The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-07-04
A JOLLY BURGLAR.
Tho Suspected Man Who Was
Rescued by the Governor
Of the State.
PecE's Sun,


Frank, did I ever tell you how I
was arrested for q burglar ON that
corner by Pritzlaffs vne night?"
Frank said he never heard about
it, and let he had always felt that
there was q secret history of crime
concealed beneath that bald-headed
exterior that would make q thrilling
chapter if it once got published, and
he invited his friend to 20 ahead.
"Well, it is mighty laughable to
think of now, but at the time il was
mighty serious. I was living at La
Crosse at the time, and was down
here on q visit. I was going back
on the midnight train, and left the
Plankinton House about half-past IL,
and started to walk down to the st.
Paul depot. 1t was as still az the
grave, and between tho lamp posts
it was dark. I began to get nervous,
and stepped in q doorway of q store
to wait for . street Car. / noticed q
man on the opposite side of the
street seeming to watch me, and
it occurred to me that he was
the robber 1 feared, 80 1 went
along down the street, and he kept
along on the opposite side. I think
l sweat my boots full going. q block,
and 1 could imagine that my body
would be fished out Of the river in q
week or two, pretty rancid, and be
forwarded home by kind friends. As
| got down there by Pritzlaff7s store
l happened to think that I had q re-
volver in my valise, and 1 thought 1
would open her up and get out the
shooting iron before the robber could
get across the street, so 1 dropped
down on my knees and opened the
grip and began feeling around for the
revolver. 1 got hold Of q bottle and
in attempting to cock it the cork
came out, and the liver medicine
gurgled suit all over my night shirt.
l got hold of the testament, and q
eucber deck, and q tooth brush, but
the pistol was hiding itself under the
stockings and dirty clothes. The
wind was blowing q gale, and the pa
per collars and cuffs blew out on the
sidewalk, and dirty handkerchief
followed suit, and I quit feeling for
the revolver and began spreading
myself over the sidewalk to pick the
articles that had blown away. I look
ed 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
1 saw that he was a policeman, and I
was glad. He said he wanted me,
and [ said 1 wanted him, and to
please lasso the paper collars. He
asked me what I was doing at that
time of night, going through a valise
on the street. and l told him I was
afraid of robbers, and had opened up
my grip to get my revolver. He said
that was a pretty good story but it
leaked and wouldn't hold water, and
for me to 60 to the station house with
him. I told him I wanted to make
the La Crosse train, and if he would
20 to the depot with me I could prove
by Col. johnson and the conductor,
and all of them that 1 was all right,
and finally he consented, and We rot
to the depot. Col. Johnson was
standing by the dining-reom door,
grand, gloomy and peculiar, as stern
as though he never smiled. The po-
llceman asked the colonel if he
knew me, and the old joker looked a
couple of times, and said in his in
imitable way. II think he is want
ed at LaCross for a robbery commit
ted last week. You better telegraph
Frank Hatch and he will show him
up. Why, this fellow stole the din
ner away from a poor, blind emil
grant woman only yesterday. He
ought to be hung The thing was
getting serious, and I was just getting
ready to 60 to the station with the
policeman when the Governor of the
State, who was going to take the
train, came in, and he said: Hello,
George, going home?! Well, I am go
ing up as far as Portage. Come on,
and we will SIT together L never
felt so good in my life as I did when
the Governor recognized me, and
when he told the policeman I was all
right, l could have Rugged him.
Well, the policeman let me go, and
then the Colonel and Fred Cornes
came along smiling and wanted to
talk to me, but I wouldn't speak to
them. 1t was a month before I got
over being mad at them, but it is all
right now, though it was a tigh3
squeeze"