Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-04-11

AL OIuCcf Ill New DIX lOunQ an OLD
man Juggling at the knobs of store doors
one Sunday, placing his shoulder to the
doors, looking through the keyholes and
examining the windows and gratings in
desperate efforts to effect an entrance.
He arrested him.
Hanson said the magistrate; you
are charged with attempting burglary
''what have you to say?"
1 am guilty." quickly responded the
prisoner, in a strong Danish accent.
II did it so that 1 could be sent to State
prison."
"And why do you want to go to State
prison, Christian 20 asked the Judge in
astonishment.
The man hung his head and seemed
for moment disinclined to answer, but
encouraged by kindly word, looked up
and said with an earnestness that was
deeply impressive:
Judge, have only just come from
Columbus, Ohio, where I served ten
years in State prison for burglary. I
was pardoned out by Governor Hayes,
now President Of the United States. My
original sentence was for twenty years.
My life is wasted and 1 am wreck.
God knows intended when came out
of prison to live an honest life. I was
pardoned out on the fifth of February.
l went to Cincinnati and tried to get
work. but failed. From there | went
to Pittsburgh and met with no better
success. Then tramped it all the way
to New York, where l had friends, try
ing to get work from farmers on the
way, sleeping where L got an oppor-
tunity and eating whenever a charitable
person gave me a trust. My friends
here who knew me before ! was a
criminal refuse to recognize me.
can't get work; 1 have lived in the
gutter and been kicked about. | dread
to kill myself, and so with the horrors
of prison life still before me l am oblig-
ed to go back. There is nothing else
| left for me-"
The sympathies of all who heard the
earnest words Of the broken down man
were deeply touched by the recital.
After some further questions the judge
ordered him to step aside until after the
adjournment Of the court, when his case
would be disposed of,
While the prisoner was thus waiting,
a reporter questioned him as to the lead
ing Incidents of his eventful life. He
gave them freely, concealing nothing
except the names of his associates.
II was born" said he. ''in Copen-
hagen, Denmark, in 1884. My parents
were poor, but respectable people, and
they gave me a good academic educa-
ton. Hearing the advantages Of the
New World l came to America in 1868,
landing in New York. Two days after
ward 1 enlisted in Company X, Seventh
Volunteer, and went to war. l served
in several engagements, and was under
Generals Grant and Meade. l was
wounded in the shoulder before Rich
mond. After the war went to Cincin-
natl and obtained employment as a
laborer on railroad. Up to this time
| was an honest man. Losing my en-
ployment began to frequent the
Buckeye" saloon in Cincinnati, where
I fell in with a gang of burglars. Being
out Of work l listened to their propos-
ais to join their number. They had
plenty of money and got me to drink
ing, and l became one of them. Our
first job was the robbing ofthe First
National bank of Cincinnati, at the
corner of Walnut and Fourth streets.
We got $4,000 in United States bonds
and $4,000 in greenbacks.
swell, you want to know how the
Job was done? We hired a basement
adjoining the bank, giving it OUT that
we wanted it for a saloon. On the
tenth day afterward we had everything
in readiness, and on the night Of Feb
ruary 8, 1866, we cut hole through
the wall into the basement Of the bank
building and then dug our way through
the ceiling to where the safe was. At
this point the bank Waterman came
upon us, but and another of the gang
quickly bound and gagged him. We
then blew open the safe. The concus-
sion stopped the clock. It was half-past
three A. NJ
"What tools did you use in drilling
the holes?" asked the reporter.
''Good craftsman don't use tools,'
answered the burglar. I'm show you
how to blow open any safe in New
York without any tools. Just take me
to a SAFE"
There happened to be safe in
Judge Kilbreth's private room, and the
writer acquainted the magistrate with
the prisoners proposal. by all
means" said he, ''let us learn" and
in moment the room was filed with
spectators.
The prisoner knelt beside the safe,
which was locked.
Look" said he, ''at this door. 1t
fits so tightly that no instrument can be
introduced in the cracks and powder
cannot be inserted. So far SO good
The burglar simply sticks putty all
along the cracks except in two places,
one at the top of the door and one at the
bottom, where he leaves about an inch
of space uncovered by the putty. At
the lower place be puts quantity of
powder, and be sucks out the ar from
the upper place, either by a suction
pump, which is the better way, or by
his mouth. The vacuum created in the
| O G., droxu in tbo nou1ar thrnt,rh tho