The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-03-08

bly, 40 or As years Of age. and was tick
eted to Butte. where, he said, he was
| going for the purpose Of looking at a
| hotel property he desired to buy. He
claimed to have had 500. 900 In treasury
| notes and drafts In wallet which he
mad showed in the pillowcase with the
pillow, pinning up the open end and
putting that end against the side of
the car. He occupied the drawing
| room, but. owing to the heat. had left
| the door open.
1.-THE pillowcase was torn where 1t
had been pinned and was found on the
floor beside the berth, While we were
discussing the matter In excited under
tones In the drawing room. so as not to
disturb the other passengers until GER
tain the wallet had not worked out
among the bedclothes, we were star
tied by YELL or. rather, whoop. from
berth about the center of the car. and
the occupant, a wealthy Montana cat
tleman. sprang out, shouting:
Thieves! Murder! Conductor I've
been robbed! Where's my gun? Stop
the train!
"Of course the car was in an uproar
In minute. and ran forward to have
the train conductor help me subdue the
excitement and search for the thief.
ION my way to the front of the train
reused the porter. who was DOING in
the toilet room, and ordered him to
lock the rear car door and then stand
ayIo thp nd nd oil
one to enter or leave the car until
had returned with the train conductor.
when we came back, the lights had
Oeen turned on, and all the passengers
were up dressing-no women were in
the car that trip-each one looking
carefully through his belongings to see
whether anything was missing. Be-
yond the loss reported to me by the
passenger for Butte and that of the
cattleman, which, he said. was a little
more than $3,7OO, all in paper money.
nothing was missing.
although the loss of the prospective
hotel buyer was seven times more than
that Of the cattleman, the latter was
the most excited. He declared the
money had been in an envelope which
he had pinned to his undershirt. and a
long slit cut in the side Of the outer
shirt showed how the thief had secur
ed his booty. {
1.-The same passengers were in the
car as were there when we left Mime
apolis, and was positive no one had
got on at any Of the stations that night
as had locked. the rear door at each
stop, and either the porter or myself
had stood at the front door until the
train had started. when it, too, was
locked. This precaution had taken
every night since assuming my posi-
ton as conductor. Every hook and
Granny Of the car was searched for the
missing valuables, but to no purpose.
"After much talk it was finally
agreed that the two men who had
us so that no suspicion might be fas-
tened on any occupant Of the car.
When the man from Butte had divest-
ed himself of his clothes, it was no.
ticed that his chest presented curl
GUS appearance. Across the breast was
a long, livid scar, resembling heavy
welt, and the cuticle below 1t hung in
thick folds to the waist, with here and
there queer, knotty protuberances.
This condition, the man said, had been
caused by an accident, he having been
caught between a belt and rapidly
revolving shaft in a factory where he
worked in his earlier life.
"It Is hardly necessary for me to say
that this search was as fruitless in re-
suits as was the search Of the car, but
it had the effect of easing each ones
mind. No one now looked upon the
other with distrust. except that the
cattle dealer. l noticed, frowned rather
Indignantly upon the porter, which
class of individuals. as You well know.
are usually suspected of being the per-
petrators Of all sleeping car robberies.
II took the names and addresses of
both men who had suffered losses and
made a full report to the sleeping car
company and the detective agency. also
sending messages to the foremen OF all
repair gangs as far east as Minneapolis
to hunt along the track for any wallets
that might have been thrown from the
train by the thief. ..s.. s.
Despite all efforts to clear up the
robbery, it remained as deep mys-
terry as had the preceding ones. The
last heard of the incident was that
the stockman had entered suit against
both the railroad and sleeping car COM
panies. while N. o. Curtin, the name
given by the man. who. when came
to think of it, rather complacently lost
a small fortune, had dropped out of
sight. rsa. .a>. Esd
1.-THE more thought Of him and of
his actions the more it grew upon me
that the man was crooked and must
have been IN some way connected with
the theft of the stockman's money and
had really never been robbed himself.
But then, again, If he was the guilty
party, what could he have done with
the money? All. that was the mystery!
And then and there resolved to go on
the track Of Curtin, If possible. and
have him Swallowed.
1.-TWO weeks after this experience !
received telegram from the agency
to report at the head office in Chicago
without DELAY. IJDOn my arrival there