Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-12-05
A SAILORS
KNOT
b. EDWARD N WENTWORTH

-hl. - - ~ { iAitASt S-N.-
! 200 TO the Third National bank of Cop
perton aEd get It there before o'clock
| wish you aud Williams to take 1t.
| dividing the amount between you. You
will 20 by an automobile. for which |
have sent. to Ire here in ten minutes
from Anderson's garage. You and
Williams Will. Of couise. go armed. but
don't think there Is any danger since
see no reason why any one should
know that you carry money"
1t was very well for the president TO
| say that no one would know we carried
! money. but the bank was continually
sending out funds. and Williams and |
were known as the banks messengers
We didn't know who OF the force em-
ployed In the bank might be dishonest
i and knowing when funds We're taken
to other places would supply informa-
ton to crooks that would cause rob-
berry. ."> ...-ss
had carried funds so often with
out getting into trouble that 1t seemed
to NE the pitcher that goes often to
| the well Is at last broken.
| However, Williams and started.
each with $4,000 on our persons. Our
chauffeur we had had often before
and had every confidence IN him. We
rolled out OF town and onto the road 10
Copperton. some twenty-five miles dis
| tant -
Some ten miles of the distance
had been done, when. coming to Il
sharp bend In the road, our driver slow.
| ed up to make the turn and man
jumped onto the foOtboard on each
side. each man holding cooked rf-
voIver at our heads. third man GOV.
| cred the driver and ordered him 10
stop. -.
or course we had no time to draw
and defend ourselves. and the chauf'
feur was unarmed. The first thing
the robbers. who were masked. did
was to take away our reyolyers and
the next to go through Us and relieve
us Of the bills Then they took US
into a thlck wood beside the road and.
whipping out strong cord. proceeded
to bind US so thoroughly that We
could not move hand or foot. Then
they put gags in our mouths and left
the three of US to get ont of the
scrape as best we could.
Now, had been to sea from eight
cen to twenty on sailing vessel and
knew something about the calling of q
sailor. There was one circumstance
and only one that told me the man
who tied me had been seaman
When he bound me he tied the cord
In knot that every sailor uses con-
tlnGalIy and no che but sailor would
think Of using. Fortunately for me, |
couldn't talk for the gag in my mouth
or l should have called the attention
of the others to the fact. As 1t was |
soon bethought myself that a large re-
ward would be paid by the bank for
the discovery Of the robbers and with
the clew l possessed | might more
easily win the reward myself. So !
determined to keep my counsel and as
soon as we were released to hunt FOR
a sailor or one who had been sailor
who was spending money freely.
The chauffeur. who had some false
teeth in his head. by dint Of working
his Jaws contrived to loosen them,
which loosened his gag also, and he
socn got both teeth and gag out Of his
way. So when we heard the sound OF
wheels passing on the road be set up.
shout. which brought man into
the wood. The chauffeur told him our
story. and. taking his knife. he cut
the cords that bound Us. This ena
bled me to preserve the knot that was
used in my case. and stuffed 1t into
my pocket for evidence. -.
| confess didn't feel any especial
tenderness for the president OF the
bank. who thought should have found
better ways of sending money about
than the one adopted. not only had
the obloquy of having been robbed. OF
having some suspicion cast upon me
Of being in league with the robbers.
but bad run risk Of being murdered.
Therefore I resolved on an effort to
Sct OdA Va TIC OSSAA
wrote or teiephoneG the police OF
the neighboring towns to look out for
any one of sailor cut who was spend
ing money. was soon notified Of
man who was ashore temporarily, who
had got a $500 bill changed. l slipped,
away to the town where the fellow
was. darkened my complexion, met
him In saloon. pretended to he drunk
and asked him to drink with me We
had not been long together before he
changed another bill Of large denomi-
nation. which believed had been car
rled by either Williams or me. left
him at his boarding house, but return
ed when he was asleep and before he
awakened from his drunken stupOr
had found $1O.S;I0 OF the banks money.
When he got righted again | prom
Used him light punishment if he would
peach on his comrades. He agreed.
and it turned out that the Others were
ex-cOnvicts. who had got hold OF the
sailor while ashore and led him into
the robbery. All the money except