Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-03-30
The True Story Of Old Reginald and
the Honest Burglar.


The True Story of Old Reginald and
the Honest Burglar.
THOSE who do not know me may, per
haps, believe the following story. Those
who do know me will not Still, 1t is
quite true: .;- f.
Reginald was pleasant old gentleman,
with fine sense of humor. He had con-
siderable property, and lived on Wimble-
dom Common. clslE.-st
He had one beautiful daughter-but that
is not to the point
One afternoon, as Old Reginald was
reading books in his drawing room, it was
announced to him that Common Man
desired to speak with him.
He gave orders that the Common Man
should be admitted. And admitted the
Common Man was.
A tall, shambling, Unlocking fellow, with
an irresolute manner and shrinking eye.
He was dressed as costermongers are
dressed when following their calling.
"What is your pleasure, good sir?"
said Old Reginald.
"Beg pardon guv'nor," said the Com
mon Man. 81 hope you went be hard on
me-"
Mot at ALL" replied Old Reginald.
"Tm-Im burglar" said the Com
mon Man
"Indeed" said Reginald. "Take a
chair"
Thank you, kindly .guv'nor," said he,
{" but I'd rather stand"
And he did stand
So far there is nothing very incredible
in my story. But 1t gets more remarkable
as it goes on.
"How do you like your professions ?"
said Old Reginald.
"Well, guv'nor," said the Common
Man, I" l don't like it noways, and that's
it."
"Tha's whatY"
"'That's why I'm here / belongs to a
gang of twelve wot's working these parts
just now. We cracks cribs by turns. It's
its my turn tonight"
And the burglar wept like child.
This, presume, is Remorse," said Old
Reginald.
aNo, euv'nor, it amt Remorse," said
the burglar. " It's Funk"
"The same thing" said Reginald.
alt amt the being a burglar that OBJ
| ject to It's the having to commit burglar
les. like the credit of it, sir; it's the
danger object to-"
| II see."
"Now, by the laws of our gang, we're
bound to crack cribs in turn. That is to
say, one of us cracks the crib while the
! other eleven stops outside and gives the
Office"
II thought that burglars always worked
in twos or threes?" said Old Reginald.
"P'raps ought to know best?" sug-
gested the burglar.
"Perhaps you are right Indeed, I am
sure you ought. What crib do you pro-
| -, 20, ,,fuh%eO
"This here one"
"Mine?"
"Yourn."
"Ohl" J
And Old Reginald prepared to ring the
bell.
Please don't do that guv'nor. You
amt never agoin' to give me into GUS
tody9"
81 think I had better"
No, no, guv'n nor don't do that. Listen
to me first. amt agoin' to hurt you. It's
my turn to crack your crib tonight Now,
will you h lip me?"
al hardly see my way" said Old Regi-
nald, thoughtfully. "Still, if can be OF
any use -"
"Look here, guv'nor, each member OF
our gang is bound to get fifty pounds
worth of swag from each crib he cracks.
If he don't, he's shot. Now, / see hand
some silver salver and coffee pot and cream
| Jug as came in here. Wot might be the
value of that handsome silver salver and
coffee-pot?"
"The cream jug is electro. The coffee
pot. with sugar basin and salver, may be
worth five-and forty pounds" 80 aI
"That's near enough. I'll take 'em.
Here is a 1imsy for fifty quid." M
And he handed old Reginald bank
note for the amount.
Still don't quite understand"
81 want you, guv'nor, to be so good as
| to leave your bedroom window open to-
night, and place that silver and them sill
yer traps where / can get 'em. l shall
have cracked my crib, bagged my swagg,
and made myself safe until my turn came
round again"
Certainly" said old Reginald, holding
up the bank note to the light. "But let
NE ask, how can you afford to pay so
handsomely for your depreciation
"There was dozen on us, sir. Each
on us cracks crib once in four months,
and each swaggs at least fifty pounds
worth-often more, but at least that. Af-
ter each plant the profits are divided.
Last quarter the twelve cribs cracked
brought us in eleven hundred pounds
that's ninety pounds odd apiece. When
| uiy luiu ColHeS pay idir price IOr tne
fifty pounds worth / swagg (tor / have
been honorably brought up), and gets
forty pounds to the good. And forty
pounds quarter is hundred and sixty
pounds year. And lives on IT, some
Tunes It's more-noW and then It's less,
but Whatever 1t Is lives on It
And the honest fellow took receipt
for note and departed
Old Reginald was as good as his word
he left his bedroom window open and
placed the salver where the Honest Bur.
glar was as good as has word, and at
| O'Clock In the morning he came and
90 Iar, all was simple ana stralgn!Ior
MaIu enough. but n"so COMES tne curious
anu Itln tnc5eoloie aes par ol my story.
.aanodn my pou,u = n9se was sar. Vi Th rhs
pnn,Lar s ~ th ,p,e ptes,usI w & o ad .nt nt
VI.