Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-26
DAILY. STORY.
THE MAN WITH THE
ZEBRA WAISTCOAT.

1 Ol tlie Dduh, WHO udu Sent lOI Inc "
come to his private Office, 1--WE have
| $4,000 to go to NJ. today. and 1 have
a mind to send it by you. Would you
care to undertake the delivery"
/ didn't like the job, for we were In
| the far west, where desperadoes
| abounded, and if one of them suspect
| ed / had so large an amount with me
| murder would not stand in his way to
possess it. But If wished promotion
in the bank it would never do for me
to finch at such an offer, which was
| really an order. So / accepted the
charge.
/ left the bank with thirty $1,000
bills in large pocketbook in the breast
pocket of my coat OF course from the
start 1 had my eye on everybody in
sight, wondering If some one of them
was not intending to rob me. One per
son arrested my attention from the pc
culiarity of his appearance. He was
standing on the bank steps when /
went out looking carelessly up the
street He wore green spectacles, a
very shabby dress suit and a plug
hat.
his apparel was a waistcoat with
stripes resembling those of zebra.
He was evidently down on his luck and
had picked up his clothes piecemeal,
where he could find them cast off from
their original owners. He paid no at
tention to me. Indeed, / had NO evil
dence that he was aware of my ex-
istence
Going to my room, took suit case
full of clothes and on emerging noticed
the man with the zebra waistcoat on
the opposite side of the street looking
in at a shop window. His back was
to me, and l kept my eye on him till
1 had turned a corner. In this way l
made sure he had not seen me come
out of the house nor during my going
away from it. Proceeding to the sta
ton, 1 boarded the train, and as it
rolled out the car door opened, and
who should step in but the man with
the zebra waistcoat.
He gave me glance as he took his |
seat, and l knew he had spotted me |
for a victim. But why this fantastic |
attire? Then it all rushed upon me |
suddenly. 1t was to attract my atten- |
tion from some confederate who was |
keeping me in sight and who doubt |
less had informed him of my proceed |
ing.
They could only have received |
the information of my bearing the |
money from some one in the bank who
had let 1t out for gain or unintention
ally
My heart sank within me. But we
are all natural gamblers, and l at once
laid out game for my money and my
life. picked up my suit case. which /
had deposited on the floor, and held it
on my lap. Then l went to the water
cooler for a drink. carrying the suit
case with me. Next l changed my
seat. never for moment letting the
suit case out of my hand. Finally l
opened it, pretending to make sure as
1 did SO that no eye was upon me. and,
thrusting my hand in between the
clothing, gave evidence by my express
sion that what sought was there.
Meanwhile an ugly looking man in
wooden shirt and sombrero went and
sat down by the man with the zebra
waistcoat, and the latter gave him
some piece of information which I
was sure referred to the money being
in the suit case. Not feeling that my
effort to throw the men off the scent
would avail-for when they robbed me,
not finding the money where they ex-
pected it, they would force me to pro-
duce i'll concluded to get off the
train at the first stop. l did so and
saw the two men standing on the plat
form as we'll AS the train moved on
stepped aboard, and my followers
re- entered at the other end of the car.
l looked about me to see If there
was any one on whom I could rely for
help. There were not half a dozen
persons, and they would all be fright
aned out of their wits the moment the
attack was made. / saw my enc
mics consulting earnestly and felt sure
the blow was about to fall. The train
was running through sparsely set
lied country. While looking out of the
window / saw a short distance ahead
4 man standing in a field holding three
horses. Suddenly the man with the
zebra waistcoat sprang up, seized the
0ell coId and pulled it vigorously. 1t
that at the same time the
conductor came into the car for tick
ITS. The brakes were put on, and the
rain slowed up. The conductor, see
ng no reason for stopping, angrily
gave signal to proceed
Like whirlwind the two men dash
ID past me and as they did so seized
ny suit case. Carrying it with them.
hey jumped off the train just as it
vas moving on witt accelerated speed.
saw them run for the horses. All
and as they dashed away
he man with the zebra waistcoat held
he suit case aloft triumphantly and
waved his plug hat
/ explained the matter to no one,
,eeping my secret till had delivered
he money and rotIrrnd 1rhnn I told