The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-12

"That's what~ ... M -
"That's why Pm here. I belong to q
gang of twelve wot's. working these parts
Just now. We cracks cribs by turns. TITS
its my turn tonight" 10
And the burglar wept like child.
"This, l presume, isremorse," said Old
Reginald.
"No, Guv'nor, it amt remorse," said
the burglar. Its funk"
"The same thing" said Reginald"
ut amt the being burglar that I OBJ
ject to. It's the having to commit bur-
glaries. I like the credit of it, sir, it's
the danger object to-" .t'-J -"
~ see." ''H"
"Now, by the laws of our gang, we're
bound to crack cribs in turn. That is to
say, one of US cracks the cribs while the
other eleven stops outside and gives the
office" ... ..
II thought burglars always worked in
twos or threes." said old Reginald.
''Praps | ought to know best" sug-
gested the burglar. . ''a
Perhaps you are right. Indeed, ! am
sure you ought. What crib do you pro-
pose to crack to-nightY ., D. ..7
'This here one." ~a a9
"MineY .s ...s 0o .f~ ea.a,
"Yourn."
"Ohw ft
And Old Reginald prepared to ring the
bell. ...'.. -.
"Please don't do that, guv'nor. You
ant never agoin to give me into Gus
todyY' ,.--,
81 think had better" M 'a au
"No, no, guv'nor; don't do that Lis
ten to me first. I amt agoin' to hurt
you. /. It's my turn to crack your crib to-
night Now, will you help meT
II hardly see my way" said Old Regi-
nald, thoughtfully. "Still, if I can be
of any use" ..F
"Look here, guv'nor, each member of
our gang is bound to get fifty pounds
worth of swag away from each crib
he cracks. If he don't he's shot. Now,
1 see handsome silver salver and coffee
pot and ereamjug as l came in here
Wot might be the value of that hand
some silver salver and cofeepotW
''The creamjug is electro. The coffee
pot with sugar basin and salver, may be
worth five and forty pounds" 81.
''Thats near enough. I'll take 'em.
Here's fimsy for fifty quid."
And be handed Old Reginald a bank
note for the amount. I.e3. 3.tt@
''Still l don't quite understand"
II want you, guv'nor, to be SO good as
to leave your bedroom window open to-
night, and place that silver and them
silver traps where | can get 'em. shall
have cracked my crib, bagged my swag
and made myself safe until my turn
came round again." d. p''''A' 1."l '..-
Certainly" said Old Reginald, hold
ing up the note to the light "But, let
me ask you how can you afford to pay so
handsomely for your depredationT d.
"There was dozen on us, sir. Each
on us cracks crib in four months, and
each swag's at least fifty poundsworth--
often more, but at least that. After each
plant the profits are divided. Last quar-
ter the twelve cribs cracked brought us
in eleven hundred pounds that's ninety
odd pounds apiece. When my turn
comes pay a fair price for the fifty
pounds worth Of swag (for ! have been
honorably brought up) and I gets
forty pounds to the good. And forty
pounds quarter is hundred and sixty
pounds year. And lives on it. Some.
times it's more---now and then it's less,
but whatever it is lives on it,"
| And the honest fellow took receipt
| for note and departed. ea .
| Old Reginald was as good as his word
Heleft his bedroom window open snd
placed the salver where the honest burg
| lar was as good as his word, and at
o'clock in the morning he came ane
found it.
So far all was simple and straightfor
ward enough. But now comes the curious
and incredible part of my story.
The fiftv-pound note was part OF th'
proceeds Of a previous burglary. Th'
i humber Of the note was known, ant
lEtraced to old Reginald, who had to ac
\ count for its being in his possession.
i Now the twelve burglars had in tn
meantime been arrested by the polio
h { this also is Incredibly and were con
4 demned to penal servitude for life.
So Old Reginald had no hesitation II
stating the facts as | have stated them.
| No one believed him, as no one vii
me. li3 ~ g3 r
30 he appealed to the honest burgla
To corroborate his story. ~ 50 A3+5t.
But the honest burglar, having die
covered the whole thug, cofeepot, sal
!. ver and all, was tho commonest electro
lvas 20 shocked at Old Rsginald's dis