River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-02-27
DERELICTION OF DUTY
How n Boy Was Rewarded for Capturing
a Bold Burglar.

Bold Burglar.
At about the age of fifteen I went to
clerk in country store in Indiana, and
among my other duties was that of sleep
ing in the store nights as a protector.
1t was great big barn of a store, stand
ing at crossroads, four miles from town,
and the owner lived about forty rods
away. The idea of my being any real
value as protector was absurd, but the
understanding was that ! was to sleep
there, and did. 1 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
ne.
One Saturday night, after several
hundred dollars had been paid in, the
proprietor hid the roll in tea chest,
locked up the big safe, and went home,
| leaving me to close up. When this had
been done | got to bed, but about mid
night was awakened by some noise
down stairs. After listening for awhile
/ became 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 upstairs. There was hatch or
opening in the center 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 che store, as no one had
been up, and as they were taking mat
tiers 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.
whats that apiece?" asked a 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 be-
gan 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 three o'clock in the morn
ing 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 a busted
State bank constituted all the wealth
behind the iron door there was mo-
ment of awful suspense. Then they be-
gan 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 every thing else they could think
of, and finally three-cornered fight be-
gan. In the struggle one of them was
knocked unconscious, and the other two
left him and skipped out 1t was get
ting daylight now, and / went down,
found the fellow quiet, and tied his
hands and feet with clothes-line.
had lust 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.
I'm the Rev. Stephen Baker, of Lafsy-
ette, you know. and have wandered out
here in my sleep, and got into this place
somehow. often walk in my sleep.
but hardly ever go as far as this. Ny!
but what VIII my congregation sag il
I'm not back on timel just throw the
ropes off, bub and I'll be going as fast
as / can. The Lord and me love little
boys. Can't you come to my Sunday
school?"
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 70 me, as he
surveyed the ruined safe: ''Loox at that
wreck. and it's all your fault, What in
thunder do pay you two dollars month
for. except 20 keep robbers Of, and here
you've went aad let two Of en- git
sgsy~--S, J. sga.