Wichita eagle., 1888-11-06
A REVEALED SECRET.


New Town solicitor drew from the bank
the sum of G3o0, mostly in small notes, as the
day following was the term, and most Of the
money was TO be paid away in small SUMS
His reason for drawing the money on the
Friday, as he said at the counter, was that
the bank would be crowded next day, and
the day short. He added that he had good
safe in which to keep the money till morn
ing. He was not conscious OF these words
being noted or listened TO by any one near
him, or OF being followed from the bank
over TO his Office in Frederick street, yet
when he reached the Office, and took the big
bundle of notes from his valise, q change
came over his intentions regarding them. He
put ali the other papers from the valise care
fully away, mostly in the safe, but the bank
notes, by some unaccountabie whim, be di-
vided into three packets, and distributed
through his pockets and took home with him.
The action, which be could never after &C
count for, was lucky or unlucky just as we
look at it, 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 ap-
prentices, and by the time l reached the
place Mr.. Sandiford himself had been sum-
moned and was there to give me the above
curious particulars The place had been left
exactly as it had been found by the appren-
tice, from which it was clear that an entrance
lad been gained in the most primitive fash
ion from green behind, by placing a clothes
pole at a slight slope against the window and
clamboring up. The breaking Of pane and
unfastening Of spring catch was all that
was then wanted to gain an entrance.
l. CO. Il
most level with the green, but they were
protected by iron bars and contained only
the desks of the apprentices. 1t did not ap-
pear that the lower fat 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. Tie safe had been mangled
good deal about the lock and hinges with
steel wedge, but in the end had been opened
by filing the lock with gunpowder-a burg
lars eXpedient. A small sum in silver, LEFT
n cash box, Was the net gain OF the house
breaker for al this labor, and the disappoint.
Enent seemed to have enTaged hiCa, for every
paper he could lay hands On mas torn to
shrcds Then tho drawers III the desks and
writing tables had attracted his eye ard got
q share of lis fury, for they weTe ruthfessly
burst open and smashed and their contents
scattered partly over the room and partly on
the green behind Mr.. Sandifcrd was almost
tearing his hair with grief and rage over the
wreck
q would sooner have had e, eco taken than
this devilish wrecldng," be said, land L viii
give 9lO0 TO discover who has done it. You
Offer that as u reward and see what comes
OF it."
But suppose it has all been done by one
man, and he orc that can hold his torgue."
] suggested, and the words seemed to staisger
him
DO you really think that is the case?" he
said, looking moro intensely chagrined than
ever
81 think it has been done By one man, and,
as he has got next TO nothing, don't think
he is likely to boast of his work"
And do you mean to tell IRE that in
country like ours O man can come into my
place and do ali this damage and escape pun
ishment, or even capture"
at looks like it just now, but, Of course,
we shall do our best to get at him" said,
with 30 great bopefGlness in the tone.
"Evan with GlC0 offered as reward" he
bitterly exclaimed.
ayes. You do not offer him eco, but
Offer that to any one who viii betrav him.
Do you think for a moment he VIII reveal
his own secret or give any human being the
slightest mixing OF it with such sum offered
70 them! 1 think tho mere offer OF such a
reward VIII seal his lips.
"O1er il. III risk that. Do anything,
but get at himlr cried the lawyer in a state
bordering on frenzy, and then he INDUCED in
q number of remarks about me which need
not be set down, but which implied that l
was the greatest idiot ever born, clearly out
OF my line, and that even Us a scaven9er l
would have been an absolute failure. The
wonderful Uaaainity Of euTaged persons on
this point is one OF the most agreeable re-
freshcrs or my life. Were it not for these we
should never DO anything clever, just rs heas
force folks to be more clearly in their habits.
Tie reward of ciGO was duly offered for
the discovery of Tie hoUscoTeake-, but it
produced nothing. There WAS no plumber to
trace ard 70 get ct the plunderer, and the
absolute silence which followed the Offer of
such Il tempting sum confirmed me IN my
opinion that the whole had been the work Of
one man, and that lie meant 10 keep the
secret. Some months passed away, and l
concluded that that attempt at safe robbirg
was TO be one Of the many undiscovered
crimes l had, indeed forgotten all about
the case, and certainly ceased to make any
effort to get at the man, when l was one day
surprised by man named Tim Slider saying
20 me in tho course Of a conversation
''Isnt there hundred pounds offered for
the name Ct The man who broke into law
yars ofIloe IN Frederick street last termF
The man who addressed me- thus was not a
thief, but an honest, hard working hawker,
who had nevor been Sin trouble so long as l
had known hira / had met him there in the
Grassnlarket quito accidentally, and the re-
marx came il naturally enough in the con-
verSation, 50 l was surprised IN more ways
than one There could be no prompting TO
revenge, and how such Il man could be mixed
up with any Of my BARNS was puZZier
e me.
~ believe SOL answered. when had 70
called the c2se. did You wish to claim the
reward.'
The words were lau~hingly spoken, as his
own had been, but his answer was given
more gravely, and in On undertone:
81 don't suppose L will ever get the money,
or that the case viii ever be proved, = he said,
guardedly, and l don't want 70 be mixed up
with it ct all, but l do know the man that
did it"
"0h! have You proofi'
.Not a BIT OF II. l know his name. and
that be did 1t, bat that's all Il the name is
OF any use to you, you're welcome TO it, but
If it's proof yoa want yol.l have 10 hunt it
out yourself"
All right. Give me the na-nen
"You won't ask &c know more, and you
went tell him SAID irls
II won't
..rhen it wes Chick TwomeY. tLe fish.