Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1890-02-20
BOY AND BURGLARS.
What the Former Got For Foiline
the Latter.

the Latter.
AT about the age of fifteen went to
clerk in country store in Indiana, and
among my other duties was that of sleep
ing in the store nights as protector. II
was great big barn of store, STANDING
at a crossroad, four miles from town
and the owner lived about forty wards
away. The idea of my being any real
value as protector was absurd, but the
understanding was that / was to sleeu
there, and did. / had room upstairs
one corner being partitioned off, and
never got into that bed that / did not
cover up my head and shake and shiver
with fear until sleep got the better of me
One Saturday night, after several hun
dred dollars had been paid in, the pro.
prietor hid the roll in tea chest, locked
up the big safe, and went home, leaving
me to close up. When this had been
done l got to bed, but about midnight
was awakened by some noise down.
stairs After listening for awhile / be.
came sure that some one was in the store,
and ] crept out of bed under the belief
that the big, dark floor room would be
safer for me in case any one came up.
stairs. There was hatch or opening in
the centre of the room, and crept softly
to this and looked down upon the heads
of three men working at the safe. They
could not have known that slept in the
store, as no one had been up, and as they
were taking matters as cool as you please.
1t was an old-fashioned safe, and they
had stolen tools from blacksmith in
town to open it.
"How much do you figger on ?" asked
one.
''Four hundred" replied another.
"What's that apiece ~ asked third.
All began to figure, and after ten min
utes they made it out that each would get
$3.50. This tickled them and they began
work. 1t was wonderful how that old
safe held out. For three long hours they
hammered and banged and pounded,
taking turns as they tired out, and at
about 3 o'clock in the morning they got
in. They almost had fight to see who
should first pull out the money, and when
it was discovered that an old-fashioned
sixpence with crossed marks on it and
81 bill on busted State bank constituted
all the wealth behind the iron door there
was moment of awful suspense. Then
they began at each other, and each robber,
his father, mother brothers and sisters
had to take it. They called each other
liars, thieves, swindlers, barn burners,
and everything else they could think of,
and finally three-cornered fight began.
In the struggle one of them was knocked
unconscious, and the other two left him
and skipped out. 1t was getting day
light now, and / went down, found the
fellow quiet, and tied his hands and feet
with clothesline. had just concluded
when he opened his eyes, realized the
situation, and worked sweet smile to
his face as he said:
'Say, bub, I'm awful glad to see you.
Pm the Rev. Stephen Baker of Lafayette,
you know, and have wandered out here
in my sleep, and got into this place some
how. l often walk in my sleep, but
hardly ever go as far as this. My but
what will my congregation say if Pm
not back on time! Just throw the ropes
off, bub, and I'll be going as fast as 1 can
The Lord and me love little boys. Can't
you come to my Sunday school2
But ran and told the merchant, and
the "Rev." was ultimately landed in
State prison. As reward for my efforts
the owner of the store said to me, as he
surveyed the ruined safe: sLook at that
wreck, and it's all your fault! What in
thunder do l pay You So month for, ex-
cept to keep robbers off, and here you've
went and let two of 'em git away !'--
New York Sun.