Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-10-27

y >..S.1kz.f2 Ieuurheu Odlu-
W "a hurst, the detec
=; E4- tive, with a
d. I smile, as he
- cN-- caught my eye
= e wandering for
"a @SsaaassS the fifth time to
the big bird perched, with outspread
wings, on the top of his bookcase.
"Have another cigar, and 1 will tell
you how [ came by him. The tale is
odd and will interest you, I think.
at happened in 1915 The great
and popnlous State of Missouri was
then little moro than a thinly settled
wilderness. Travelling was done
mainly by stage and saddle. There
were a few main roads, leading for
long distances through woods and
prairie; but for the most part the
country was wild and uninhabited.
Father, at that time, lived about
forty miles from the present site of st.
Louis, in little frontier community
called st. Regis. believe the name
has been changed since. I haven't
been back there for half century
Father was storekeeper and postmas-
ter. was his only child, and, at the
time I am telling you about, was a kid
of fourteen.
cone day the mail carrier rode up
to the store in a state of great excite
ment. He tumbled off his horse and
came into the store, pale, and hardly
able to speak.
"'What's the matter, Corrigan?
asked my father.
Matter, sor? The miscbiof's to
pay An imp of sathan dropped upon
Out The clear sky, sor, an wild
pistol to each wan av me ears, towld
me to drop the mail bag in the road
an ride for me life, widout vance
:" And you obeyedY
"'Av coorse Oh did Win the evil
wan himself has the drop on a man
loike that, do yez think it would be
healthy for him to stop an palaver
No, sorl Oh cut loose the mailbag,
and the fiend dropped off me horses
flank, an the fates be praised Dim
alive to tell yez the tale
Ibid you not get glimpse of the
man?'
"'The man? No, sorl Dim tellin
yez it wasn't n man at all It was q
foul fend or Oi'll ate me head. How
could a man light upon me horses
back from behind, widout sound av
warning? The first Ting Oh knew,
the imp had his shootin' irons in me
ears; an whin he sphoke the schmell
av his voice was like sulphur. U-r-r-r,
Worra, worra! Tim Corrigans no
coward, PLACE God, whin it comes tc
d'alin' wild man or haste. But the Old
Scratch himselfs another thing"
1.-THE news spread like wildfire
through the little community that
burly Tim Corrigan had been robbed
Of the mail. Twelve or fifteen men
and boys soon gathered at the store
and party was made up, headed by
my father, to ride back to the scene
of the robbery and see if any trace O.
Tins 'fiend' could be discovered
Tim himself, at first, refused to go
He was entirely demoralized by super
stitious fear. But upon promise of
body-guard and safe place at tn,
rear, he finally consented to be one O
the party.
''The mail bag was found at the ex
act spot indicated by Cor
open and rifed OF
JS5lrte; >75.aaist4;.
of value and enclosures of money. bu
not the slightest trace of the thief coulC
be discovered. There were no print
of horses hoofs, save those OF TIL
animal ridden by Corrigan himself
Neither could mans footprints b.
found, nor a trail in the bushes besid
the read. An old Indian fighter il
the party searched long and carefully
but even his trained eye failed to dis
cover a sign. The affair was mys
terry, and Tins theory of the agenc,
of the Evil One began, covertly, t
gain some ground.
"This strange highway robbery
however, was only the first of man.
of similar character which, from tina
time on, amazed and terrified tn
pioneers throughout that section. TIL
paymaster of numbering gang wa
mysteriously pounced upon and re
lieved of $500 in small bills. A farme
returning from the gristmill lost tn
little roll of money that represente
nearly all his seasons earnings. .
surveyor separated from the rest {
his party, felt suddenly death-lik
grip about his neck that frightened re
lentlessly until he lost consciousness
When he recovered he found his il
strument, his. watch, and his littl
store of cash all gone. 1t was gettin
to be as much as mans life was wort
to venture alone into the woods.
I'm every case it was noted that til
mysterious assailant attacked onl