The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-02-02


on the fence. Amt you afraid of the dogsY"
shouted the old man.
"Warnin'p says Bill, giving himself
away.
"All right" sings out the old man, quick
er than lightning. "You're no peddler.
You want to see my property. Come up
I'll show it to you."
Well, this stumped Bill good deal, but
he plucked up and followed Calcott into an
upper room, keeping one eye around him
and takingin everything, but making great
show of trade.
This ROOM" says Calcott, "is where I
sleep. There isn't any lock on the door, and
this room is where l keep my money.
There's the safe-I never lock it. Here, I'll
show you what's in it--stand still-because
when | pull the door open it starts ,ele-
graph machine and three of the best men
in the county start from the village-they'r re
officers. With that he jerked the door
open.
Bill was little nervous, and he could't
help showing it.
"If any of your gang should come here at
night Pll put you up to trick-cut the
wires first, they run across the road below
the big gate. Don't be nervous DO you
see that ?-its gold. Feel the weight of it.
These are diamonds. Can you tell the real
spark when you see it / should say they
we're worth in the market, between $4,000
and 100000.
The old man kept up this kind of patter,
standing there in his old calico wrapper,
Bill Ketchum watching him with one eye
and wondering whether he was insane or
just the smartest man he'd ever met. He
had an idea it was just the easiest thing to
knock him over as he stood there, and walk
off with the plunder. But that hint about
the telegraph stopped him. Then the old
man showed him out, and when he got into
the hall he says: "Your'e the first peddler
that ever saw that carried revolver in his
breast pocket"
Bill started little, for he had an idea
that Calcott must have seen it.
"Ho, ho.' says the old man SO you have
got one?"
The last thing he said to him as he was
going down the steps was "You're not
smart enough for this job my man."
Ketchum told his fellows that he was new
er so clean winded in his life. II felt SO
mean when was coming. away says he,
that I'd half a mind to reform and cut the
profession"
Well, not to make the story too long, the
upshot of it was that Ketchum, fellow by
the name of Welter, and Jack Frost, put up
the job to crack the old mans place. Ketch.
um and Frost, think, went into the bust.
ness from kind of pride. They considered
they had been challenged, and it was point
of honor to take the old man at his word.
They got up there one dark night in May
and laid by till long after midnight. Then
they got over the fence and sneaked p to
the house. They were all heavily armed
and, forgot to say, were delayed some time
looking for the telegraph wire, which they
couldn't find, of course, there not being any
Fancy their surprise when, after crawling
round the place, looking for a soft spot tc
break in, they found that the front door was
unlocked, and the hall dark. 1t had beer
agreed that old Calcott should be shot a
sight if he interfered.
There was good deal of anxiety in the
headquarters of the gang that night. for the
job had been talked about good while and
Ketchum had staked his reputation on it
Dutch Morley was to be at point in tn,
road about two miles north of the house
with a fast team to carry off the ''swag,
and arrangements had been made at Dobb',
Ferry to divvy and cut.
Dutch Morley waited till day began Il
break, and then only two Of them turned up
They were covered with blood, and one o
them had hi. arm broken. Welter had beer
left behind disabled. They had not al
ounce of the plumber, The story they tolc
was a curious one. The whole gang 90
round them when they reached the hive
aud put the questions to them fast all,
thick.
"But you fixed the old fellow flint; any
how % said somebody.
"We didn't Bee him at sll," answere.
Ketchum, dolefully. NO, d. it. We wer
in the dark Why,s lamp wouldn't burr
any more'n stone. We liked to sufo
cate" ...
ooh, that's thiu." said another; "wh
didn't 20 GO out into the ali p
"Because we couldn't get out; we uef
fastened IN like rats. Rscry winder an
ioor closed up wi,i steel shutter On TIA
inside rs tight as rich msu's pocket Ther
was only one way out--towu a back stair
case OUTSIDE, about twelve inches vide; ou,
Que of Us cou d 60 81 time, and 9Len "
reached the DO ton something feii on us i
urn +"
That was Ketchum's account Of Il. Fro:
,as the only rlucsy one Of the lot. II
didn't believe ia witchcrait, aad he vove
would get square on old Cslcott.
With that he seta cut 10 find Calico Cha
ley. who WAS the best man ia the busine,
where there were iron shutters ,ucerned.
The very next day but one aft this a
tempt on Calcott's house, the aleu Bprio
Herald II think it was tho Herald had al
other notice like this:
The attempt to rob my house on Thursds
ght, which failed 50 completely, shoul
not frighten other thieves from making I'll
trial. For the next thirty days there wi
be more gold aud silver ON the premise
than ever before.
JOHN CALCorT.
Frost got hold of Calico Charley aud e,
planned the whole thing to him. None
the gang knew Chsrley's right name, and
don't think he was told the name of the ms
they were to rob, Frost explained to hi
that it was the steel shutters that "knock,
| than, - and ha thnuoht nau, he l,,a.,, Al