ver. He was met
here by an escort consisting of a sergeant and private soldier, who had
been sent from Fort McKinney, and who were under orders to report to the
paymaster at Douglas and to act as guard from that place to Fort
McKinney.

Another unsuccessful attempt having been made at Douglas to obtain
a safe or treasure box in which to carry the money, the same was
put in a leather valise as the best thing that could be done in the
circumstances. The money was first handed by the paymaster to his clerk,
and by the clerk put in the valise and handed to the sergeant of the
escort. There is evidence that the sergeant was told not to permit it
to be out of his sight. Immediately after supper at Douglas the entire
party entered the stage and proceeded upon their journey, the sergeant
carrying the valise. Major Bash asserts that he said to the sergeant,
"You must take good care of the valise; it contains the money."

The next morning, on the 18th day of March, the party arrived at Dry
Cheyenne. When the paymaster went in to breakfast at that place, he
found all the party at the breakfast table. After breakfast he walked
out to the stage, the sergeant going at the same time. He asked him what
he had done with the valise, and received the reply that it was in the
stage. He then said to the sergeant, "You ought to have brought it in
with you; you should take better care of that valise." The valise was
then examined and the money was found untouched.

Pursuing their journey, the party arrived at Antelope Springs, Wyoming
Territory, at half past 10 o'clock the same morning. The paymaster
alleges that he asked the sergeant if he should take dinner there, and
that, being answered in the negative, he remarked to him that he might
then stay at the stage; that he then went to the stage station, leaving
the two soldiers and the clerk at the stage; that he remained at the
station warming himself a short time, finding there three citizens, one
of whom he afterwards learned was Parker, the thief; that he left the
room in which he had been warming himself and went to the dining room,
passing along the front of the house, and as he did so noticed the stage
standing there with no one near it except a stock tender; that on
reaching the dining room he found his entire party at the table; that he
looked "pretty sharp" at the sergeant, as he was surprised to see him
there, but as he was just eating his pie he (the paymaster) said nothing
to h