Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-02-09
MY BURGLAR FRIENDS,
OR, THE
aidnight Adventure of a Journalist
Bf NJ. QUAD.


to commit suicide, when there are no
victims of murder, when railroad
trains refuse to smash and burglars
and thieves insist On remaining inac-
tive. No reporter is required to fur
nish just certain amount of matter
each day, but most reporters are am
bilious to furnish all they can, and
when these dull times come the Jour-
nalnist takes longer tramps, writes of
matters which would be overlooked
in good times,' and does his best
to keep up the show of local news.
Years ago, when was member
of the local staff of New Orleans
daily, we had bad summer of it.
Accidents were hardly known few
buildings were going up, and we had
to ''draw out' on things to make
even half show.
We finally started the interviewing
business. One of the boyss s~.c g-.c :i .no
experience Of gambler, another the
adventures of river pilot, and in
time we had worked up everything
but the burglars. 1t was left to me
to hunt up some one who could en-
tighten me on the mysteries of mid
night visits in search Of 'swag" and
''sugar.' l believed l could find a
man or half dozen Of them.
had in my minds eye saloon near
| the river where suspicious crowd
Was always congregated, and l knew
that two fellows known as big Sam
and Awful Dave" had just come
Of State prison and were hanging
aroand the place.
Were to enter the saloon, day or
night, impure for one of those worth
les, order the drinks, and, then tell
him frankly who and what | was and
that | wanted him to give me the
foundation for a general article, why,
of course, he would do it. So l ar
gued and when the time came around
that such sketch would help out, l
made my arrangements.
[ went down to the saloon one Fri
day afternoon, and | had the luck to
find both men in. After beating
around the subject for spell came
to the point. l did not ask them
to criminate themselves in any way
but to furnish me an insight into
their mode of putting up and execu'
ting jobs.
"Well, now, you've got u.s. re-
!. piled Dave. "Wc couldn't begin te
tell you. 1t all depends on wha'
You mean to do. You might go into
house by the hall door one time, by
. the window another and next time
you might not go in at all. Circum
. stances often knock all plans on ths
: head
wanted to get them to talking OIL
the subject, and did not care mucl
what they said, as calculated to pu
my Imagination at work and give il
I some adventures which would be con
sidered ''tall'' even by old profes
sionals. l learned from the mel
what articles constituted burglar
;, ''kit," what they cost and some othe
facts of Interests, and thought | hat
e. secured about all needed informa
ton, when Dave detained me.
"We can give you some big thing
in this line if you will 60 into littl
10 trouble. We know where there's
'cracky' lying low just now, who ca
talk to you all night, and he'll CIV
you some almighty big points -
Ireplied that l would 60 to con
> siderable trouble to interview th
man, and asked how the meetin
of could be brought about.
"- ''Easlest thing in the world, h
a. continued. "Come back here at l
- O'Clock tonight and we will go wit
you. Mind, now, if you 60 to 'blov
on rs to the detectives you'll g
yourself into a muss.
| was an innocent ass, Is yeal
ne old, and though living in the CIT
3 several wears, had not sense enoug
to warn me that the company OF sue
- men after night was dangerous.
, did not strike me then as it did a
u terwards that the men were too WI
ling to obl,ge me in matter OF
interest to them, and l agreed to r
turn to the saloon at 10 O'Clock.
l was free of duty after . o,clo'
that night, there being no meeting
lectures or outside business on u
diary. 1 mentioned the fact OF II
engagement to the city editor ana
10 warned me that l had better break
ed The men might have some desig
X. against me, or might lead me In
- trouble. He said so much tha'
D gave up the idea and slipped my Z
u volver from my pocket to the TAT
drawer. :,
Having an hour to while away
f. fore bedtime, set out for the tnea''
u I was not four blocks from the oln'
when 1 ran against the two conVic'
!. They recognized me in a mome'
IN and insisted that l should desce
into a basement saloon and take
drink or a cigar. They anxious
sell inquired if intended to keep the
'ers pointment, and appeared disappol'
rs; e:i ed when 1 informed them that otf