Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1889-10-30
HE BEGGED FOR MERCY


px1nCtpat store IN Acton. and though
~ had never been regarded as an ex-
emplary gentleman, his honor in bust
mess had not been impugned. Those
who had the faculty Of looking upon
the undercnrrents OF human actions
decided that he was q man not bound
BY honor, but who understood the laws
Of se~lf-interest too well to be guilty of
small meannesses In business. What he
was capable Of doing on q grand scale
was not mooted until the occurrence OF
which I am abont to speak.
Seth Damon had removed from Ed
son b Acton In the fall, and had pur-
chased the iron works. Shortly after
concluding the purchase he had q pay
ment Of thirty thousand dollars to
make, aud latc on q Saturday after
noon he arrived from New York with
the mOney-pxrt Of it in bank notes
and part Of It in gold. When he arrived
he found that the parties to whom the
money was TO be paid had left town,
and would not return till Monday. Mr..
Butterworth had the only reliable
sA~fety-vault in town, and to Mr.. But
torworth Damon took the thirty thou
sand dollars, asking permission to lodge
~ n his vanlt over the Sabbath, which
permission Was readily and cheerfully
granted.
During Sunday night the people Of
the village we're aroused by the alarm
ot 6re; and upon starting out it was
found that the alarm came from But
terworth's store, but Mr.. Butterworth
had been active. He had discovered
tho hre IN season. and, with the assist
ance II his boys, had put it ont before
much damage had been done. Upon
locking over the premises il was found
that the fire had not only been the ey-
ident work Of m incendiary, hut that
II had been set in several different
pisces.
How Fortunate" said the owner.
Sthat ! discovered it in season."
But very q another discovery was
made. The safety-vault had been pro-
ken open, and every dollar it had SON.
tanned stolen away! Here WAS alarm
and CONSERVATION. Gabriel Butter
worth seemed at to 60 crazy.
For myself / a. not he cried.
"a few hundreds were all / had in
there; but my friend had . great
sunni
lmmediate search for the robber, OF
robbers, was instituted, and word was
sent far and near 70 all Sherlffs and
their deputies, y to the police OF the
critics.
Now ii had 20 happened that on
that very Sunday evening = or,
may say, Sunday night, foI
- WAS near mldnight-l, John wat
sons had been returning from my
brOtheriA In Dunstable. ! had left my
hired team st the stable, and on my
way 70 my clearinghouse l passed the
store Of Mr.. Bntterworth. In the
back yard Of the store was . horse
trough, and, being thirsty, ! stepped
around that way to get . draught d
water. As / stopped to drink ct the
spout ct the fountain | saw . CLEAN Of
light through . crevice IN d shutters
q 2 q q store windows. curiosity
impelled me 70 60 and peer through;
for I wondered who could be in there
q that hour q : Sunday night. The
crevice Was quite large, made BY. =
weaIan6 awAy : ne e9ees q tne
snussers .nefo tney nsa peen csue1'
81 tas 49, tl1s ne,u .nen, uscs
snen open, sn0 y : looAeo
lnsU W. ssore. looAea UPON Ine
witnin when sne s~ade1y-vauis was
DMlAs g s4w tue vs"a. open' anu !
~ Ns1Tiei p~nsserwortn ~ wofA
1872. !. 49, uln ~. iaIse 1919
4 xOEO 0IB UX988G OGk6t RnO i SRW HlU