The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-07-17
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rcopyrirht, l9oa. 81 6. =. LewIs.l

without adventure. My instructions
were simply to look out for every
body" / was twenty three years old
and pretty well pusted on the way
4 crooks worked the express cars.
| I wish TO explain to You that the
I contracts with the railroads In those
| days only called for one-tliird or one
half the baggage car. Rates were
| high, and nor one-twentieth part Of the
stun now shipped went by express
| then. Sometimes l had nothing at all
except the small iron safe in which
| the money was carried. The baggage
man, therefore. occupied the same car.
and the conductor and brakeman We're
privileged to pass through or sit down
on the trunk for chat and a smoke.
As the run was at that particular
date, we reac:.g.! Susquehanna, going
west, ut 10 o'clo : at night ana re-
manned about thirty minutes. After
receiving my express matter l was
free to lock the car IL the baggage
man was not there and so out for
cup of coffee at the lunch counter. II
my companion was too busy to get
away, as was often the case, he kept
his eyes open on my corner. AS tho
safe was locked and chained there
was little fear of anybody getting
away with it.
on April 90, 1860, had about $5O,-
GOO on the run west At Honesdale,
where we had six minute stop, two
strangers got into wrangle with the
baggage man about trunk and nearly
killed him by n blow from coupling
pin He had TO be left behind. while
a brakeman took his place. had not
yet spoken TO the Inter, and we
scarcely knew each other by sight, as
~, or 1fat fa11
train and he had been on that run
only two or three weeks.
AS the train stopped at Susquehnnna
1 ran back about square to small
restaurant after my usual piece of pie
1 had got it and turned to go when
man who was going in struck me
blow under the ear and laid me out.
he explained to the restaurant man
that had insulted him and then walk
ed away. 1t was fifteen minutes be
fore recovered sufficiently to make
my way back to the train, and then
speedily discovered that there had
been n put up job all around. The
quarrel with the baggage man had
been brought about to get him out of
the way had not been absent over
three minutes when man. whom the
brakeman supposed to be me from his
general appearance, entered the car,
with sandwich In his hand, sat down
on my stool and ate it and then asked
him to help get the safe OF and into
wagon backed up to the car. He knew
nothing of the express business and
readily compiled and saw the vehicle
drive Off with me seated on the safe.
1t was a bold piece Of work, as your
admit, and 1t was the holiness of 1t
that disarmed suspicion The wagon
H%sNe1T MI ON
tered the car, and 1t took me another
i've minutes to convince the brakeman
that I was not an fmpostor. BY the
time l Ind hunted up the conductor
and we had found an officer the wagon
had about half an hour start of us.
The only clew to be had was from a
boy. He had noticed the wagon. which
was drawn by one horse. come up
about quarter of an hour before train
time He had noticed it because the
driver almost drove over him and then
swore at him; also because the tire on
one of the hind wheels was loose. and
the man pounded it on with stone
while waiting md tried to find water to
pour on the wheel. He had seen the
outfit backed mp to the car. but had not
noticed 1t drive of.
To say that I was half crazy would
not be an exagEeration. / set OF up
the street leading to town without any
definite idea of where was going or
what was going to do. 1t was abb
surd, of course, to think of overtnklng
the wagon. but I hurried on just the
same. When reached u public square
and found four streets branching oil
took the one to the left and made no
halt. had gone about four blocks
from the square and was running n
90 OF VIII n
called to me from the sidewalk:
Say, mister. nre you nfter that ere
boss an wagon which went up that
way2"
Eyes. yes. Did 1t go this way?"
'She did, an the fellows had to git
down here an fix wheel. What
made you git leftT'
pushed on without stopping to an
swer the question. If obliged to stop
for the tire 1 might overhaul them If
my wind held out
was out of the town and into the
country In half a mile more, and as
ran on / suddenly came upon the horse
| and wagon-the horse tied to the road-
side fence and one OF the wagon
wheels completely gone. The tailboard
| of the wagon was down, and right
there the rail- fence had been flung
aside to open u passage. The night
was not SO dark but that could mike
out the trail OF the safe as it was
dragged along. There was strip OF
plowed field and then forest, and got
sight of the men midway OF the held.
ran directly Mt them, shouting and
firing my revolver as 1 advanced. and
they took leg bail for it and disap-
peared in the woods.
One of them was arrested two weeks
later, and through him we learned the