The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-09-25
A NARROW MARGIN.
story of n Man Who Stood a slippery
Place and Was Saved


Place and Was Saved
Were you ever suspected of muir
der?" inquired a government official of
a reporter.
Never responded the reporter, as
calmly as if questions of that character
were his daily food.
''Well, | 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 l was about 20 or there
abouts," he said, Il was hard case. ]
don't know why, because my family
We're decent people and had some mon
ey; butsomehow flew the track and be
fore had attained my majority was Il
gambler, a drunkard. and generally a
tough character, though up 10 the time
of which | am about to tell had never
been in the hands of the law. Living
in my neighborhood was n 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 aboui
sunset. as | Was coming To town afoot.
] met him walking to the station.
He stopped me, much to my surprise,
and asked me if l had any money, he
cause If | had he would sell me his
watch for almost nothing. as he was go
ing to the city unexpectedly and need
ed cash. AS it happened ! had two ten
dollar bills and three fives which | re-
ceived from the station agent not an
hour before, and as the mans watch
was a good gold one l thought had
chance to turn an honest penny-sOme-
thing | didn't do very often. So |
opened negotiations. Several persons
we knew passed us we were dicker-
ing, and at last / went on home with the
watch and he went to the station with
$25, including $40 bill with the sta
tion agents name on il, i'm red ink.
which had caused a part of our delay
in the trade. as he didn't want il and
insisted that he take it,
''As il 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 sta
tion, and a mile from where we had met
and made our trade. and il was evident
that he had been robbed, for his pockets
were turned inside out and everything
taken. Ny connection with the matter
did not strike me until the day after.
and was arrested on suspicion. i was
50 badly ratified by the shock of an
rest on such a charge that | made my
ease worse by talking, and when tie
mans watch was found ON me and it
was known that / had been tre1tinp
the crowd the night of the murder. L
hadn't any show at all.
"Of course ! protested my innocence
and told my story, but people took il
with little grace, for my character was
known. and after an examining trial
was jailed without bail. What-I suf-
fered nobody except myself can know,
and before a week had passed had
made up my mind to commit suicide
and end the whole thing. 1 am sure |
would have done 50, but providence had
something else in store for me. and scEt
il 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 so bill was found
him bearing the station agents
name.
THE officer who searched him was Il
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
iokingly asked him what to do to make
it good. The next move was to make a
few inquiries of the stranger as to how
he came into possession of the money.
This was done by waiting until next
morning when he was sober. and charg-
ing him directly with the murder IL
was so sudden that he weakened on the
spot, as most murderers will, and the
result was that l was saved. Saved in
more senses than one. too" concluded
the official. "for from that day lived a
new life. and thank God | have never
fallen into evil ways since, and that was
30 years ago"
How do you explain the notion to
have the station agents signature on
the bill and your insisting on the man
taking itF' inquired the writer
God moves in mysterious way His
wonders To- perform was the reverent
reply.
And the man who did not want to
take the marked bilI?''
He was running away from Justice
He had spent every dollar of a fund be-
longing to an orphan and had been
allied to an accounting g."-Washington
Star.