The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-03-06

'Time came, though, when begun
to enjoy life differently. and to feel my
self more respectable. The love for the
old life begun ter go till I could read
about it without gittin all fired up. /
thought then was all right.
''Then they come here, part of the
gang I'd belonged to. First knowed
of it was SEEM 'em in the restaurant.
'spicioned they weren't here for no
good and it most took my breath away.
They knowed me quick enough. too,
and nothin' wouldn't do but must
join 'em. was the very man they
wanted. could help 'em and was
bound to 'em. Twas the biggest thing
they'd undertaken yet; the bank.
They'd come on to examine the situa-
ton, knowing that Mr.. Durkee, the new
mill owner, would make big payment
soon and the money for it would be
III the bank here. If there warn't any
thing else, that would be big haul,
haul worth havin', and me bein' here
decided 'em.
II do think the devil brought all his
friends and relations with him that
night to tempt me. forgot how to
sleep, and just couldn't stay in bed.
wonder I warn't in tatters by mornin'
with the devil tuggin' at me as he did
and tryin':to keep me out of the room
where my sleepin' children lay.
1T makes me creep and perspire all
lover now to think of it.
"Yer see, them bank people come
over to my place for lunch best part of
the time, and they all knowed my little
people, and the mill people knowed
'em, too. My Oldest boy worked in
the mill, and they'd been as kind as
could be when he's sick. Christmas
time they's good to him, too, and there
warn't bank officer but had renlem-
bered my little people, even to the
Waterman. Seemed like robbing my
own people, somehow. rs bound not
to inform on the gang, and they's bound
to rob Their bank; but cursed 'em in
my heart for comm just when was
gettin' rid of the old life for good and
all. Twas awful!
well, judge, you know how them
rooms over the bank was rented to start
new daily paper. made 'em swear
solemn as my name warn't to appear
nowhere. I'd plan it all out and give
'em points and be on hand at the last,
but had to be cautious.
They found out when the money was
to be paid, and greed on the night be-
fore for the robbery. had it all
mapped out for 'em where and how
they was to loosen up the boards of the
floor in their room above, SO we could
break through and lower ourselves into
the vault when the time come. Then
yer see we'd only have the safe to get
into and the great iron door between
us and the Waterman.
Everything was ready. and we was
pretty sure the money was paid.
do you hear that storm now, Judge?
Twas like that ten years ago tonight,
dark as Egypt, with the rain and wind
a perfect hurricane; a terrible night;
the kind of night for any sort of crime.
The men chuckled to themselves.
Twas a fortune sure this time, and
they'd all be on the way to comfort
and safety before day. / amt never
seen 'em so excited. Nothin' hadn't
gone wrong and nothin' couldn't now.
I'VE had sentinels stationed round to
give the alarm, but there warn't much
danger on night like that.
"We had planned so as to have the
door of the safe ready to blow open
when the Waterman went downstairs to
see to his fires. knowed the time of
night he did SO, SEEM him often from,
my house across the way through the
window of the bank; but 10 make sure
we stationed man where he could give
the signal at the proper time. With the
Waterman downstairs and we shut in
| that vault, with solid masonry below
us, 'twarn't in the range of possibilities
for human to hear us.
"Twas planned that when we broke
through the ceiling, me and one of the
others was to go down first with the Ian
terms and tools and get the door ready
for Jim Groggan, the leader of the gang,
to come down and use the dynamite,
and to be on hand to take out hemoney.
1T was just the night for such piece
of work, and after had examined to
see if all was safe, KNOWN the dangers
better than the others, we broke
| through the floor and lowered the lad
der, and there we was-right in the
vault. Twas well for me I'd hit it right,
for my life warn't worth much if any o.
my plannin' failed to work.
"Tom Doolan in hurry went down
first, and when l was half way down
he started back, sayin' in a hoarse kind
of whisper:
"'Who called meY
emo one, you fool said Jim.
"Then,' he said, and he ran past me
on the ladder, some one is down there.
Twict heard some one say: go back,
L h.