The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-10-18
DANGERS OF BURGLING,
A WESTERN MIDNIGHT RAID.
n Frightened House-breater and the Stors
Ae Told when Hs Cooled Down n Little.
From the Milwaukee SuE,l

From the Milwaukee SuE.l
lt is the general impression nhoha
people who have ever thought of the
matter at oil, that burglars, those enter
prlsing citizens who enter houses at
night to rob, in the dark, not knowing
but dozen revolvers may bo pointed at
them, are the bravest men in the world,
On the contrary, they are the most COW.
ardly. There is not one burglar ont OF
a hundred but would desert before he
would go into battle, if he were sol
dlcr, and tho business Of burglar Is
not half MS dangerous as braking on n
freight train, working around printing
press. or holding position on police
force. The man who goes to q Sunday
picnic, with an excursion from a CITY,
takes his life in his hand, and is in more
danger than any burglar is in entering q
house at night. The boy who attends
nm elevator in factory, or the girl who
works n sewing machine in an establish
mont where shafting and belts run over
head, is in moro danger of being killed
than burglar is in tho practice of his
calling.
Not long since, citizen, who was
troubled with heart disease, was lying
awake after midnight, when he heard a
burglar effectinS an entrance Mt a win
dow OF the sleeping room. Being lone
some he kept still and allowed the visitor
to como in, thinking he might be good
company. AS the burglar entered the
room, tho citizen raised ND In bed.
placed n pillow in front of him, pointed
long bony finger ut the intruder. and
told him to hold up his hands. Tho
burglar did SO, and in ono hand was n
revolver. The citizen told the burglar
to throw that revolver out of window
into the street, which was dono Mt once,
and it could be heard to drop into the
road. The burglar tremblcd like q leaf.
and begged the citizen with heart disease
to spare his life, as he was tho sole SUP
port OF an old mother. The citizen told
him he need have no fear, and ordered
INN to turn up the gas, which he did,
and tho two mon looked at each other.
The burglar was sharp-faced boy of
twenty, coward if there ever was ono.
The citizen told him to bring n pack of
cards off stand, and sit down on the
foot of the bed. The citizen shufllcd
tho cards and dealt out O couple of
hands, and told the burglar he would
play him n game of seven up to SEQ
which was the biggest fool, and to allow
tho visitor to collect his nerves, which
were badly shattered. AT first he trcm
blcd so he could hardly play. but finally
got Interested III the gamo and forgot,
apparently, where he was. Tho citizen
npoloBizod for not having clothes on
that would be more appropriate, and
otherwise made the burglar feel at home.
and after they had played couple of
games OF seven up, and the third had
been sawed off on the burglar, the citi-
zen began to talk to him about his pro.
fcssion. Said he:
"Now, have heard great deal about
burglars, but I never saw one until you
dropped III this evening, and I must
thank you for helping me to pass ar,
evening that otherwise might have been
lonely. Ihave always regarded burglars
as mon who were brave even to rashness,
but you seem to be about the worst COW
ard ever saw. When you came in,
with your revolver, and L pointed nv
finger ut You, which L assure YOU was
not loaded, you held up your hands ns
high as you could, considering that the
llfo was scared out of you. I had no
weapons, and you were armed. Why
didn't you shoot? What did You sur
render for, and act the coward? BY this
act you have brought roproach upon a
class OF men that are supposed to be
brave. What have you got to saw for
yourself, anyway? Take cigar there.
and light it, and tell me all You know
about the burglar business, or may he
tempted, invalid as am, to hit you with
n pillow
n l1,rprlnr 10, lnl
who was big enough to eat him raw. no.
tired that he had no weapon, seemed
of himself, then he took cigar
and lit it, and said:
"Wcll, boss, this is the rawcst deal T
ever got, and L have been in u good
many tight places. You seem to be I'M
and you don't know but I am
loaded down to the guards with firearms
and yet you have more gall than any
nan L ever met. You seem candid and
lonest, and yet L feel as though if [
made n move You would pull pair of
navy revolvers from under the bed
'lothcs, and that, by touching n sprinp
III the foot-board of tho bed with your
DOT, battery of artillery would roll
'ut and take position. l don't know
low but you have touched an electric
,utton that connects with the police sta
ION, and | feel rs though q platoon of
police might march in the room at any
noment. So you see, you have mo COM
'l,tely In your power
II don't mind telling you, in conf
lonce, though wouldn't have you give
away, as it would injure me in my
business. that I am the worst coward
hat ever lived. was always that wav,
O much so that my folks could never
induce mo to learn a trade in which there
'"s any danger of getting hurt. Every
fado seemed full of danger to me, so I
o0k to sncak-thioving, and from that |
'il to doing burglar work. II is the |
aiest business in tho world, exccpt |
eng he.milliner. 1t is not onco in n
nousand times that anybody ever hurts
burglar. Ninety-nino out of n hun
red houses have no revolver, and if
mere IS one it is not loaded, and if it is
'aded, the man does not shoot it, A
IAN mad rather shout to burglars to 90
waoy than to shoot them. Once in y
mle reckless, blood-thirstv mon
-