The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-07
$4,000 Found in a Sleeping Car.

ma $1,000 in a sleeping carp man who
had the courtesy of the club, asked one
of the members, according to the Phila-
delphia Ledger.
why do you say in a sleeping carp +"
returned the member. why not leave
that off? What has that to do with it?'
That's part of the story" rejoined the
guest, land, what is more, the story
concerns poor Eugene Field. That is, he
was in the story. And 1 reckon it was
his honesty that spoiled one mans antici-
pations."
There was crowd going UP from ST.
Louis to Kansas City. Eugene Fields
Tom Parks, a prominent politician in the
state, General Hough, afterwards on the
supreme bench in Missouri: Col. James
n. Burnes, congressman, and several
others, were in one sleeper. When the
train got to some polnt-I don't remember
the name now-one of the sleepers were
cut out of the train, and several people
who We're in the woods with Field and his
party had to leave that coach and get
into the one that was TO be cut out A
passenger, who was in the same coach
with Field and his friends had stepped
into the smoking room in order to make
way for some people who were going into
the coach that was about to be cut off
AS he did so he saw a pocketbook on the
seat, and, of course, picked it up Any
man would do that The man put the
wallet into his pocket and sat down. When
the train was under Roadway again he
opened the poke book. 1t contained five
$1,000 bills, few private papers, on which
there was nothing to indicate the name of
the owner; a lock of hair in a tiny en-
Velope and tiny ring in which there
was a setting of a peculiar stone.
AS the train drew near Kansas City,
the finder of the poke tbook grew uneasy.
AT first he had calculated to himself He
a n tcroc aOf T;+tI
and be was engaged to be married. The en-
gagement had been twice postponed on
account of his financial condition Here
was a way out of it all. No one could ever
possibly know how he obtained the
money.
Men who have become hardened by
crime tell us that their first offense was
! the most difficult. This man had never
| done any wrong of any criminal charac-
| ter but the more he thought of his pos
| session of this money and keepsake, the
| more his conscience smote him. He knew
| Field by reputation. He left the smoking
] room and went to the seat where Field
| was stretched out, and introduced him
| sell. A pleasant chat resulted, and it
| came about singularly enough, that Field
| said something about having to write a
birthday poem for little girl in Denver.
| lie complained that he had not been able
| to feel sufficiently inspired to do it. The
new acquaintance opened the pocketbook
| and took out the little braid of hair and
said:
Maybe this will help YOU
| Field looked at it and said something
| tender about it. Your little girls hair?'
he asked.
''The new acquaintance said no.
| 1T is the same shade of hair as that
| Of the little girl for whom have to write
this poem said Field.
THE new acquaintance took out the
| ring. Maybe this will help you,' he said.
! Field took it and almost instantly
| raised himself up straight and said "Why
this is singular! The stone in this ring is
the only one of the kind I ever saw like
the one which is in the ring of the little
| girl or whom I have been telling you.
was with her father when he bought it,
| And he was on this train this morning
and got off at the station where they cut
out one of the cars. Poor fellow! He has
just buried his wife, and is on his way
back to Denver to his little girl, who is
there with her grandmother And he
asked me just before he left to write the
poem for the little one Really, my
friend, you have come to my relief in
time. All this brings back to me the lit
tie one who was so fond of me-
| THE stranger remained few moments
and returned to the smoking room. Later
he sought Fred again, and asked him the
name of his Denver friend, and where he
certain where his Denver friend could be
reached Immediately, but he could ascer-
tain when he got to Kansas City
" l WISH said the stranger, you would
try to find where he is. 1 have his
pocketbook, containing $1,000, this braid
of hair and this ring
He then explained how he came into
possession of the property. Fields bic
eyes looked into those of the stranger.
and he said
" 1t may be the property of some one
else
The stranger did not know certainly
but he thought it was the property of the
Denver friend of Field When the train
reached Kansas City, Field and the stran-
ger went to the telegraph office and a mes
sage was rushed over the wires to a GER
tain station, to be delivered to a certain
name on the arrival of certain train
The pocket book was left with Field 70
forward in case it should be the pronertv
of his friend. The stranger said he womb
call on Field later.
Fields message was answered. Tho
property was that of his friend. If was
forwarded. The stranger never returned
TO call upon Field, and Field told me that
ne mad forgotten the strangers name and
even his face, but that he never could for
get the incident, and that it created a ne
culiar sensation which he could nor ex
pam. knew the man and his circun
stances but l never told Field did"