The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1885-04-17
THE EVENING CRITIC.
Old Series lsG3-New Series 1856,
A NEAT JOB.
A BURGLARS STORY.


My profession isn't popular one, There's
considerable prejudice against IT, ] don't
myself, think it's much worse than good
many others. However, that's nothing to
do with my story. Some years ago, me and
the gentleman who was at that time con-
eoted with me in business mot with
reverses since then, and ut present isn't
able to get out-was looking around for a
job. being at that time rather hard up, as
you might say. We struck q small country
town. amt q goin' to give it away by
telling where IL was, or what the name of
1t was There was one bank there the
president was rich old dufTer owned tho
mills, owned the bank, owned most of tho
town. There wasn't no other officer but
the cashier, and they had boy, who used
TO sweep out and run Of errands.
The bank was on the main street, pretty
well up one end of it-nice, snug place, on
the corner of cross street, with nothing
very near 1t. We took our observations,
and there was no trouble at all about it.
There was an old stoughton bottle of
Waterman 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
thfee-wheel combination lock the inner
door wasn't no door ut all you could kick
IL open. II didn't pretend to be nothing
but 6Teproof, and wasn't even that. The
first thing we done, of course, was to fit
key to the outside door, As the lock on
the outside door was an old.fashioncd
Bacon lock, any gentleman in my pro-
fession who chances to read this article will
know just how easy that job was aud how
we done IL. l may say here that the gem
tleman In my line of business, having at
times good deal of leisure on their hands,
does considerable reading, and are particu-
larry fond of a neat bit of writing. In fact.
in the way of literature, l have found
among 'em-h0wever, this being depression,
l drop IT and go on with the main job
again.
This was our plan: After the key was
fitted ! was to go into the bauk, and
Jim-that wasn't his name, of course, but
lot IL pass-was to keep watch on the
outside. When any ono 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, you see.
Well, the night as we selected the presi-
dent happened to be out of town-gone
down to the city, as he often did. l got
inside all right, with slide lantern, q
breast drill, small steel jimmy, bunch
of skeleton keys aud green baize bag to
stow the swag. / fixed my light and
rugged my breast drill, and got to work on
the door right over the lock.
Probably great many of your readers is
not SO well posted as me about bauk locks,
and, | may say for them, that three-
wheel combination lock has three wheels in
1t and a slot in each wheel. In order to
unlock the door you 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,
a small hole through which you put n
wire through the back of the lock when
you change the combination. Now, If you
can bore hole through the door aud pick
up those wheels by running wire through
those holes, why you can open the door. 1
| hope l make myself clear. | 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-whch, as said, wasn't
| his real name-whistled outside, aud the
Waterman toddled by. BY and by, whom
| I'd got pretty near through, Jim, SO to
speak, whistled again. stopped, and pretty
| soon j heard footsteps outside and I'm d
| l mean blowed-if they didn't come right
| up TO the bank steps, and l heard a key in
the lock. | was so dumfounded when /
heard that that you could have slipped the
bracelets right on me. / picked up my
lantern, and I'll DO hanged if didn't lot
the slide slip down and throw the light
right onto the door, and there was the pres
ident. Instead of calling for help, as sup
posed he would, he took stop inside the
door, and shaded his eyes with his hand aud
looked at me. l knowed ought to knock
him down and cut out, but I'm blest if |
could, was that surprised.
who are you p says he.
who are you ?" says /, thinking that
was an innocent remark, as he commenced
it, and a-trying all the time to collect my
self.
I'm the president of the bank" says he,
kinder short. Something the matter with
the lock"
by George |" The idea come to mo then.
eyes, sir" says 1, touching my cap. "Mr.
| Jennings, he telegraphed this morning the
lock was out of order aud he couldn't get
| in, and Pm come on to open 1t for him"
| II told Jennings week ago." says he
that he ought to get that lock fixed
Where is he?"
Hes been a-writing letters, and he's
gone up to his house to get another letter
he wanted for to answer"
"Well, why don't you go right on2' says
he.
I've got almost through" says |, land !
didn't want to finish up and open the vault
| till there was somebody here.'
That's very credltable to you" says he
| "a very proper sentiment, my man. You
can't he goes on coming around by the
door, "be too particular about avoiding the
very suspicion of evil"
mo, sir says /, kinder modest like.
What do you suppose is the matter with
the lock?" says he.
81 don't rightly know yet" says "but
rather think it's a little wore ON account
Of not being oiled enough. These ERE locks
ought to BIO oiled about once year."
well" says he, "you might as we'll Il
right on now am here; / will stay til
Jennings comes. Can't help you? Hold
your lantern or something of that sort ?"
The thought came to me like flash, and
turned around and says:
"How do know you're the president?
amt ever seen you afore and you may bt
a-trying to crack this bank for all l know.
"Thats very proper injury, my man,
says he, land shows most remarkable de
gree of discretion. l confess that should
have thought of the position in which wa
placing you. However, / can easily con
vince you that it's all right. DO you know
what the presidents name Isl"
mo, l don't" says |, sorter surly.
"Well, you'll find it on that bill" said
he, taking bill out Of his pocket, "anC
you see the same name on these letters,
and he took some latters from his coat
l suppose | ought to have gone right ON
then, but l was beginning to feel inter,
ested in making him prove who he was, Sc
says; "You might have got them letter!
to put up job on me-"
YOU'RE very honest man." says he
"one among thousand. Don't think In