The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1917-01-20
ADoll's House
BY ELINOR MARSH

Train robbcries. which hnd uuiete.!
down during the early part of 10.
broke oft with renewed vigur IN the
autumn Of that year. One Of ties
attacks WIS not only well planned. y"
fur as getting treasure was concerned
but In getting away with 1t.
Jim Chnrney was the leader Of thu
band that made the attack and chose
the field OF enterprise by personally In
vestigatlng different points on the rail
road he proposed to operate on. He
discovered cave concealed by thick
underground where party of men
might hide. So far as lie could learn.
no one knew Of 1t. He proposed to rob
a train as 1t passed within few hun
dred yards Of this cave. A pnrt Of the
force would make of on horseback
while another part with the plumber
hid in the cave. A posse would follow
those who had ridden away while the
meii I'm the cave waited till the excite.
ment had died out and then make Off.
The robbery was eminently success,
full. The train was stopped and the
plumber taken from the express car
The robbers made of through q wood,
dropping the treasure into the hands
Of four men who made their way to
the cave unseen. Those who had rid
den away were followed but not cap.
tured.
| A surprise awaited those who had
gone to the cave. among whom was
Jim Charnley, the leader of the gang
He had not been to the cave since he
had discovered 1t several weeks before.
On entering 1t he saw doll in little
bed and several articles Of doll furnI-
ture beside 1t.
The presence of this inanimate COM
binntion OF china and sawdust caused
commotion on the part of the rob-
hers. Some of them, fearing that their
presence there might be discovered.
were for moving ut once. But Charm.
ley argued that the region OF the rob
berry would be filed with persons NOV
cd by curiosity. II nothing more. and
that any move for the present would
be dangerous. II the child came to
play in the cave she could be taken in
and held from giving information of
their presence.
Little Marcy Bickford. who lived on
the other side Of the rise from the.
mouth Of the cave. was the child who
had made the place n playhouse. On
the afternoon of the robbery she start
ed to go there to get her doll and bring
1t home. Coming to the rise. she pass.
ed over the roof of the cave. where
there was a break in the rock that
formed it. not sufficient to. let In light.
but through which sound might pass.
The robbers had closed up the npatk
OF the cnve and supposed that they
might talk with freedom. At the time
Marcy was passing over the break In
the roof they were discussing whether
they should get out or remain where
they We're. The question was a mat
ter of life or death with them. and
their arguments were by no means
subdued. Marcy, herring voices In the
bowels of the earth beneath her turned
and ran back home as fast us her lit
tie legs would carry her. Her mother,
seeing that the child had been fright
ened. questioned her and WAS told
that some men were in her playhouse
and would take her dolly away with
them.
| Mrs. Rickford had heard Of the train
robbery, and 1t was not long before
she began to suspect the truth concern
Ing the voices her daughter had heard
In the cave. She went at once to
neighbour and reported the case. I'm
fortunately most Of the men there
about had gone off after the robbers,
who had ridden away. and not enough
men could he got together to warrant
attacking an unknown number of des-
perndoes ensconced In a cave. so moth.
ing was done except to station boy
of sixteen to watch the hiding place.
Charnley decided to remain where
| the robbers were only till midnight
/ then to walk to she nearest station two
miles distant and board train that
would stop there at n few minutes aft
err l O'Clock.
| Billy Simpson. who was on watch.
saw them leave the cave. lie followed
them to the station, near which they
waited til! they heard the train coming
and then went up on to the platform.
Billy went to the rear car unseen by
them and got aboard Mt the same time
they did. There were four men in the
gang. but they took separate seats
They paid the conductor their fare.
and lie passed on to the rear car. where
Billy informed him as to the nature of
the passengers who had just got on the
train.
The conductor wrote a telegram,
which he gave to Billy, instructing him
to get on ut the next station. five miles
distant. and send 1t. believing that his
own motions would be watched By the
robbers. On reaching the station Billy
stepped Oh on the dark side of the car
unseen. and the train went on. The
agent was In bed, but Billy routed him
out, and the telegram was sent to "A