Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-07-25
ALL ON account
Of A trunk

trunk unloaded ly mistake at "A
residence on Vine SIT ct Tuesday night
was the innocent car se of great exc te-
ment, which kept fc,uily up half the
night and brought to the premises not
only a policeman buT also the district
attorney.
Shortly after the arrival of the even
ing trains one of the omnibuses was
observed to laboriously climb the hill
at the northern end of Vine street and
at the very summit to back up at the
residence of Mrs. Benjamin Cook and
proceed to unload trunk.
Mrs. Cooks first thought was that
she was getting visitor, but finding
that the trunk was not accompanied
by any one she was mystified and ask
ed for an explanation. The busman ill.,
formed her that he had been directed
to leave the trunk at No. 219 Vine
street by young man, who got off
the train at the D. L. q w. station.
but who for some reason did not wish
to accompany it. Mrs Cook was sure
that there must be some mistake, but
the busman was positive that he un-
derstood the man rightly and that he
had delivered the trunk precisely
where he had been directed to leave
it. Mrs. Cook insisted that he reload
the trunk and take it away with him,
but the man couldn't see why he
should disobey orders and despite the
woman's protestations he drove away
leaving the trunk at her house.
Mrs. Cook was the only occupant OF
the house at the time and no sooner
was she left alone with the trunk than
she became very nervous. There was
something so unusual about the affair.
All the trunk mysteries. - with their
shocking details, concerning which she
had read for many years past came to
her mind The trunk in itself was
commonplace and innocent-looking
enough, but that did not alter mat.
ters any. Finally it grew dark and
after that hour the mysterious trunk
seemed to inspire a new dread. The
woman could not get away from the
thought that she had been made the
innocent victim of some dreadful af.
fair and her imagination pictured a
thousand uncanny things that the
trunk might contain. With such a
companion sleep was out of the ques.
tion; she could not even think of re-
tiring.
She stood it until II O'Clock; she
stood it even half an hour longer and
then. at IL 80 o'clock too indignant
and nervous to stand it any longer, she
hurried down town TO seek aid from
the police. She ran across Officer Voris
and soon made him acquainted with
the whole affair.
The officer was at a loss TO know
how TO proceed. 1t was probably all a
mistake and he did not feel that he
had right to throw the trunk out CT
doors. At this juncture fortunately he
happened to run across District At
torney Major @. P. Gearhart, who ow.
ing to the extraordinary circumst-
ances of the case, agreed to accompany
the officer to Mrs. Cook premises and
conduct an investigation.
Arriving at the spot the men
closely examined the trunk there was
nothing to suggest anything shady OF
off color about it. Still, they had to
admit that the circumstances were all
very extraordinary and after carefully
considering the subject i'll all its bear.
ings, the officials concluded that tc
quiet the woman S fears, if for no 9TH
er reason, they were justified in open.
ing the trunk.
Fortunately one of the men had OF
| his ring a key which fitted the lock.
1t was moment of deep suspense a:
the key was manipulated and click.
ing sound moment later indicated
thal Vlc IOCh was ppel' nc l4u wa
raised, when there lay exposed to view
a harmless assortment of male and fe.
male wearing apparel-nothing more.
Almost at the same moment the lid wa;
reclosed and then it was found that
the ill-ftting key which had sufficed
to unlock the trunk would not relocb
it. However, the trunk had been open,
ed by those in authority.
Yesterday morning dapper young
man, who was lamenting the loss OF
his trunk, got on the trail of that par
ticular busman who had delivered the
mysterious trunk at Mrs. Cook resi-.
dence. The rest is easily told an d
shows how men can be mistaken wher
they feel sure that they are right The
stranger declares that he ordered the
trunk delivered at Bank street. The
busman is equally positive that he SAID
Vine street.