Year: 1876

He turned his back on me for a


moment, and l made a strong effort


to throw off the influence of the


drug, but in vain; my mind seemed
| perfectly clear, but my body was as


powerless as though it had been


dead. 1 was not deprived of the


sense of sight, but / could neither


quite open nor close my eyes.


l saw Joe divide the cord into


three sections, each about four feet


in length, with long, murderous-


looking knife, such as butchers use


in large slaughter-Louses. He next
proceeded to bind my right arm to


one leg of the couch. Another string


he fastened to my left arm and drew


it over the back of the couch, fasten-


ing it to the other leg. With the


remaining cord he bound my feet to-


gether and fastened them down by


binding rope around them and fast


ening each end to a leg of the couch.
was thus firmly secured, and alb


solutely in his power. He then took


up his lantern and went down into
the cellar.


When he was gone my strength


gradually returned, and l endeaYor


ed to escape from my fastening, but
the rogue had done his work well.-I
In about ten minutes, which seemed
as many hours to me, so burdened
was with anxiety and dread, he re-
turned, bearing in his arms one of
the boxes of gold.


He examined my fastenings close
ly, and, seeing that was conscious,
inquired in disguised voice, if /
recognized him.


Yes sir, replied, you are ''Thump-
ing Joe, and half-a-dozen detectives
will be on your track half an hour
after | am released.


With an oath he gra sped the
cleaning knife and made a mo-
tion as if he would plunge it into my |
breast; but an equally fendish |
scheme occurred to him, and he de-
sisted from his purpose.


Having rolled half a barrel of |
gunpowder under my couch and |
bored hole in it with an auger, he
drove the barrel of my revolver into
this hole almost up to the hammer.
he then took some twine from his
pocket and tying one end to the
trigger, drew the other through a
hole IN the ceiling and attached to
1t heavy weight, so that it hung
about two feet from the floor lie
then set the alarm of the clock SO
that it would go off in about one
hour.


Having balanced the weight at
tached to the cord on the edge of
box about four feet high, 50 that
the least pull would cause it to fall
off, he attached one end of fine
cord to the hammer or striker of
the clock, and the other to the
weight, carefully tightening it. By
this time was beginning to compre-
hend his actions, when the alarm
struck it would cause the weight to
fall from the box that would pull
the trigger of the revolver and send
a stream of fire into the powder
and Heaven only knows what would
have been the result.


Having arranged things to his sat
isfaction, he cooked the revolver and
asked me what / thought of his
plan.


1t is ingenious-ternbly ingenious,
l replied.


l am sorry l shall be compelled
to shorten your days, said he, but
Necessity knows no law"


But Joe, said I why need you add
murder to the list of your sins 4?
God knows, it will be long and
black enough without being blood
stained.


0, l don't consider this murder
the clock is going to do the killing,
not /.


1t is all the same.


To you it will be, but not to me.


Joe, cut the string that is attach
ed to that weight, and I solemnlv
VOW never to reveal that you are the
robber, said /, blushing as l made
the offer.


Can't trust you. Dead men tell
no tales,


Joe, have daughter who looks
to me for her support.


If she is young and pretty, there
will be no necessity of her starving
to death, said he, with satanic
smile. He had removed the false
face.


o, Joe, spare my life, I pray you.


I told you ! could not do it. 1
must be going; time is precious;
good bye. With these words he
took up his box of gold, and unlock
ing the door, went out.


! continued my entreaties until
the door closed, and then relapsed
into silence. Itwas half-past twelve,
and the alarm was set at one; unless
help came, had just half an hour
thirty minutes-1s00 secunds-to ]
live. Oh how short the time seem
ed +! but if I could only have those
few minutes to prepare my worldly
affairs, it would be gracious boon !


In my pocket were two thousand
dollars in greenbacks, which I had
that very evening in pay !
meat of mortgage. 1t was only
two thousand dollars, but it was all
The money had in the world, and
when the explosion came, that would
be scattered to the four winds of
heaven, and not one cent would re-
main for my dapghter-my darling
Nellie,


What will she do ? God grant that '
the vile insinuation made by Joe q
should never be her fate; better, 2
thousand times better, death and S
oblivion. I


Rapidly the minute hand was ap- !
preaching the figure IL; it seemed /
IS if ! could see it move; already it |
was past 10, and the alarm might q
go off at any moment, for it is sell S
dom set exactly.
Tick! tick! tick! the seconds were 8