Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-07-29
BY ANARROW


BY ANARROWMARGINl
HOW A MANS LIFE WAS SAVED BY A
MARKED $40 BILL.
Accused of Numbering Neighbor, and
the Circumstantial Evidence Was Very
Strong-A Government Official Tells Why
He Changed His Ways.
"Were You ever suspected OF muir
der?" inquired government official OF
q Star reporter.
"Never, {" responded the reporter as
calmly as if questions Of that pleasing
character were his daily food
swell, I was once, and if you have
any feelings at all you need never want
to be-.
The reporter nodded for the official to
proceed, and the official proceeded.
"When I was 30 or thereabout, - he
said, 1T was hard case. 1 don't know
why, because my family were decent
people and had some money, but some
how flew the track, and before 1 had
alta .4ed my majority was a gambler,
a drunkard and generally tough char
acter, though up to the time am about
to tell of had never been in the hands
of the law. Living in my neighborhood
was a man whom hadn't much use
for, and it was known we were not
friends, though we were on speaking
terms and had some business relations.
Our town was about three miles from
the railroad station, and one November
evening, just about sunset, as l was
coming to town afoot, I met him walk
ing to the station.
''He stopped me, much to my sur
prise, and asked me if had any money,
because if had he would sell me his
watch for almost nothing, as he was
going to the city unexpectedly and
needed cash. AS it happened, had two
$40 bills and three S., which I had re-
ceived from the station agent not an
hour before, and as the mans watch
was good gold one thought I had
chance to turn an honest penny, some
thing didn't do very often. So opened
negotiations. Several persons we knew
passed us as we were dickering, and at
last I went on home with the watch, and
he went on to the station with $25, in
Guiding a $40 bill with the station
agents name on it in red ink, which
had caused part of our delay in the
trade, as he didn't want it, and I in
sisted that he take it
GAS it turned out, he had reason
for not wanting it, and can't say why
was so anxious for him to take it.
Well, next day the mans dead body
was found in the woods quite near the
station and mile from where we had
met and made our trade, and it was
evident that he had been robbed. for his
pockets were turned inside out and ev-
erything taken. My connection with
the matter did not strike me until the
day after when was arrested on suspi-
cion. I was so badly ratified by the
shock Of the arrest Oh such a charge
that made my case worse by talking,
and when the mans watch was found
on me and it was known that l had
been treating the crowd the night Of
the murder, hadn't any show at all.
'tOf course protested my innocence
and told my story, but people took it
with little grace, for my character was
known, and after an examining trial I
was jailed without bail. What l suf
fered nobody except myself can know,
and before a week had passed I had
made up my mind to commit suicide
and end the whole thing. l am sure
would have done SO, but providence had
something else in store for me, and sent
it by a stranger. This man was arrested
as drunk and disorderly ten days after
my arrest, and when he was searched
in the station house d $40 bill was found
on him bearing the station agents
name
1.-THE officer who searched him was
friend of mine, and as soon as he got
his hands on the bill he thought he had
found way out Of my difficulties and
went after my lawyer. Then they saw
the station agent, and he identified the
bill as the only one he had ever put his
name on, and remembered that had
jokingly asked him to do it to make it
good. The next move was to make
few inquiries of the stranger as to how
he came into possession Of the money.
This was done by waiting until Text
morning, when he was sober, and charg-
ing him directly with murder. 1t was
SO sudden that he weakened on the spot,
as most murderers will, and the result
was that was saved. Saved in more
senses than one, too,' concluded the
official, for from that very day lived
new life, and, thank God. have
never fallen into evil ways again, and
that was 80 years ago"
''How do you explain your notion to
have the station agents signature on
the bill, and your insisting OIL the man
taking it?" inquired the writer
God moves in mysterious way his
wonders to perform, - was the reverent
reply.
"And the man who did not want tc
take the marked bill?''
"He was running away from justice.
He had spent every dollar of a fund be-
longing to an orphan, and had been
called to an accounting. Washington
Star.