The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-31
A REVEALED SECRET.

money was 70 b; paid away in small sums
His reason for drawing the moosy on the
Friday, as he said at the counter, was that
tbe bank would be crowded next day, and
the day short. lie added that he had goo1
safe In which 20 keep the money tiii morn
ING He vas not conscious Of these words
being notch or listened 20 by any one near
him, or Of being followed from the BANK
over TO ha office In Frederick street; YET
when he reached the office, and took the Dig
bundle OF notes from his valise, change
came over ms intentions regarding them. ne
put all the ether papers from the vallse care
fully away, mostly in the safe, but 'he paiih
Dofes by sohe lnaccountablo whlnl, nc III
yided into three packets, and distributed
through his pockets and took home WIN MN.
The action. which he could never after nc
count for, was lucky or unlucky just rs we
look al IL, for the Office was broken into that
very night. and the safe appeared to be the
very first place that had been tried.
was called over early by one OF the mp
prentices. ami by the time ! reached the
rlace Mr.. Sardiford himself had been sum
rnoned and was there to give me the above
,nrious particulars. TIE place had been left
tice, from viii n it was clear that an entrance
had been gained in the most primitive iasii-
ion from Cresn behind, by placing clothes
pole at slight slope against the window ana
clamberng up. The breaking Of pane and
unfastening Of spring catch was all that
was then wanted TO gain an entrance.
The windows Of the bottom fat were al
most level with the green, but they were
protected by iron bars and contained only
the desks of the apprentices. 1t did not APP
pear that the lower fiat had ever been visited,
and the clumsy manner in which the whole
had been worked seemed to indicate that
only one man had been engaged, and he not
very expert The safe had been mangled
good deal about the lock and hinges with q
steel wedge, but in the end had been opened
by filing the lock with gunpowder-a burg
lars expedient. A small sum III silver, ieit
in cash bex. was the net gain of the house
breaker for all this labor and the disappoint
ment seemed to have enraged him, for every
paper he could lay hands on was torn to
shreds. Then the drawers in the desss and
writing tables had attracted his eye and got
share Of his fury, for they were ruthlessly
burst open and smashed and their contents
scattered partly over the room and partly on
the green behind. Mr.. Sandford was almost
tearing his hair with grief and rage over the
wreck.
Il would sooner have had 81 900 taken than
this devilsh wrecking,n he said "and Will
give Goo to discover who has done it. You
offer that as q reward and see what comes
of itn
'But suppose it has all been done 10y one
man, and he one that can hold his tongue"
Isuggested, and the words seemed to stagger
him.
DO You really think that is tho caseN he
said, looking more intensely chagrined than
ever.
81 think It has been done by one man, and,
Us he has got next TO nothing, don't think
he is likely TO boast Of his work. y
"And do you mean to tel me that in n
country like ours man can come into my
place and do all this damage and escape pun
ishment, or oven captmeN
at looks like it just now, but, Of course,
We shall DO our best 10 get at him" ! said,
with 10 great hopefuluess in the tone.
Gwen with 800 offered as a rewardN he
bitterly exclaimed.
"Yes NOu DO rot cffer him 600, but
offer that TO any one who will bctray him.
Do you think for q moment he VIII reveal
his own secret or give any human being the
slightest mkling Of Il with such q sum offered
TO theml / think the mere offer of such a
reward viii seal his lips.
"Oner It. III risk that. Do anything,
but get mt him. cried the lawyer, in state
bordering on frenzy, and then he INDUCED III
n number OF remarks about me which need
not be set down. but which implied that
was the greatest idiot ever born, clearly out
Of my line, and that even as scavenger !
would have been an absolute failure. Inc
wonderful unanimity Of enraged persons on
this point is one Of the most agreeable re-
freshers Of my life Were it not for these We
should never do anything clever, just as tlea'
force folks to he more clearly in their habits.
Tho reward Of 800 was duly offered fof
the discovery Of the housebreaker, but II
produced nothing There was 10 plumber tc
trace and TO get at the plunderer, ana the
absolute silence which followed the otler OF
sucb tempting sum confirmed me III my
opinion that the whole had been tho work OF
one man. and that he meant to keep the
secret Some months passed away, and
concluded lu1l llul uttriillO bN SaAN iD''-'c
was to be one Of tho many undiscovered
crimes. | had, indeed, forgotten all about
the case, and certainly ceased to make any
effort to get at the man, when was one dag
surprised by man named Tim Slider saying
TO mo in the course Of q conversation
isn't there hundred pounds offered fol
the name Of the man who broke into law
yers Office in Frederick street last termT
The man VINO addressed me thus was not
thief. but an honest, hard working hawker
who had never been sin trouble 50 long as
had known him / had met him there IN the
Grassmarket quite accidentally, and tho re
mark came in naturally enough in the con
versation, SO / was surprised in more ways
than one There could be 10 prompting Is
revenge and how such q man could be rllxeo
mp with any Of my BARNS was puzzlei
10 me
IL believe SOL answered, when had TO
called the case. did you wish 60 claim the
rewardp
The words were laughingly spoken, as his
own had been, but Lis answer was gher
more gravely, and in en- undertone:
al don't suppose will ever get the money
or that the case will ever be proved, y he said
guardedly, "and don't want TO be mixed VI
with it at al, but do Know the man that