ease with which the robbery might be accomplished, we at last
began to discuss various plans by which the bank might be robbed.
Several ideas and propositions were discussed, but either through fear
or some other consideration, they all fell through.

"At last we decided upon the plan which was finally carried out. Johnson
and myself were to come to Geneva disguised as much as possible, and
after the business of the day was over, and the other officers had gone
home, Pearson was to give us the signal that the coast was clear. We
were then to enter the bank, the doors of which would be left open, and
after securing the young lady and Pearson, we were to rob the vault and
place them within it. In order that they might not suffer from their
confinement, Pearson was to start the screws in the lock, so that there
would be no difficulty in opening the vault, after giving us time to
make good our escape. It was understood that there was about twenty
thousand dollars in the vault, in gold, silver and notes, and Pearson
was to take his share out in advance and hide it, so that no danger
should be incurred in the attempt to divide it afterward. As the time
approached for carrying this plan into effect, Johnson began to show
signs of weakening, and finally declined to have anything to do with it,
although he promised to make no disclosures regarding our movements, and
to keep our secret inviolate. After Johnson's backing out we did not
know what to do, and were just about abandoning the whole thing, when I
came across an old traveling friend of mine in Chicago, who had been on
a protracted spree, and who was without money and friends, in a strange
city, and who came to me to borrow enough to get him home to Denver. The
idea at once occurred to me to induce him to join us and in this I was
successful, for he was in a desperate state, and anything that promised
to furnish him with money would have been greedily accepted at that
time. Even after this, however, I don't believe that either of us would
have had the courage to carry out the scheme, if we had not continued
our drinking, and I don't believe I was sober a single moment until
after we had accomplished our object and the robbery was committed. How
it was done, you all know, and it is not necessary for me to detail the
particulars of an event which will overcast my whole life."

As he ceased speaking, Edwards buried his face in his hands, and wept
aloud.

"Who was this man w