The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-01-31
SQUID.
THE BANK wArCHMAS's STORY.

pat. tell you II put me In a bad box Tor time,
but our president here see through the whole bust
ness and kept me, and was mighty glad OF 1t, be-
cause II had been put out of this job mlghtnt
have got another one for long time.
at was about five year ago. had chum named
Richards, who used to come around In the lonely
nights, and I'd let him in and we'd play checkers and
while away the time. never could play cards.
one day when was a-slttlng here at the wlnder,
after the bank closed, l was a.looking out at the
people a-gong by, and simpson come along-you
know Simpson, guess; he's detective, and good
one--and he says:
"'How are you, Charlle9
"'All right says Anything new?'
"'Yes, he says, there Ia something new
"'Whats up?' says
".well,' he says, there's gang OF burglars in
town from New York. and they're going to try to
open bank, believe 81.
81 laughed and says. They'd have sweet time
a.tryng 1t on this bank They couldn't get into that
there front door even unless they busted 1t open
| with DYNAMITE
".oh' he says you're all right. II all the banks
In town were as well watched and cared for as this
one, them burglars wouldn't have come here. They
amt agoing to trouble you, but I'D bet they're bound
to try 1t on some one Of them down town.
"And he went away, and didn't think much
about what he said for an hour or so; then begin
to think that with our tIme-locSs and electric but
tons and big iron bars at the wnders and everything
else all right, that bank-busters wouldn't try 1t
here. Thinks !, Just So why, II they'd get in here
they couldn't get In the VAULTS what would he the
use of them atrying9 II they'd get in here they
could only punch me, but that wouldn't put their
hands on the Doodle. They couldn't get in here
| anyhow And didn't worry myself no more aboutit.
Along about Q O'Clock heard some one a-tapping
at the door, and went there and says:
| "'Who's that2
"Its me, CHARLIE says Richards, and let him
in, and played i've or six games Of checkers and
| then he went home, and drawed up my student
lamp and read till morning. not forgetting to turn In
my report every half hour to the Central.
| "The next night Richards didn't come, and was
a-reading all night. You see sleeps In the day
time, 30 dent get sleepy tillthe next day. It's easy
enough when you get used oit The night after
that Richards come around and let him In, and he
was more'n half sick-he had taken bad cold and
had his head and face wrapped up In silk handker-
chief and he was hoarse he could hardly talk, but
he said he couldn't sleep and he thought he'd come
around aud play few games of checkers, and we
sit down and / beat him seven straight games, and
says:
"'why, hows this thing a-comlng out? You
generally beats me-
"'Oh,' he says, Il can't play 10 night feel so id
bad.'
",wel,' says i've known you since you was
little hoy aud never heard you swear before.
"He was just a-axlng the board again when I
says that and noticed his hands a-shaking, and 1
says:
"'Now, Richards, don't LETT play any more. You're
a sick man-you've got chilli
"Lets play just one more he says, and then I'll
go home.'
"And moved and he moved, and then he spit a
lot of tobacco-juice in this here spttoon. Well,
thinks l. when did Richards learn to chew tobacker,
and then all of a sudden see through him! l
betyer see right straight through him. wasn't a
bit excited-no more'n am now-but slipped my
hand under my coat, jerked out my revolver covered
him Just 80, and says:
"If you wink your eye II you move a hand from
that board, you're deader than bacon! oh, I've got
the drop on yon Sit just as still as you can. What!
God knows don't want to Kill you, but Will II you
try to get out OF that chair
"He didn't say a word. and stepped behind him
just and busted him under the car with my heavy
pistol aud he fell out of the chair deadern stone.
While he lay there stunned got lot oftwne out OF
one of the clerks desks and tied him up tight that
he couldn't grunt, and when he come too he begin
to beg. He said he had watch in his pocket that
cost him more'n two hundred dollars in New York,
and he had hundred dollars, too and diamond pin.
aud might have them all II would let him go.
wasn't a.thinklng about letting him go, but was
a-wonderlng how he got Richards's clothes, and I
says to him:
"sWhered you get these clothes7'
"sFrom Richards
"'Youre liar!
"'No,' he says, honor bright-they're Richardss.
"'HonOr bright! You talk about honor bright
know they're Rlchardss clothes. but how did you
get them7'
"'We robbed him first. We've been putting up
| this Job for month, and we cracked his house to.
night
"Well, you won't crack any more houses, says,
and walked to this here button, and was just
about to touch 1t to call the Police, and he knew
what was about, and he says
"'For Gods sake, don't give me away-don't cal
the officers! promise you swear I'll try to de
better II you'll let me go I've been In Sing Sing ter
=. long years; I've tried TO do better; couldn't gel
employment; be merciful to me; would kncel tt
you II could; circumstances over which had M
control have brought me to thIs!' and he began t
cry like woman, and tell you felt like letting vi
on him, and says:
"'I see through this thing; you've been a-laylnl
low around here; you found out that Richards GOMEZ
here; you stole his clothes; you got In and woult
have knocked me in the head II you could, and her
you would have drilled the safe
"'No,' he says, mo. no. no! wouldn't
"'Then who would?'
"'My partner; he'll be here presently
f"sWhatu
"'I was to let him In
"'oh, no. says , you was to let him n?'
81 see through 1t better than ever then, and
dragged him into this here recess and Stripe,
Richards's clothes OF of him the best could, tool
mine OIL and put Richards's on and waited for tina
there partner, and In aooui half an hour or so
heard Teller a-hummlng q tune outside tho door
. and showed myself by the gaslight and he appe
at the door and let him In, and told him In
; whisper that had punched the Waterman In IN
head, and he whispered that he had the tools o.
}, right, and watched my chance, and busted hin
under the ear with my pistol and he went down Tx
! an OK, and before he come TO had him tied a.
a tighter than the other feer
. swell, when he come TO he begin to threaten an
Q to swear and beg, and the other one cried like
baby, ana said the cord was a-uutting his hands OF
and he asked me TO loosen 1t for PHYS sake, but
weren't fool enough to do that so ! took OF Rich
ardss clothes and put on my own, then l touche
the button and had an officer here In lesser'n thre
minutes, and he was the most asionished man II
explained, things and he called another oficer,
c then We united them burglars and they put tn
nippers on them and took them down to the station
"After they was gone begin TO think that wa
In mess after all; you see it's against my orders
allow any one into this here bank after bank-hour
and knew our president would he maddern Or
, when he heard that had been In the habit OF ettin
Richards in to spend an evening With me now an
n then, but, thinks !, he's kind-hearted old man an
! maybe he'll let up ON me-
' "The next morning when was a-going home
a breakfast met simpson and told him all about /
and he said II the neaiest thing he had heard
- for long time, but he thought had mighty MAJ
rer escape and he asked me II the burglar that ha
Klchafd5s CLONES on wore tnem 10 tne STATION, an
70 told him no. that he was took down there In his III
>. derclothes aud Richards's clothes was up at Ii
" bank. lie knowed Richards as well as did, and
" says
"'Let's go around and see Richards and jol
y him about losing his clothes .All right says an
= we turned around The corner ana went to his hous
aud we found a crepe on his door! l tell you
kinder knowed Just what was the matter when 81
4, the crepe, and we found poor richards dead an
IL laid out, and the coroner had been there and Il
jury had found that he had been a-walking In h
sleep, and fell down stairs and broke his neck, al
~ his poor wife was Just heart'broke, but We dldn
3 see her, but we went In the paror, aud there IL
l. poor Richards. hut there wern't mark ON hil
a. We'll, simpson see his wife, aud she said he slept
!" himself In the back room, aud In the morning 81
T. found him aaying at the foot OF The stars with h
ID head on one side, aud he was colder than wedg
y and simpson says TO her:
I" "'Now, maam, try TO stop crying while al
,r listen 10 me; when
l. "But she bust out a-crying, aud simpson had
!. walt I'll she got through, and then he says;
= "'where are his clothesG'
10 "But she hadn't thought anything about 'em, an
We went down Ia the parlor again, aud simpson fe
| aaAn naha 10 "A