Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1878 — THE MAN WITH THE RED EYE. [ARTICLE]

THE MAN WITH THE RED EYE.

About eight years ago, when I had not railroaded it as long as I have now, J was employed as messenger on a Western railway. I don’t know as it is necessary for me to say just what line it was, but I will call it the B. T. & G. R. R., just to save myself the trouble of pronouncing the whole name. I had not been on the run more than a month previous to the date of the occurrence of which I am going to tell you. J had been running on a branch route for more than a year, and I might have staid there a good deal longer if I had not been chosen t© take Paxon’s place when he went off. You see two or three attempts had been made to rob the express car, and at last, at the end of a long run, Paxou was found dead in the car with a bullet-hole iu his head. But tlio safe was closed tight and secure, though an attempt had been made to blow it open, which proved ineffectual. But the strangest part of it all was that the key was missing from Paxon’s pocket, and it was not found till a good six weeks afterward. Then it was discovered at the side of the track, with a card tied on it, on which it was written that robbers were in tlio car, and he expected they would murder him if he refused to give up the key. He was true to the last. Well, you may suppose that I felt just the least bit squeamish about accepting such an uninviting berth, but the Superintendent gave me orders, and I meant to do my duty, however disagreeable it might be. Then the pay was larger than I had ever received before; and ns I was acquainted with a good girl, who was ready to help me inhabit a house whenever I should be able to own one. that was quite an object to me, I can assure you.

Well, everything passed off smoothly enough for several weeks, and I had become accustomed to the route, and made a dozen or so of very pleasant acquaintances. and I was growiug to be pretty well contented with my life. I had almost begifh to think the robbers, whoever they might be, had given up all thoughts of ever making anything out of my car, and had sought another field of opera- - tious. One day I was informed by the agent at 11 that some time within a week I would have to take charge of about SBO,OOO in specie in its transit over our load on its way from Washington to Han Francisco. The officers of the express company had been advised of this intended important shipment in order that they might exercise redoubled vigilance in view of the great risk incurred in the transportation of such a valuable consignment. The evening after my conversation with the agent he called mo into the office, and told me that the specie was to go over the road the next day but one. He produced an envelope, and handed it to me, saying as he did so: “ There, Bill, are your orders, d'reot from tho Superintendent, with his own signature attached. Bead them carefully, and obey them to the letter; for a little mismove might cause a great loss to tho company, and cost you your position.” “I shall do my duty to the very letter,” I replied. “lam sure you mean to do so,” returned the agent, “ but you can’t be too careful. Some of the members of the liglit-fiDgered profession are as smart as lightning. The plans they can’t devise ain t worth thinking of, and they are as fertile in expedient as the evil one himself, X thought I d just put you ou your guard in a friendly way, and ” There was a slight sound at the door. If the depot hadn’t been deserted by everyone except us two, and the switchengine hadn’t been up at the head of the yard, where we could hear its incessant puffing, I don’t believe we would have i t card the sound at all. But we both noticed it at once, and, as I looked out of the office into the large room beyond I saw a man standing just inside the outer door, with his head inclined toward us as if lie was trying to overhear our conversation. He saw me about the time I first noticed him. I knew it from the little start of surprise he gave as his eyes met mine. J He was all over his awkwardness in a minute, for he drew his face down to an expression of the utmost unconcern, and came boldly forward to the windows of Hie office through which the agent always transacted any business he might have with persons without. He was a very fair appearing man apparently of about 40 years, though he might have been a little older. He was dressed in black, and, wearing a high hat, lie might have passed very well for o. e ° r ie cloth, if his nose hadn’t been just a trifle luminous. The other peculiarity I noticed about the man was that he had a queer sort of a red-looking eye. It appeared fixed and staring, and, as he came nearer, I concluded it was glass, it was so strange and unnatural in its expression that I thought I should know it if I should see it peerimr at me over the great wall of China. “Is there a small package here for Isaac G. Van Scoter,” he asked in a business-like way, in answer to the inquiring glance of the agent. The agent referred to one of the big registers on the desk, and answered in the negative. “ Queer,” said the man with the red eye. “It ought to have come yesterday. Have you read the Eveninq Chronicle f" And after this abrupt interrogation the stranger stood quite motionless, ey-

mg the agent intently, for as much as a minute. We both answered “ No.” The man took a paper out of his pocket, s nd, spreading it open before ns, put one of his slender forefingers upon the following paragraph : Fatal Accident.— This afternoon as two men, named respectively Henry Yan Scoter and C. H. Griggs, were at work chopping timber in the piueries near Scranton, a troe fell upon them, killing Yan Scoter instantly, and inflicting injuries upon the person of Griggs from which he died in less than an hour. They are residents of G , and it is understood that their remains will be taken to that place for bnriaL “ Henry Yan Scoter was my only brother—my twin brother—who resembles me very much, and Charley Griggs was my sister’s husband. It’s a sad blow ! a sad blow! I don’t know how my poor sister will bear it. It’s about this sad affair that I came here chiefly. I want to send the two bodies through to G by express Thursday, by the 11:40 train. What will be the charges ?” “ The charge will be $25,” answered the agent. The stranger only bowed olemnly in recognition of the reply. Then he was silent for a minute or two, during which time he appeared to be struggling with bis grief. “The bodies*will be here Thursday morning,” he said; “I hope you will make all arrangements to prevent any delay. I guess my package won’t come this week.” The agent assured him that there would be no delay, and he might depend on having the bodies go through to G with the greatest possible expedition. The man bowed again politely, then he said: “Is the telegraph office near ? I must break the sorrowful news to my poor sister, I suppose, though it’s anything but a pleasant duty.” I told him how to reach the place he sought, and, with a polite “thank you,” the sad man with the red eye walked out of the office, and in a couplo of minutes the sounds of his footsteps died away in the distance. “A queer sort of a chap,” said I. “A little odd,” answered the agent. “ I wonder if he heard us talking about the specie ?” I queried. “ He seems honest enough.” “Yes,” said I; “but I’m sure he was listening to our talk when I first saw him.’ “Are you certain of it?” the agent asked, eagerly. “Well—no,” I replied; “not altogether certain beyond all mistake, but it looked mightily like it, I can tell you.” “Suppose you go to the telegraph office and see what kind of a message he sends,” suggested the agent. No sooner said than done. I hastened around to the tel graph office, and as I went in the men came out. He didn’t seem to recognize me—at least he didn’t look at me—and I thought it prudent not to appear to notice him. “Did that preaclier-looking fellow Bend a message to G ?” I asked of the operator, when I had gone in and closed the door after me.” “Yes. Why do you ask?” “Oh, only out of curiosity,” I replied. “Was it anything of importance? The man said that his brother and brother-in-law were both killed this afternoon.” The operator took the copy of the message from a file on the table and laid it before me. It was addressed to Mrs. C. H. Griggs, G , and signed Isaac G. Yan Scoter. It read : Henry and Charles are both dead. They will be sent homo Thursday. Everything seemed consistent, and any doubts which I had entertained of the good intentions of the stranger were speedily dispelled. I didn’t go back to the office, but turned my steps toward my boarding place, thinking, as I walked along, that Thursday would be an uncommon day with me, with two corpses and SBO,OOO in specie in my car. The money was safely deposited in the car an hour before the time for the train to leave, Thursday morning. It was securely locked in two strong, iron-bound chests, and when they were stowed away in the large safe and the heavy doors made fast I thought everything was pretty well fixed. A few minutes before we pulled out two wagons passed by the car, one of them containing two coffins and the other six men, who were evidently acting as pall-bearers. I looked around for the bereaved brother with the peculiar eye, but he was nowhere to be seen. I thought it a little strange that he should be absent at such a time, but I forgot all about it in a moment.

The coffins were placed in one end of the car, and, after it had been arranged that one of the men should come into the car and take a look at the bodies when we arrived at Bedwood, he shook hands with the others and entered one of the coaches. As tbe doors closed on him, the bells rang and we went steaming away. I was pretty busy for an hour or more, aud we had passed three or four stations before I had time to cast more than a casual glance toward the quiet passengers at the end of the car. But after a little, when I had more leisure, an uncontrollable wish took possession of me to look at the faces of the two dead men. - It wasn’t mere morbid curiosity, and I can’t describe it in any way better than to say it was a sort of vague desire which I could not quiet without satisfying it. I noticed that the lids were not fastened down. My next discovery was that the screws were gone. This struck me as strange, for I was sure I had noticed them when the coffins were lifted into the car. I remembered that I had given the attendants permission to arrange the caskets to their own satisfaction, and that they had been a long time doing it. If they had removed the screws unobserved at that time, what possible object could they ba ye had in doing so ? With this question on my mind I raised the upper portion of the lid of the Coffin nearest me and took a look at the faoe of the occupant. He was a young man, with a full face and square features. His cheeks were not sunken, and he had a decidedly fresh appearance for a young man who had been dead nearly two days, I thought. Beplacing the lid, I passed away to the other coffin. Here a new and startling surprise met me. The man in the coffin was the man whom I had seen in the express office 1 That red eye was staring straight at me, and I was not mistaken ! For a moment my consternation was too great for words. I could not have uttered a sound had my life depended on it. This man who was alive after the accident, which the paper said ca sed the death of Van Scoter and Griggs, and who had made arrangements for the transportation of their remains, was now here in this coffin, to all appearance, dead ! Then I remembered that the bereaved stranger had said that his dead brother resembled him very closely. But two brothers lire not apt to have red glass eyes ! Such a coincidence as this was beyond tbe pale of reasonable probability.

While yet I gazed at the supposed corpse, the other eye opened a little, aud I was sure that it was looking at me! I was convinced there was fraud hers, but to show that I had discovered it might cost me my life. So I very quietly replaced the lid of the coffin and took a moment’s time to think the matter over. I remembered my conversation with the express agent, which we feared had been overheard by the clerical-appear-ing stranger, and could only come to the conclusion that the whole thing was a deliberate plap tq jnurdey pie and gain

possession of the SBO,OOO in my charge. There was no denying that Hie man with the red eye was alive, and I had no doubt that the other man was also. Kneeling down, 1 placed my ear close to the side of the coffin, and could hear him breathe quite distinctly. I remembered that it was the intention of the attendant who had boarded the train to enter the oar at Redwood, ostensibly for the purpose of seeing to the bodies, and I could not doubt that the three men intended to attack me after the train pulled out of the station, and rob the car before our arrival at the next stopping place. There was but one station between ns and Redwood, and I knew we would be there in ten minutes more. I had no time for hesitation. Instant action was my only chance for safety. If I could secure myself against attack until we reached the next station, I felt that all would be welL In one instant I had decided upon a plan of action. As quietly as possible I piled several heavy boxes of merchandise on top of the two ooffiDS, and then I knew I was safe. Scarcely was this accomplished when we ran into the station. ’ I immediately fonnd two or three officers. First the man in the coach was secured. He was highly indignant that he should be disturbed on such a solemn mission. But it was no go. He was handcuffed in less than two minutes and marched out on the platform. It was an easy matter to secure the two quondam dead men. They were taken greatly at a disadvantage, and were deprived of all power to resist almost before they became aware how their nice little scheme had terminated. All three had been well armed. Bound and guarded the three miscreants were taken to Redwood and lodged in the county jail. Before I left I took a look at them through the grated doors of their cells. When I paid my respects to the man with the red eye, he smiled a little and remarked patronizingly: “You’re a pretty sharp young man. It takes a middling keen boy to outwit us.” “ Permit me to sympathize with you in your Sorrow at the loss of your dear brother, just a little.”