Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1915-02-26

he had not calculated upon the pres.
ence Of the two policemen land it 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 i'm
mediately without a single guiding mo-
ton Of the drivers arm, and the pace
began automatically to increase imme-
diately. But the route became OBJ
scured by the approach Of an uptown
car, and the cripple swung his chair
off the line again, upon which he had
run merely as 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.
vious, 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 five 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, pulling
heavily as he ran. His tunic was I'M
buttoned' and in one hand he held
heavy revolver, which he pointed as
he ran, with no sure aim.
"stop!" he yelled. "5to2 right there
Or I'll fiji you full OF lead"
In the depths CT the c!l2if Tho Grip
pie had another revolver, but lie did
not attempt to seize it. He had 10
quarrel with the officers cf the law
only with the men who had lcagucd to-
gether to obtain ills Inheritance and
put him away in the pcnItentiary at
Nokomis Falls. He heard the hiss OF
bullets pass his car, and, with turn
Of his wrist, connected the running
gear OF the chai.' with the top-ltke
mechanism within. The chair snot
forward with bound. Ahead of it lay
a fight of steps, formidable Obstacle
for the best auto-bicycle to have al.
tempted to surmount- The policeman
ran on, waving his revolver, reioadinE
hastily as he proceeded, certain tho
the cripple would come to grief If h
attempted to negotiate that obstac}e
He had him fairly trapped. On e!th'i
side lay the parapet Of the footWGy;
there remained nothing but surrender
He stopped to recover breath; AMI two
brother officers from the Adams street
station, who had received the sum-
mons few minutes before, came pant
ing up to jo.4: IN. Then all three
gasped in wonder.
For with : sc':es Of light, cur
vetting plungos, resembling those OF
graceful colt, the chair leaped upward
on its stng!e "4ocl and, surrounding
the steps, began to run easily at about
fifty miles an hour across the bridge.
The way eo"m2d clear. But, even
as the chair gained the summit and
raced forward. the cripple saw body
of. police cu:l.: zcaning across the
bridge toward him. They were from
the Manhatt,7 er1. and, not content
with stretching ropes to bring him to
grief, had resolved to intercept him
and gain the crgdit for his capture.
On they ran, five abreast, thrustins the
pedestrians aside, their revolTers in
their hands, and barely a hundred
yards distant
The cripple stopped the chair dead
and locked back. Behind him, not
more than sixty yards away, the three
Brooklyn policemen were in pursuit
led by the stout, elderly fellow who
had fired at him Intellectually. AS the
chair stopped, with grinding and jar
ring Of brakes that flung the cripple
forward against the wedge front, the
three men aimed again. But they die
not dare to fire, for fear of hitting the
policemen who were approaching from
the opposite direction, and so ran for
ward, yelling to their quarry to sur
render.
The cripple hesitated. To charge
full tilt into the advancing men woulo
undoubtedly kill them; but 1t might
kill him. Besides, chair Is not an
easy mark to miss, when 1t Is advanc'
Ing Immediately upon one, whatever lrs
speed, especially by five policemen,
each firing number OF rounds, and
each presumably practiccd in the use
of the revolver. The man looked up