Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1883-05-10
4 Jolly Burglar.

was arrested for burglar on the cor
ner by Pritzlaffs, one night?"
Frank said he never heard about it,
and yet he had always felt that there
was a secret history of crime con-
cealed beneath that bald-headed ex-
terror that would make a thrilling
chapter if it. once got published. and
he invited his friend to go ahead.
swell, it is mighty laughable to
think of now, but at the time it was
very serious. l was living in La
Crosse at the time, and was down
here on visit. 1 was going back
on the midnight train, and left the
Pankinton House about half-past IL,
and started to walk down to the st.
Paul depot. 1t was still as the grave
and between the lamp posts it was
dark. l began TO get nervous and
stopped in a doorway Of store to
wait for street car. 1 noticed
man on the opposite side Of the street
seeming to watch me, and it occurred
to me that he was the robber l feared
so went along down street, and he
kept along on the opposite side 1
think l sweat my boots full going a
block, and l could imagine that my
body would be fished out of the river
in a week or two, pretty rancid, and
be forwarded home by kind friends.
AS l got down there by Pritzlaff's
store / happened to think that had
a revolver in my valise, and / thought
I would open her up and get out the.
shooting before the robber could get
across the street, SO I dropped down
on my knees and opened the grip and
began feeling around in there for the
revolver. 1 got hold of a bottle, and
in attempting to cock it the cork
came out, and the liver medicine
gurgled out all over my night shirt.
1 got hold of the testament, and a
euchre deck, and a tooth brush, but
the pistol was hiding itself in under
the stockings and dirty clothes. The
wind was blowing gale and the pa
per collars and cuffs blew out on the
sidewalk, and dirty hankerchiefs fol-
lowed suit, and quit feeling for the
revolver and began spreading myself
over that sidewalk to pick up the ar
ticles that had blown away. I looked
At my man across the street, and he
started to come across, and I was on
the point of telling him to spare a
poor orphan who was trying to lead
different life and always had, when
l saw that he was policeman, and /
was glads He asked me what 1 was
doing at that time of night, going
through valise on the street, and 1
told him I was afraid Of robbers, and
opened my grip to get my revolver.
He said that was a pretty good story
but it leaked, and wouldn't hold wat
er, and for me 20 60 to the station
house with him. told him I wanted
to make the La Crosse train, and if
he would go to the depot with me 1
could prove by Col. johnson and the
conductor, and all of them that I was
all right, and finally he consented,
and we got to the depot. Col. john
son was standing by the dining-room
door, grand, gloomy and peculiar, as
fstern as though he never smiled. The
policeman asked the Colonel if he
knew me, and the old joker looked q
couple of times, and said in his inim-
liable way: Il think he is wanted al
La Crosse for a robbery committed
there last week. You had better tel.
tegraph Frank Hatch and he will show
lhim up. Why, this fellow stole the
dinner away from poor, blind emf.
grant woman only yesterday. He
ought to be hung The thing was
Igetting serious, and / was just get
ting ready to 60 to the station witt
the policeman when the Governor o.
the State, who was going to take th'
| train, came in, and he said: Hello
George, going home? Well. l an
going up as far as Portage. Conn
on, and we will sit together | nev
er felt so good in my life as di'
]; when he told the policeman / was al
right. / could have hugged him
Well, the policeman let me go, an
then the Colonel and Fred Corne
, came along smiling and wanted t
talk to me, but / wouldn't spea
to them. 1t was a month before
tgot over being mad at them, but it
lall right. now, though it was a tigi
| squeeze.
: Bill Nye on Senator Tabor.
pF rsed to think IL hard that was not