The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-01-19


casIons to the room OF amazing wealth.
lie accepted the alligator bag without
complaint. and counted the bills. one
by one, as they were passed over to
him by Hank and his assistant. There
is no doubt that he detected the false
bottom OF the grip. but he gave no
signs OF II. He counted the money as
Hank passed II over to him and poked
Il into the lImltless nav Of the alli-
gator handbag as seriously as II he
suspected nothing.
When he had been paid over the
5000 0O0 all in 50-dollar bills, and had
poked them into the grip TO be waited
down through the pipe TO the room /
below, he reached into his pocket for
his wallet and after fumbling about
bit pulled out the bottle Of drugged
whisky and sat It upon the table.
Gents" he said. with gravity, Tets
take drink in honor Of the occasion
never close a trade Of any size with
out taking a drink II makes II easier
to pay over money to have a little
stimulapt inside" Hank and his pal
were so greedy to get their hands on
Boggs coin and get rid Of the farmer
that they readily consented, 50 each
of them took a long pull at the flask
and passed Il back to Boggs, who held
it out at arms length, shook II to
make il bead, and gazed as fondly
and lovingly at It as does love-lorn
young man at his sweetheart.
He didn't drink It at first. but began
to talk. rambling along about how he
got his start in the world and how he
made his first dollar and the luck he
had and the like until the effects OF
the liquor began to work on the two
crooks. They were soon in frame OF
mind bordering on oblivion and Boggs
made a feint Of drinking from the bot
tie and pressed them to have another
pull at It. They accepted without
much urging. This was the last straw,
and before either OF them realized it
they crumpled up in their chairs and
tumbled out upon the floor. Boggs
was ready for the occasion and gagged
and handcuffed both.
He examined the grip and saw
where the money had gone. Then he
secured the keys to the room below
from the recumbent Joe. let himself in
and secured the basket Of money
which he stuffed into the grip. after
attending to the hole in the bottom
so that there was no danger of it leak
ing.
He locked the sleepers in their
room and made his departure. not,
however, until he had learned from the
street lamp at the corner the location
of the house He caught the midnight
train for his country home.
The next morning the chief of the
secret service at Washington received
collect telegram informing him that
two green-goods men with halftone
plates of bills of three denominations
would be found In a room upon the
third floor OF certain house in New
York city. This telegram was for
warded to me, as | ehanced to be in
the city at the time, and made an in
vestigation. / found Hank and Joe
still sleeping and captured the plates
and enough packages OF green paper
with bills upon the top and bottom te
send Hank and Joe up for long terms.
Boggs was never prosecuted. Before
we secured a confession from the two
,, men he had buncoed so neatly, he ha(
: cashed out his properties in I,ouisiani
and left for parts unknown. There wa
really no charge against him but th'
stealing of the money from the tw'
criminals, and neither Of them cares
, to prosecute him on that score. The!
seemed to realize, in rough sort 0
/, equitable way, that they deserved wha
they got, and think both of them hal
> a higher regard for Boggs because 0
1t. They gave me a good description
of Boggs and told me of several littl
!. peculiarities of speech and manne
: which he possessed, and am sur
! that | met up with him down in Mex
:. co some years later. He was hight
respected manufacturer and ranch
! owner then, and reputed to be tn
wealthiest man In the state Of Sonors
tried to draw him out or trap mir
: into saying something about the inc
dent with the men in New York, bu
he was too smooth for that ruse t
> work He spoke of New York freel,
but never without laughing and / al
!, sure that his mirth was induced b
!. the memory of the trick he turne
there on the green-goods men.
Copyright. 1908. by w. O. Chapman.l