Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
BOLTS AND BARS
Had No Terrors for Mysterious Burglar
in kansas-Leaving Jail Whenever
He FeIt Like It-Fixiug the

Il
Lock of n Bank Vault.
KANSAS CITY. August 11.-Clay Center,
Kan. has just wakened up to the fact that
she has had within her borders sensation
which is out OF the usual run of wild West
ern incidents. A burglar named Carton was
committed to the Jail last October to await
trial. He was turned over to Sheriff james
Sterling. The county Jail at Clay Center
is two-story stone building. with all the
latest improvements in the way of locks and
steel grating, and is considered one of the
strongest prisons in the State.
About noon of the day of commitment
Carton sent for Attorney F. P. Harkness,
asking him to come to Jail and consider a
line Of defense. On Harkness arriving at
the cell Carton had not word to say about
his case, but talked on scientific and liter
ary subjects. He was well-read man, and
surprised Harkness by his erudition. After
consuming over an hour IN this talk Hark-
ness became impatient, and asked Carton to
speak of his case.
"You play billiards, don't you?" asked
Carton.
Eyes. Why?" was the surprised answer.
"Well, will meet you at that billiard
hall across the way at 8o'clock this evening,
and while we are enjoying a game of
billiards we can talk about my case"
"But the Sheriff won't let you out to play
billiards. You must remember that you are
a prisoner"
.'That is all right. You meet me there at
8 O'Clock this evening"" answered Carton.
He spoke as coolly and earnestly as if q
trip through stone walls and steel bars was
of every day occurrence to him. and Hark
rdI Iv xuh hot 70 La Of
strange client he thought the man was
making game of him, but as night came on
he could not resist the temptation, and be-
fore 8 o'clock he was at the billiard hall
watching the door. Just as the clock struck
N walked Carton. While the game was
in progress Sheriff Sterling entered the
place. He did not recognize Carton, but
Harkness, who was completely non-plussed
over the matter, called to Sterling and said:
Look here, Sterling, is it your usual
custom to allow your prisoners to be out
playing billiards at this hour?"
"What do you nean?" said Sterling.
"Why, 1 mean that Carton here was COM
mitted to Jail this morning to await the ac-
tion of the grand jury, and he Is out playing
billiards in the evening""
Sterling turned pale and almost fell from
the shock and the fear that there had been
a Jail break.
"Don't get excited, old fellow" said Car
ton, "I only wanted little fresh air, but if
you object will 90 back now."
After this escapade the prisoner left his
cell and the jail whenever he pleased, and
returned when he got ready, the Sheriff be-
ing nearly distracted. The lock on one of the
city banks became eunmanageable, and experts
could not open it. The prisoner heard of it,
volunteered his assistance and pierced the
vault. The peculiarities of the man be-
came so common to the Sheriff that he was
never surprised to find his man wan
dering around the town in the morn
ing. But last Thursday Cartons cell was
empty and the prisoner was not sitting on
the steps. On the chair in the cell was
note to Sterling bidding him goobby and
thanking him for all his kindness, saving
that pressing business necessitated his sud-
den departure.
This was startling, but when Mr.. John
A. Moss, cashier of the Farmers and Mer-
chants Bank, opened his desk that morn.
ing he found a note from Carton stating
that he had taken $500 from the safe in the
vault to pay his travelling expenses, and
stating that, as he had never been paid for
fixing the bank lock. he would take his
pay and leave his receipt for it. Mr.. Moss
rushed to the vault and found living on a
pile of money a receipt for 5000 signed
Henry Carton"