Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-01-22
A BURGLARS STORY.
How He Secured the Property Of
His Dead Pal

4
about crooks?' asked a well-known
gambler OF a Boston Globe writer re-
Gently.
Certainly, was the reply, ''if it is
q good one.''
:" ou shall judge for yourself as TO
that- 1t Is a curious story, to saw the
least, and one, the like of which have
never read or heard of in all my experi-
ence through the country. 1t was in 1885.
while dealing with the bank in New
/ \ ork, that 1 met fellow named Tom
Cllnch- That was not his true name.
As L afterward found out, but il is good
enough for the purpose, so l will let it
/ CO. Tom was big, strong, manly
looking fellow of perhaps 80 years, and
II was his custom TO come every night
TO the place where / worked to buck
/ the tiger Sometimes he would win,
but oftener he would lose. This did
not seem to embarrass him much, for
lie always carried a roll, and although
knew that he did not work, no one
could tell me how OF where he got his
money Suddenly he disappeared, and
II was several months before l saw him
again. When he did make his appear
ance, however, he had plenty of money,
and as gradually grew to know him
| better, he got confidence In me and we
used often TO chat about our business
affairs OF our past life and adyen-
| lures.
1T was not until then that l found
/ out that he was burglar, and a noted
one at that, although he was not very
well known to the authorities of New
/ \ ork, all his work having been done in
the West.
''One night 1 chancei to ask him
what had become of a friend of his cal
led Jack, whom had often seen in his
company previous TO the time he had
/ disappeared.
His face grew thoughtful when
/ asked the question, and it seemed 10
me that tear trickled down his cheek
as he answered: Its queer story, but
/ if you'd like to hear it I'll tell you.
Jack is dead, poor fellow; If he had
/ lived, all the money that i have now
would have been his.
1--we started away from New Y York
/ for a trip through the West, doing
"housework, you know, and for
month or two ali was plain sailing.
| Then, as luck would have it, we STUN
bled into a little city in Colorado,
where both of US were known, a.
| though We were not aware of il at the
time.
"'We started TO ''go through house
in the suburbs and were followed by
the chief OF police and few officers.
After we got in the house they sur
rounded it and called on us to come OFT
and give ourselves up.
"rhis would never do, so we de-
cided TO make a fight for it. / sue
ceeded II getting away with only a
slight wound upoa my left arm from a
bullet, but poor Jack was killed. bull
t from the pistol of the chef of po-
lice going through his heart. OF cOnr-e
! kept IN hiding and should have gone
away from the place but for one thing
Jack and l had been In the habit Of
bu ing lottery tickets every month, and
the list of winners was in the daily pa
prrs on the morning following the day
that Jack was killed. Ny ticket had
drawn nothing, but | found on reading
the list the ticket that Jack had in his
pocket when killed had drawn $4,000,
and 1 made up my mind then and there
that / would not leave the place until
had either the ticket or the money that
!; had drawn.
ssIt seems that the Chief OF Police,
in going through Jacks clothes, had
found the ticket. and he of course also
knew that II had drawn a b 9 prize, but
for some reason OF other he was afraid
TO get 1t cashed from the city IN which
he held office. He also knew that
knew he had the ticket, but did not
fear me. for if l went forward TO claim
il. could easily have been sent to The
peuitentiary for the burglary. AS Il
was was unknown to him personally,
while he was known TO me, and 81
: YOU see L had but little fear OF being
caught.
Fifteen thousand dollars was to,
mnch money to let go by. 1t was NOR
than lie could earn in several years o
, work at the salary he was getting
while if 1 got it l would then hav'
: enough to start some good business, set
tie down and live like a respectabl
e man At last news reached my ear
D that the Chief of Police had resigne,
his position and was about 70 leave tn
city. From that time seldom let hin
get out OF my sight, aud when Ia
started away l was with him, and eve
. in the same car, although he did no
know II.
he went to New York and put up a
! one of the best hotels. 1 had ths mex
room to him. He got the lottery tickt
cashed from there, and then, after
few days of sightseeing, he starte
back for the little Colorado city. Dul
mo ALI this time had had no chance
= get at the money, although L knew b
had 1t with him all the time. Arrive
H home, however, he was not so Vlgllan
= and found out that he had slowed
away in a small safe in his ow
!, hOuS.- ,
"a "sThe first time he was home was Il
pc Only time that cou get the coin, Il
x I fit nretty certain that he would ban
ie All or a part of it the next day. SO,
ter the lights were put out and ever
. tHInr became quiet IN his house, e
u tered through one OF the windows, al
eh going to The safe L had but little troub
nc in opening il. There was th1 money
= crisp. new bank notes, IN 81, ,UOO bill
Oh hurriedly pat it in my pocket, al
n1 leaving the house, 1 caught the mig
~ express for the East, and was mai
~, miles away before the ex-chief OF poll
hs discovered his loss, and III bet the lit
In Colorado city did not contain madd
Gu man than he was when he discover
N it
Ell s'He stopped there," said the nan
- tor, land thought he had hnlshed,
after a moment he went on: i broug
all the money east, intending to divl
n evenly with the widow of my old p
but when arrived thera l found IL
ne. lie had also died, and SO the whole
she tie big lottery prize fell to ms, an
the think / worked hard for 1t, do
the your'
L." There, that Is the story, just a:
all heard it from the lips of the man III
200 self. He is a respected citizen in one
ned the large cities in New York State, a
on. not one man in five thousand "
the knows him, knows how he got his ST