Detective Bob Bridger — page 183: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

176 DETEOTIVE BOB BRIDGER. The trap, he explained, was in the place when he first — took it. es He doubted not that it had done bad work in times past, but his first attempt to use it was as Bridger had witnessed. He had tried to kill him, he admitted. But he should remember that he had served eighteen years of his life in prison, was now an old man, and _ that he firmly believed at the time that he was after him on a charge that might consign him to a prison again. “And rather than go there again,” he added, “I would kill myself. So then how can you blame me for trying to kill you, believing as I did ?” ) CHAPTER XLIV. A CORONER’S INQUEST. On reaching the ferry the Scotch detective procured seven passage tickets for Alton, and the party were soon comfortaly distributed in the four sections of the Pitts- burgh sleeping-car. By the kindness of the train’s conductor, Bridger dis- patched two telegrams at the first telegraph station. One informed the coroner at Alton that the detectives and their witnesses were on the way. The second conveyed the same information to Detective Hoffman at Pittsburgh, and asked him to bring his prisoners to Alton by the first east-bound train. | At nine in the morning the party from New York stepped from the train at the Alton depot, and found the sheriff of the county waiting to receive them. He informed them that Detective Hoffman and his pris- oners had already arrived, and awaited their coming at the coroner’s office. After breakfasting at the railway hotel the party repaired thither. ; The street in front of the large frame building in which the office was situated was crowded with people. By some effort the sheriff opened a gap in the eager throng, through which the party reached a side entrance. The sheriff led to a large room in the rear part of the building, where a fire burned cheerily. By request of the detectives, Annette, Meg, Dr. Macy, Goucher, and “Silly” Billy remained here, while they ag- — companied the sheriff to the office adjoining. “con