The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-02-16

didn't want to end his career for useful
ness. What does Calcott do but hum
and haw and 60 to see some OF the fell
lows, and, finding himself pretty well
staked out, gives in and opens fresh
lay of industry. He said afterward that
he intended to cut 'em the first chance
he got. But he never did. He got TO
be big chief in as dangerous gang as
ever worried the men in Mulberry street.
We thought we had him two or three
times, but he slipped through our I'm
gers. There wasn't a clean job In iron
put UP anywhere but it had the marks OF
his tools on it, When the war broke out
he was in New Orleans, and we lost track
of him for five or six years.
II was i'm the winter of 1865 that the
gentlemen's places along the Hudson
were broken into by river gang. You
may recollect it. Judge Schermerhorn's
house at Glen Spring was entered one
night and robbed of 5000 worth OF
property. The papers made a good deal
of fuss about it, and we had three or four
men working mt it. One day Madison
comes into the Office with copy OF the
Glen Spring paper-Herald, believe it
was-and says: "Look at this. Here's
a 90. Read that" And he pointed out
an advertisement. This is the way it
read
"All burglars, house-breakers, sneak
thieves, and assassins are hereby notified
that 1 have over $50, 900 worth of coin,
Jewels, and silverware in my house,
which they are welcome to if they will
come and take it. No dogs, servants, or
laborers about the place. The house is
mile from any other residence, and the
only occupant is an old man, not in very
good health, by the name of
"JoHN CALcorT.
cts some old lunatic," says 1, "who
hasn't got money enough to get credit. &"
"No," says Mattison. "They say up
there he's worth half million. He
lives in fine house all by himself about
two miles from the depots'
1t was a three days talk in the Office
and then we forgot it. But the adver-
tisement was kept in the paper, and one
day it seems Tony Frost, down at Dobbs'
ferry, struck it. That was the way it got
to the gang. They pooh-poohed it as
chaff, but Frost it seems went up to
Glen Spring, poked about, reconnoitered
the premises, and came down to the city
with big yarn for his pals. His report
was that the old "luny" had got sign
on his fence informing everybody that
passed that here was the unprotected
house full of valuables that the river
gang didn't dare to walk into. He was
sure too, that there wasn't any CANNON
about the stuff, for he'd found oat that
old Calcott was immensely rich, and kept
nearly all his wealth in his house.
Now / don't suppose it's reasonable
that regular craftsman should bite at
such bait as this; but Tony Frost kept
poking away at it, and one day some
body in the gang said it was too much
to have the profession insulted in that
way, unless they were all afraid of the
odd duffer. After that Tony Frost went
to the house, got up as tramp, and tried
the back door. The moment he knocked
it flew open, and an old mans voice
hailed him over the stairs, +" Halo there
what d. you want 2"
"Summat to eat, if yer please" says
Tony, shutting in and taking good look
around.
$50 down and try the kitchen, shouts
the old man, "and don't stand gaping
round that way. There's bread down
stairs. If you want to examine the
house, come up when your belly's full,
and I'll show it TO you"
With that Tony goes down the way he
came aud walks into the kitchen, where
little girl was washing dishes She gave
him some bread and meat and talked
quite freely. To his establishment, she
told him that the old man had lots of
money in the house. She'd seen it. She
also told him that she lived in the village
and went home every night. He must
nave made favorable report, because it
wasn't long after that when Bill Ketchum,
who was the ringleader of the river gang,
thought he'd take look at the house.
So up he goes, playing the part of ped
Her, and drops the neatest little pack in
ront of the place when he sees the sign.
There it was, sure enough, nicely lettered
n red on white ground, and inviting all
house breakers, sneak-thieves
md assassins to come in and take what
hey could get The house stood a good
Ways back from the road, and as Bill
vent up the wide path he had good
chance to take in the dwelling. 1t was a
arge brick house with a high stone
oundation and an iron stoop. There
wasn't shutter, pair of blinds, on the
,lace. And if anybody had tried to set
I afire he would have given up the Job
Is bad one.
Ketchum got in through the kitchen.
lie had a lot of things in his pack that |
ickled the fancy of the girl, and he let
Ter amuse herself with them while he ate
sandwich she had given him, and asked |
Ter lot of sly questions. But he
couldn't get much out of her, simply be-
'ause she didn't know anything, so he |
made up his mind to interview the old |
nan, and pokes about till he got up
stairs, and was hailed over the balusters,
Well, now then, what do you want,
ley?"
I" Nish gloves, necktise, soaps, Sheep"
ays Ketchum, pushing up.
Didn't you read the warning to ped |
Hers on the fence. Amt YOU afraid of |
he dogs?" shouted the old man.
"Warnin !" says Bill, giving himself
way.
Gail right" sings ont the old man,
quicker than lightning. you're no
,eddler. You want to sec my property.