On receipt of the above letter Mr. Miles wired me promptly that he would
leave Falls City the same evening and would arrive at St. Louis the
following morning, via the Burlington Route, and would carry out
instructions as per my letter.
I went to the Planters Hotel that evening, registered under the name I
had given Mr. Miles, and was assigned to a room on the fourth floor.
The next morning about eight o'clock, Mr. Joseph H. Miles, accompanied
by his lawyers, Ex-Judge Gillespie of Falls City, and Ex-Judge Martin,
of the same place, and the latter's son who was a stenographer. I
admitted them, and Mr. Miles stated his name, and asked if I was Mr.
Foster, to which I replied in the affirmative. He introduced the other
gentlemen and after they were seated I began my story by saying:
"Gentlemen, my name is Thomas Furlong, and I used the name of Foster in
writing to Mr. Miles, because my name and business are known to a great
many people in Nebraska, and a party connected with what I know to be a
conspiracy against Mr. Miles, resides, and is an old citizen of Falls
City, and would probably know my name if he heard it, and I did not know
but what he might be connected with or know people connected with the
telegraph office, and would thus learn that I had communicated with Mr.
Miles, so I deemed it advisable not to use my own name. Now, gentlemen,
before I give you the information that I have promised I wish that you
would call on any of the general managers of any of the railroads that
enter St. Louis, or the president of any bank in the city whom you may
know, and ask him as to my character and standing."