnight the night Waterman gave me
the danger signal. In a few minutes the
| agent messengers, clerks, and drivers
quietly assembled in the "old boss" room
| adjoining the main Office, armed with
guns and revolvers, ready to repel an at
tack from robbers. After weary wait
of three dreary, expectant hours scout
| was sent out to the carShed to ascertain
why more than thirty armed men were
ambused in and around the premises. IL
was finally satisfactorily explained. They
were expecting to capture a horse thief
who was thought to be hiding around the
| car shed The men showed us the ready
noosed rope with which they intended to
string up their intended victim, and we
ali offered to assist if the thief was caught
| and our services needed
| You may rest assured that our deep
| drawn signs of relief were not assumed,
after we ascertained that no harm was
! intended to us or the treasure I'm our
charge The nine safes of gold started to
! their several destinations the following
! morning and were no doubt checked in
| n x without further mishap.