Bob King Meets with a Surprise--His Story of Duncan's Flight--The
Detective Starts Westward.
The most important object now to be accomplished was to secure an
interview with Bob King, the brakeman, who had accompanied Duncan when
he left Des Moines. Manning was convinced that King was fully aware by
this time of the crime which Duncan had committed, and perhaps for a
share of the proceeds, had assisted him in his flight from justice.
Early on the following morning, therefore, he left the hotel, and
started off in the direction of the depot, resolved to make a tour of
the numerous boarding-houses before calling upon the chief of police. He
had already obtained an accurate description of the man he was in
search of, and had no doubt of recognizing him, should he be fortunate
enough to meet him. Passing quietly along, he came to the large
switch-yards, and here he was almost deafened by the rumble and noise of
the trains, and the screeching and puffing of the engines. Here Manning
paused awhile in the hope of seeing his man among the number of brakemen
engaged about the yard; but finding no one that answered his
description, he approached a party of men standing near, and inquired:
"Can you tell me where I will find Bob King?"
"Bob is not working to-day, and you will probably find him at the Union
House, yonder," was the reply, as the man stretched his dirty finger in
the direction indicated. Thanking the man, he passed through the yard to
the street upon the opposite side. Here he found a long row of houses of
various descriptions, but all of them apparently occupied as
eating-saloons, boarding-houses and hotels. On the corner of the street,
and directly opposite from where the detective stood, was a low,
dingy-looking frame building, with the name of Union House painted
across the front.
"Here we are," said Manning to himself, "and we will soon ascertain if
Mr. King is about."
So saying he crossed the street and entered the office or waiting-room
of the hostelry. An old settee, a half-dozen or more well-whittled
wooden arm-chairs, a rusty stove set in a square box filled with
saw-dust, were about all the movable furniture which the room contained.
In the corner, however, was a short counter behind which, arranged on
long rows of hooks, were suspended a number of hats, caps and coats of a
decidedly miscellaneous character.
An ancient-looking register, filled with blots and hieroglyphics, lay
upon the counter, and as the room was empty, Manning walked toward the
open volume and examined the names inscribed thereon. Under the date of
the preceding evening, he found the name he was looking for, and a
cabalistic sign on the margin designated that he had lodged there the
night before and indicated that he might still be in the house.
While he was thus standing, a frowsy-headed young man, whose face was
still shining from the severe friction of a coarse roller-towel, which
hung behind the door, entered the room, and saluting the detective
familiarly, proceeded to comb his hair before a cracked mirror that hung
behind the desk. After he had hastily finished this operation, he turned
again to Manning, who had been smilingly observing his movements.
"Have you had breakfast, sir? last table just ready."
"Thank you," replied Manning, "I have already had my breakfast. I am
looking for a man who is stopping here, by the name of King."
"What's his first name--Bob?"
"Yes, that's his name. He is a brakeman on the road."
"Oh, yes, Bob's here. He's eating his breakfast now. Just sit down,
he'll be here directly."
After waiting a few minutes, a tall, broad-shouldered young man, of
rather good-natured and intelligent appearance, entered the room, and
taking a cap from one of the hooks upon the wall, placed it upon his
head.
It did not require the rather officious indication of the young clerk to
induce the detective to recognize the new-comer as the man whom he was
most desirous of seeing; his appearance tallied precisely with the
description of him which he had previously obtained.
Stepping quietly up to the young man, the detective said, carelessly:
"Your name is Bob King, I believe?"
Somewhat confused by the abrupt salutation, the young fellow replied,
rather awkwardly:
"Yes, that's my name; but you've got the brakes on me, for I don't
remember that I ever saw you before."
"Perhaps not," answered Manning, "but I want to have a little private
conversation with you for a few minutes. Can we go somewhere where we
will not be interrupted?"
"Why, yes," responded the other, still evidently ill at ease, "come in
here." And turning about, he led the way through a door across the hall,
and entered a small and plainly furnished sitting-room.
"Wait," said Manning, as if suddenly conceiving an idea. "The morning is
pleasant, and I have a good cigar here; suppose we take a short walk
together. We can talk as we stroll along."
"All right," said King, as he took the proffered cigar, and lighting it,
they went out of the hotel into the street.
Mr. Robert King eyed the detective furtively ever and anon, and seemed
to be impatient for him to begin the conversation, and inform him what
it was all about. There was, however, such a perfect air of ease and
unconcern about Manning, that the young brakeman felt impelled to
accompany him whether he would or not. Manning led the way in the
direction of the office of the chief of police, and after they had
fairly started, he turned to his companion, and good-naturedly said:
"Mr. King, I suppose you are quite anxious to know who I am, and what is
the nature of my business with you?"
"Well, yes," answered King, smilingly, for the _sang froid_ of Manning
had quite won his heart. "I would like to know both of those things."
"Well," said the detective, "my name is John Manning, and I am a native
of Chicago. I am an intimate friend of 'Tod' Duncan's, and want to know
where to find him."
"You will have to ask somebody that can tell you, then," answered King,
who had now fully recovered his composure, "for I don't know anything
about him."
"Why," ejaculated Manning, as though quite surprised at the information,
"I thought that you and Tod went off on a hunting or fishing party a
few weeks ago, and that you came home, leaving Tod to continue his
journey alone."
"That's a mistake," said King, "and whoever informed you to that effect
was as much mistaken as you are."
Mr. King was evidently trying the good-natured game of bluff, and
Manning noticed with some satisfaction that they were now approaching
very near to the office of Mr. Wallace.
"See here," said he, suddenly turning on his companion. "Mr. King, this
won't do. Duncan is wanted for the Geneva bank robbery. He was here
three weeks ago, and you were with him. You got him out of town, and if
you are not disposed to be communicative, I have simply got to place you
under arrest."
The change in King's manner was very complete. He was utterly surprised
and nonplused, and before he could answer a word Manning placed his hand
on his shoulder and said, peremptorily: "Come in here, Mr. King;
perhaps Mr. Wallace can loosen your tongue."
[Illustration: "Come in here, Mr. King; perhaps Mr. Wallace can loosen
your tongue."]
They were now directly in front of the office of the chief, and King
knew that any attempt at resistance would be futile, and decidedly
unwise, so he deemed it best to submit at once.
"Don't be too hard on a fellow," said he at last. "I have a good
position and I can't afford to lose it. If you will give me a chance, I
will tell you all I know."
"Very well, come right in here," said Manning, "and if you tell me the
truth, I promise you no harm will come to you."
In a few minutes they were closeted with the chief, who knew King very
well, and who added his assurances to those of Manning, that if he would
unburden himself fully, no danger need be apprehended.
"I want to say first," said King, at last convinced that it would be
better to make a clean breast of the whole matter, "that what I did, was
done in good faith, and I only thought I was helping a friend who had
got into trouble through acting in self-defense."
"Very well," said Manning, "we will admit all that, but tell us what you
know."
"Well," answered King, after a pause in which to collect himself, "It
was about three weeks ago, that Duncan came to the city, and knowing
where I stopped, he came to see me. I happened to be in from my run when
he called, and he wanted to know if I could get a leave of absence for a
week, as he wanted to go on a fishing trip and would pay all the
expenses. I went to the master of transportation and found no difficulty
in obtaining my leave, and then I saw Tod and told him I was at his
service. We then procured a team, guns, fishing-tackle and provisions,
not forgetting a good supply of smoking and drinking articles, and the
next day started off in the direction of Grand Junction. Before we
started, Duncan told me about getting into a scrape over a game of cards
at Leadville, and that he had shot two gamblers and was keeping out of
the way until the excitement over the affair had died out."
"Duncan has raised one man, I see," laughed Manning. "When I heard this
story first, he had only killed one gambler in his fight over the
cards."
"Well, I am telling you what Duncan told me," answered King.
"That's all right," said Manning quietly, "but suppose you go ahead and
tell us what he told you about robbing the Geneva bank."
The cool assurance of the detective, and the easy assumption with which
he stated his conclusions, so disconcerted King, that he was speechless
for a few moments. Recovering himself quickly, however, he answered
doggedly:
"Well, I intended to tell you the whole story, and I was simply telling
it in my own way."
"Go on, Mr. King," said Manning, "all I want is the truth, but the card
story won't do."
"I guess it won't do me any good to tell you anything else but the
truth," rejoined King. "Well, Tod told me about this shooting business
before we started, and of course I believed it. I noticed, though,
before we were away from the city very long, that there was something
else on his mind, that made him very uneasy, and gave him a great deal
of trouble. He was moody and silent for hours, and it was only when he
drank a great deal that he was at all lively, or seemed like his old
natural self. Finally, on the morning of the third day, I put the
question fairly to him, and he then told me what he had done. He said he
and two others had robbed a bank, and that he was making his way
westward. He was resolved not to be captured, and said that no two men
should take him alive. He then told me that he wanted me to take the
team back to Des Moines, and that he would take the train at Grand
Junction, and try to make his way to Manitoba. We parted company at the
Junction, where Tod took the train for Sioux City. He paid all the
expenses of the trip and offered to give me some of the money, but I
refused to accept any, and told him what I had done was done simply for
friendship."
"How much money did Duncan have at that time?" asked Manning.
"He had nearly four thousand dollars, I should judge," answered King.
"Did he say who assisted him in this robbery?"
"Yes; he told me that a man by the name of Edwards was one, and that the
assistant cashier of the bank was the prime mover in the whole affair.
He also said that the cashier had not played fair, but had taken out
twelve thousand dollars in gold instead of six thousand. He was very
bitter against this man, and said he believed that he would give them
all away to save his own neck, if it came to the pinch."
After some further conversation, which convinced Manning that King was
telling the truth and that he was entirely ignorant of Duncan's
hiding-place, the young brakeman was allowed to go his way, with the
understanding that they were to meet again in the evening.
Manning now hastened to the telegraph office, and a cipher message,
containing in brief all he had thus far learned, was soon upon its way
to me.
My reply was to the effect that he should again see King, and inquire if
Duncan had mentioned anything about the valise which they had carried
away from Geneva. Then to endeavor to obtain a photograph of Duncan, and
finally thereafter to lose no time in starting out for Sioux City.
I was considerably exercised about this missing package of gold. I could
not believe that Pearson had taken it, although both Edwards and Duncan
appeared to be positive of it. The young cashier now seemed to be too
utterly crushed down and humiliated to permit me to believe that he had
lied still further, and that he was still keeping back a portion of the
plunder he had secured. Still, however much I was desirous of discarding
such a belief, I was resolved to leave no stone unturned in order to
explain the mystery. I felt positive that some explanation would yet be
made that would account for this package, and in a manner that would not
connect Eugene Pearson with its disappearance. Up to this time, however,
we were as far from the truth in this connection as when we commenced,
and I could do no more than await the arrest of Duncan, before the
matter could be definitely settled. I came to this conclusion on the
assumption that all the parties thus far had told the truth, and it
seemed to me that one or the other of them must certainly be mistaken in
their original impressions.
This theory, however, yet remained. Edwards and Duncan might have
obtained the money, and being still under the influence of the liquor
they had drank, and excited over what had transpired, had thrown away
the valise, and at that time it might still have contained the gold.
In accordance with my instructions, Manning remained in Des Moines two
days succeeding this, but was unable to learn from King that Duncan had
mentioned the valise in any manner whatever.
In his attempt to obtain a photograph of Duncan, however, he was more
successful, and with the assistance of Capt. Wallace, he was fortunate
enough to be placed in possession of a very excellent picture of young
Duncan, which had but recently been taken. This accession to his stock
of knowledge was destined to play an important part in his continued
search after the fugitive burglar. Finding that nothing more could be
learned in Des Moines, and receiving assurances from the friendly chief
that any information would be forwarded to him at once, Manning departed
from the home of the youthful law-breaker and started for Sioux City.