sschusetts
and 1 in Lewiston maine and 2 in new
york State. in eech case warnings was hung up
like these and in each case a verry ritch and promminent
cittisen was kidnaped and held for ransum.
the man in Milton had to pay 35 hundred dollars
and the man in Lewiston paid i think 48 hundred
dollars they wanted 5 thousand dollars but all he
cood rase was 48 hundred and the 2 in New York
had to pay 9 thousand apeace. but you know prises
is higher in New York. probly you woodent have
to pay moar than 5 thousand.

well all this time old Ike had been setting ferst
in one chair and then in another chair and puling his
wiskers and when father sed this he gave a grone
and sed aint there no pertection under the law? and
father sed the matter is being vestigated and persecution
will folow enny falce step that the villins
make. the trubble is they are verry hard to ketch

then Ike sed isent there sum way out of it and
father sed i have been thinking Isak why dont you
and J. Albert Clark and Biley Tilton and the other
fellers whitch has been warned make up a purce
like you and sum of the fellers done when they was
afrade of being draffed in the civil war to hire
substitoots. then if the scoundrils get one of you
the others will help pay his ransum. well Ike he
thought that mite be a good idea and he sed he wood
see sum of them tomorrow if the Terible 3 dident
get him befoar morning. then father sed dont wurry
a bit Isak while i am here they will have to get you
over my ded body and Ike sed thank you George
you were always a kind frend and father sed yes Isak
we was frends but not xactly Damin and Pithius.

well bimeby the poliseman come up and it was
old Filander Kize and he was smoaking a old black
pipe that smelled wirse than one of our poppers
that we pluged at the pedler and old Ike sed have
you got to smoak that mister Kize and old Filander
sed yes it is the only thing that will keep me awake
and so Ike sed well i supose i shall have to stand
it. so me and father come away after shaking
hands with old Ike and father told him to go to bed
and to get a good nites rest and not to wurry and
then we come away and we cood hear him locking
all the locks and bolting all the bolts and puting up
the chane so the Terible 3 coodent kidnap him.

when we was going home father began to laff and
sed i supose i was a meen cus to wurry cussen Isak
like that but all my life he has been held up to me
as a moddle and if i thougt you