Year: 1867


tendent to show on his book why he
had stopped, and soon made matters
, all square with him.


/ 1 think that hour on the engine was
the longest one I ever spent in my life
Ny brain was filed with a thousand
: unquiet thoughts. Suppose l should
not be able to find the superintendent );
and even if did, and he refused to be-
lieve this my second "co6in story" I
now half-suspected him from the fact
he had given the order; but after de-
batting in my mind where to go, con-
cluded that to report to him was my
only course.


At length we reached New York, and
Jumping off the engine I ran to the
superintendent house, which was for
tunately near to the depot. He was at
home and in bed, and angrily asked
from his window why he was disturbed.
On my saying danger on the line,"
he Immediately shut down the window,
and in few minutes admitted me into
the house. My story was. soon told,
and he as quickly stated that he had
not given the order to put off the coffin
at Edgaston with its four bearers I
was relieved, I tell you, when he said
that This time I saw that I was be-
lieved, and in five minutes we were in
the depot. The engine on which had
come in from Edgaston was in the
locomotive house, and the fireman busy
in drawing off the fire. Mr. Nesbit
soon stopped that, and, to the great
disgust Of the engineer and fireman,
gave orders to them to run out On the
main traak and await his orders. We
then went to the nearest police-station
and had an interview with the captain
Of the precinct With sergeant and
posse of his men we were in a quar-
ter of an hour more On the engine, and
scudding along to Edgaston as fast as
she could carry US.


! Within three hours Of the time at
which had left again got off on the
Edgaston platform, accompanied by
the officers Of the law. The station
master was not to be seen, but in
few moments he came from the direc-
ton ofthe lonely house, having heard
the engine draw up.


"They have been in the barn over
two hours, but they are now gone back
into the house." was his greeting.


The sergeant Of police now assumed
command. The men, with Mr.. Nesbit
the station-master, engineer (the fire
man being left with the engine,) and
myself were detailed in different direc-
tions to surround the house, and, at
given signal, to rush in at every en-
trance we could find. It was all over
in a minute. A few cracks from re
volvers, good many hard knocks from
the officers clubs, and the result was,
three men prisoners and handcuffed.
One Of the four had been of far superi-
Or courage to the others. He had
drawn his revolver upon the sergeant,
who was the first to break into the
room, and had managed to fire twice
before an officer, entering at another
door, had fired at him. The bullet
entered his skull and caused instant
death. The others had shown little
fight, and were soon over-powered by
the clubs Of the officers and reduced to
submission. The wounds Of the SER
geant were slight flesh wounds, and he
was the only one of our party that was
hurt. The prisoners were all willing
to turn states evidence, and wed with
each other in giving us information.
It appeared that the slain man was the
head and chief Of the party. Heit was
who had conceived the whole plan,
and had persuaded the others to join
him. When an innocent boy, and as
a young man, he had lived in the house
which we had so unceremo oniously
stormed, the property having belonged
to his father. For many years the old
house had been unoccupied, the barn
only being used. Our captives told
us that murder had been committed,
and that the coffin containing the
corpse would be found in the barn
under the hay, buried in the ground,
they having buried it while was on
my way to New York and back. While
some of the men went to raise the
coffin the sperintendent, myself, and
the sergeant remained with the pris-
oners. The dead man had fallen on
his face, and we raised his body. On
examining his countenance the super
intendent recognized the face of one
Of his own clerks, whom he had dis
charged several months before. This |
at once accounted for the forged order
addressed to the conductor being
written in the form peculiar to the
Office


s'Did it not also account for the
missing checks p I asked, producing
them.


ssHe might have stolen them from
the bundles when first delivered" sug
gested the superintendent.


On examining the pockets of the
dead man several thousand dollars
were found, which the prisoners avow-
ed to he the proceeds of the robbery
and murder. The corpse in the coffin
was recognized as that of a wealthy
retail merchant, whom the clerk to the
superintendent knew to be in the habit