Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-08-30
A Burglars Story.

| tHnH SOOU many otiie1s. ho"tNei-
that's nothing to do with my story.
Some years ago me and the gentleman
who was at that time connected with me
in business-he's met with reverses since
then, ard at present isn't able to go out
was looking around for a job, being
at that time rather hard up. as Won
might say. We struck small country
town. amt agoing to give it away by
telling where it was. There was one
bank there the president was rich
old duffer owned the mills, owned the
bank, owned most OF the town. There
wasn't no other officer but the cashier,
and they had boy who used to sweep
out and run erranGs.
The bank was on the main street,
pretty well up one end of it-niee snug
place on the corner of cross street,
with nothing very near it. We took
our observation, and found there wasn't
no trouble at all about it. There was
an old watchman that walked up and
down the street nights, when he didn't
fall asleep and forget it. The vault had
two doors the outside one was chilled
iron, and had a three-wheel combina-
ton lock the inner door wasn't no door
at all yen could kick it open. 1t didn't
pretend to be nothing but fire proof
and it wasn't even that. The first thing
we done, of course, was to fit key 60
the outside door. As the lock on the
outside door was al old fashioned Ba-
coz loe.i, any gentleman of my profess
sion who chances to read this article
Will know just how easy the job was
and how We done 1t. I may say h're
that the gentlemen i'll my line of bust
ness, having at times a great deal of
leisure on their hands, do considerable
reading, and are particularly fond of a
neat bit of writing. In fact. in the way
of literature. have found among 'em
however, this being DEPRESSION, drop
1t, and so on with the main job again.
This was our plan: After the key
was fitted was to go into the bank,
and Jlm-that wasn't his name, of
course, but let it pass-was to keep
watch outside. When anyone passed
he was to tip me whistle, and then l
doused the glim and lay low after they
got by L goes on again. Simple and
easy, ycu see. Well, the night VIC Sc
lected the president happened to be out
of town gone down to the city; as he
often did. 1 got inside all right, with a
slide lantern, breast drill, small steel
jimmy, bunch of skeleton keys and q
green baize bag to stow thu swag. =
fixed my light and rigged my breast
drill, and got TO work on the door right
over the lock.
Probably great many of our readers
Is not so well posted as me about bank
locks, and L may say for them that
three-wheel combination lock has
/ three wheels in 1t, and slot in each
wheel. In order to unlock the door
yos have to get the three slots opposite
to each other at the top of the lock. OF
course if you know the number the lock
is set on you can DO this but if You
don't you have to depend on your in
genuity. There is in each OF these
wheels small hole, through which you
put wire through the back of the
lock when you change the combination.
Now, if You can bore a hole through
the door and pick up these wheels by
running a wire through these holes,
why you can open the door. | hope /
make myself clear. 1 was boring that
hole. The door was chilled iron, about
the neatest stuff ever worked on. l
went on steady enough; only stopped
when Jim-whIch, as l said, wasn't his
name-wbistled, and the watchman tod
died by. By and by, I'd got
nearly through, when heard Jim so to
speak, whistle again, l stopped, and
pretty soon heard footsteps outside,
and I'm blowed if they didn't come right
up the bank steps, and | heard a key
in the lock. / was so dumbfounded
when L Leard that that You could have
slipped the bracelets on me. L picked up
my lantern, AMI I'll be hanged if didn't
1t the slide slip down and throw the
light right on the door, and there was
the presi lent. Instead of calling for
holm a, I tbOr,,I,t I,a ,ronlI ho .-.,,,,cJ
inside the door and shaded his eyes
with his hands and looked at nee. l
knowed that ought to knock him down
and cut out, but Tn blesr if I could, l
was that surprised.
"Who are you? says he.
'Who are you?" says I, thinking that
was an innocent remark, as he COM
menced it, and a-trying all the time to
collect myself.
I'm the President of the bank, &"
says be, kinder short; Something's the
matter with the lock?"
BY George! the idea came TO me then.
"Yes. sir, says 1, touching my cap:
Mr.. Jennings, he teiegpaphed this
morning as the lock was out of crder
and he couldn't get in, and I'm come on
to open II for him
Il told JennIng a week ago." says he
that he ought TO get that lock fixed.
Where is hep"
Hes been a writing letters. and he's
gone up TO his house 10 set another let.
ter he wanted for to answer
"Why don you go right on? say;
he.
I've got aImos. through" SAYS
''and l didn't want to finish up anC
open the vault till there was somebody
here"
That's very creditable to you" say
; he; ga very proper sentiment, m.
man. You can't" he goes on, comm;
round by the door, "be too particuIa