The record-union., 1896-10-17
GRIZZLY BILLS UNDOING.

"'Thrilling?" said the Major; "well,
/ should say so. 1t was the most ex-
citing thing that ever occurred 20 me.
Why, l can't even think of it now With
out shuddering a little. L was consid-
erably younger in those days than 1
am now. At the time l was tele-
graph operator and dispatcher for the
Mountain Valley Railroad Company III
q Western mining country. 1t was
wild and lawless country, and l was
not much in love with my place; put'
being poor, was obliged to accept the
conditions with the best possible
grace
"Goldton, where / was located, was
really nothing more than railroad
station. 1t was not on the main line VI
the Mountain Valley Railroad, out on
a spur which ran to the Ingot mines
Travel was not very extensive IN fact'
but one train day passed my lonely
station.
"On the 18th of every month L re-
ceived by express, for the Supeflntenu-
ent of the Ingot Mining Company the
money with which the miners were
paid off. The amount averaged pc
tween $4,000 and $4,000. On the
14th of June in that year the
Superintendent of the mines came 10
me and said:
PERKINS. the pay money will be here
to morrow as usual; but want you
TO exercise more than usual vigilance
in guarding it, as I understand Grizzly
Bill is operating in the mountains
again
''Grizzly Bill was a name to inspire
terror. The individual who bore that
unmusical soubriquet was an outlaw
of great daring and resolution; he
stopped at nothing. 1t was therefore
quite natural for me to feel little
trepidation. [ assured the Superintend-
ent. however, that l would do all in my
power to guard the money; and l
think continued the Major with some
self-satisfaction, that l kept my word
in this respect.
During the night which followed a
violent rainstorm swept through the
mountains Shortly before 10 o'clock
the next morning L received word over
the wire that the train from Pikeville
could not get to Goldton owing to a
washout below Summit Rock. 1t was
thought that the track could be made
passable by afternoon, and that the
train would reach my station before u
o'clock. l communicated these facts to
the mine superintendent by means of
an assistant, who was always at the
station during the day.
"At 3 o'clock that evening I received
a message saying that it would be i'm
possible for the train to get through be-
fore 8 or 10 o'clock the next morning. I
sent word to this effect to the mine Su-
perintendent, who, in turn, conlmuni-
Gated it to the men. Feeling rather
tired, l turned in early that night. Sleep,
however. was out of the question.
THE baggage, freight, express and
telegraph offices were all under one roof.
One corner of the big warehouse Gt was
hardly anything else) was partitioned
off SO as to make a private inclosure.
This box-like compartment I used for
sleeping eating and railroad business
The sender and receiver were affixed to
a table conveniently near my bed, and
If necessary, it was possible to take or
transmit a message without even aris-
ing. OF course I never found 1t neces-
sary to do this; I simply mention it to
illustrate the arrangement of the office
Along toward midnight the tele-
graph instrument began to click.
heard my call, opened the key and asked
what was wanted. The operator at
Pikeville wired back that the train
which had been delayed on account of
the washout had started for Goldton
and would reach there between and
o'clock in the morning. At precisely
2:43 o'clock the train steamed into Gold
ton
The express messenger alighted and
handed me a huge and many sealed
package. 1t contained 1880.
oh, that isn't ALL said the messen-
ger, with a laugh I have a box in the
car that's as heavy as lead We've
been wondering all the way up tbs
mountain what it contained
THE box was lifted from the car and
placed on end in the freight department
of the station. 1t was fully seven feet
long and four wide-horribly suggestive
of the rough box in which a coffin is in
closed. | thought of this after the train
had resumed its journey. I put the pay
money in the safe, turned the combi-
nation lock and retired. I fell into q
doze, from which I was aroused with
start by what seemed to be the ticking
of the sounder. 1t said, as clear as il
someone had spoken: Beware; danger
threatens / sat up in bed. The moor
shining brightly through the win
dow. | gaZed intently at the sounder
Tt made not the slightest motion, yet
the message came again, this time ever
more startlingly distinct than before
What could it possibly mean? I thought
that | was dreaming, but when the
mysterious message was repeated fol
the third time 1 came to a different con-
clusion. I don't believe in spiritualism
yet 1 am at loss now to ascribe thai
inexplicable communication to any
other source.
At any rate, upon hearing the third
message, my mind instantly reverted
to the huge box in the freight corner
7 he partitioning of my little apartment
did not extend as high as the roof, bu
merely to a distance Of about five fee
above the level of my bed, and by
standing on the bed / could peer over
the top and see all parts of the interior
of the station. | rose stealthily to al
erect position and looked over the ed IL,
of the partition. The first thing I saw
was the box, standing on end near
window in the extreme end of the sta
ton, and as / looked / saw it's top slow
/; rise and a mans head protrude itself
'It was a thick, brutalized face, Will
grizzled whiskers. Instantly II flashed
across my mind that it belonged t,
Grizzly Bill.
THE sight sent my heart into m!
throat with a bound, for I realized onl,
too we'll that the outlaw would stop a
nothing to get the money which h,
knew was in my possession. To hin
murder was child's play. But, after tn
first emotion of fear / felt perfectl.