Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1912-05-17
A Robbery
By EDUARD L. Parole

sary to make us good at the Peoples
Savings bank of Attruria. / wish you
to take it to them by train. My opin.
ion Is that the safest way to carry it is
in an ordinary suit case Its bulk
doesn't show as in the pocket. and if
you proceed as any ordinary traveller
would. not appearing watchful of your
baggage. though watching it every in
slant. you should get it through safely"
Il have great regard for your opin-
ions. Mr.. Cleverly. and If | am not
guided by them | shall at least endeav-
or to use them to my advantage"
Mr.. Murdoch took the bills. varying
from 500 to $1,000 in denomination.
and left the bank for his home. where
he made package of them in brown
paper and, throwing some clothes in
his suit case. called carriage and left
for the station. He had noticed man
standing on the street corner as he left
the bank in a checkerboard suit and
his beard cut goatee style. The person
had not noticed him, but he had no.
ticed the person. Muraock had little
fear of any one knowing that he car
ried large amount of money unless he
discovered the fact OF it before he left
the bank. Many robberies occur from
some rogue seeing man draw money.
The latter is followed and when con-
venient opportunity occurs is robbed
Murdoch remembered the man in the
checkerboard suit. and when he saw
him at the station buying a ticket be-
came profoundly interested in him. His
seeing the fellow when he left the
bank lounging on street corner and
soon after as traveller might be CO.
incidence. but he didn't believe it was.
At any rate the gentleman would need
watching.
When the bank messenger boarded
the train he sat waiting for the man
with the goatee. He was not disap-
pointed. A few minutes before the
train left he sauntered into the car,
tossed a satchel on to seat, sat down,
pulled a newspaper out of his pocket
and seemingly became deeply interest
ed in the news. Murdoch glanced up
at him as he passed to his seat and
made up his mind that before his jour-
neys end he would hear from him.
At the first stop man with red
necktie got into the same car with
Murdoch and, taking seat by himself,
pulled his hat down over his eyes and
apparently went to sleep. Something
told Murdoch that this man was bent
on the same errand as the other. What
was that something? The same facul-
ty that enables us to discriminate be-
tween faces, to recognize enc we have
not seen in thirty years with his back
turned to us. Besides, Murdock's fac
ulties were concentrated on the sub
ject of being robbed. Convinced that
one man was aboard the train with
that intent, his faculties were acute in
detecting others. He reasoned that the
robbery would likely be committed by
several rather than one, and he was
ready to pick out those involved.
Murdoch began to fdget in his seat.
He turned and looked about him, and
escaped him. He took his suit case
on his knees. opened it and felt of
brown paper parcel. Then he put the
satchel down again. The man with
the red necktie yawned, stretched him.
self and caught the eye of the one with
the goatee. Murdock's back was to-
ward them at the time, and he did not
81.
emily he got up. went to the water
cooler and took u drink. While doing
so he left his suit case on his seat.
but kept his eye on his baggage. The
man in the checkerboard suit stole
glance at the man with the red neck
tie
Then Murdoch took up the suit case
again, opened it and took out cigar.
setting the case down beside him as
carefully as though it contained glass,
first on the outside of the seat. then,
as if that position were not safe
enough to suit him. he moved it to the
inside. The man with the goatee and
the one with the red necktie looked at
each other with two pairs of cunning
eyes, and a look of satisfaction APP
peared In the faces of both.
When the trainman called water
ford"' the two observant men sat up
in their seats The next station was
West Waterford, half a mile distant.
There was look of intensity in both
the men, as If they were about to do
something. When West Waterford
was called they fdgeted in their seats.
AS the train moved off after the stop
the man with the goatee dashed by
Murdoch, snatched his suit case and.
followed by the red necktie man.
jumped Off the train. and both men.
climbing into an automobile. were
whisked away more rapidly than the
railway cars.
stop thiefr' yelled Murdoch.
Too late, The fugitiyes were gone
and the suit case with them. Great
excitement prevailed among the pas
sengers. but Murdoch. coolly drawing
cigar from his vest pocket. proceed
ed to light 1t. Then the others. think
ing no great loss had been sustained,
relapsed into the humdrum of travel.
When Murdoch returned to his bank
I