Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-05-15


second as he neared Fulton street. i /
had been his intention to return across
the Brooklyn bridge to Manhattan, but |
he had not calculated upon the pres
ence of the two policemen, and 1t oc- |
Cured to him that others might be |
waiting for him at the other end. But
that risk was smaller than the one
which would ensue should he become
isolated upon Long island in Gordon,
and so he swung into Fulton street
and headed toward the East river,
travelling at about twenty miles an
hour The wheel glided upon rail OF
the car tracks, to which 1t adhered Inn
mediately without single guiding mo
ton of the drivers arm, and the pace
began automatically to increase imme-
diately. But the route became OBJ
secured by the approach Of an uptown
car, and the cripple swung his chair
of the line again, upon which he had
run merely as a test, and proceeded
in a leisurely manner past Clark and
Pineapple streets and so TO the bridge
entrance, where he disconnected his
running gear and began to move by
hand power toward the passenger track
that crosses the center OF the bridge.
None of the crowd was idle enough
at that hour to examine the strange
looking vehicle closely. and it was OBJ
yious, from the lack of interest which
the wayfarers displayed. that the news
OF the robbery had not yet become pub
lie property The cripple patted his
pocket as he moved deftly through
the crowd toward the bridge footway.
There, snugly ensconced in the leather
wallet which he had taken from Mr..
Staples lay ten thousand dollars in
bills-his money, long overdue, of
which he had been robbed when Sta
pies had aided the land gang to rail-
road him to prison Ave years before.
But he would not let his mind dwell
upon that for the present, lest his
anger invalidate his Judgment; just
now he must concentrate all his forces
upon the endeayor to escape. And.
once across the bridge and safe in
Manhattan, he knew that nothing
could prevent his progress.
He had threaded the crowds and
was moving toward the footway when
he heard shouts behind him. The news
had just been telephoned to the sta
tionary policemen on duty at that
point, one OF the fat elderly police
men who are detailed in their last
years of duty to the lighter offices.
The man was racing after him, putting
heavily as he ran. His tunic was un-
buttoned and In one hand he held a
heavy revolver, which he pointed as
he ran, with no sure aim.
"Stop!" he yelled. Stop right there
or I'll fill you full Of lead"
In the depths of the chair the Grip
Pile had another revolver, but he did
not attempt to seize 1t. He had no
quarrel with the officers Of the law
only with the men who had leagued to-
gether to obtain his inheritance and
put him away in the penitentiary at
Nokomis Falls. He heard the hiss Of
bullets pass his ear, and, with a turn
of his wrist, connected the running
gear of the chair with the top-like
mechanism within. The chair shot
forward with bound Ahead of it lay
fight of steps, formidable obstacle
for the best auto bicycle to have at
tempted to surmount. The policeman
ran on, waving his revolver, reloading
hastily as he proceeded certain that
the cripple would come to grief II he
attempted to negotiate that obstacle.
He had him fairly trapped. On either
side lay the parapet of the footway;
there remained nothing but surrender.
He stopped to recover breath; and two
brother officers from the Adams street
station. who had received the sum
mons few minutes before, came pant
ing up to join him. Then all three
gasped in wonder.
For with series of light. cur
vetting plunges, resembling those of a
graceful colt, the chair leaped upward
on its single wheel and, surmounting
the steps, began to run easily at about
fifty miles an hour across the bridge.
The way seemed clear. But. even
as the chair gained the summit and
raced forward, the cripple saw body
of police come running across the
bridge toward him. They were from
the Manhattan end. and. not content
|
grief, had resolved to intercept hin
and gain the credit for his capture
On they ran, five abreast, thrusting tbs
pedestrians aside, their revolvers II
their hands, and barely Q hundred
yards distant.
The cripple stopped the chair deaf
and looked back. Behind him. no
more than sixty yards away, the thre'
Brooklyn policemen were In pursuit
led by the stout, elderly fellow WHIT
had fired at him Intellectually. As thu
chair stopped, with grinding and jar
ring of brakes that hung the cripple
forward against the wedge front, tn
three men aimed again. But they di'
j not dare to IRE, for fear of hitting tn
policemen who were approaching from
| the opposite direction, and 80 ran fol
ward, yelling to their quarry to SUI
render.
, The cripple hesitated. To charg
] full tilt into the advancing men woul
i undoubtedly kill them; but It nigh
} kill him. Besides, chair Is not a
. easy mark to miss, when 1t Is advans
t ing Immediately upon one, whatever Il
speed, especially by flve policemen
: each firing number OF rounds, an
each presumably practiced in the us
D Of the revolver. The man looked ~
. ward. The immensely long loops {
Z the steel cables, inclosed In the
. chilled steel easing. which held up tn
1 gigantic structure, lowered themseive
Z tkavas m a noint barely Ave feet aboy