The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-06-28
GENEROUS OFFER OF A CONVICT.

UINIOVVO VII1n VI n VV"VtVSs
A Brooklyn woman's Story of 6
! Burglar and his Wealth.
! "Some years ago my father rented
a house in Withersfeld from Cap
tain Willard, who was then the
warden of the Connecticut State
Prison. He was afterward stabbed
to death, as you may remember, by
one of the prisoners, who was hanged
for the MURDER" said Brooklyn
lady.
"My fathers family was very
large, but so was the old house, and
there was plenty of room for u ALL
The grounds were spacious, and re-
quired good deal of care, so that
five or six colored gardeners were
often working on them. These men
were all convicts, hired by my father
from the prison, which was about
quarter of a mile from our house.
Captain Willard said they were a
dangerous lot, and warned US to
watch them closely, and advised
my father not to allow any of US
girls to speak to them or to go near
them alone. l cannot say, however,
that any of the gang allotted to us
ever Observation-Disclosures, indeed, it
was the one about whom I am 60
ing to speak.
This was a big, good-natured
fellow, very black, a capital hand
with the banjo, and about 40 years
old. His wife and children went to
see him in the Jail every visiting
day, and they all seened to be very
hopeful Of the future, for the pris-
oner was serving term of only five
years. He was suspected Of having
participated in a number Of bur-
glaries, but was convicted Of bat
one, the robbery of a jewelry store
in Hartford. Very little property
was found with him when he was
arrested, and though the store had
been completely emptied of its val
uables, it was supposed that he had
played but very small part in the
raid upon it, and his sentence was
light. ...
"But one day this man, to whom
my father had been very kind, told
him confdentially that he had been
entirely alone in his last robbery
and dozen others, and that the
day before he had been taken into
custody, knowing that his arrest |
was imminent, he had buried all his
booty, amounting in value, he be-
lieved, to close on to 1000, in an
unfrequented place. He offered to
tell my father where the treasure
lay, and share it equally with him
if he would unearth it, turn it into
cash, and hold it until his term of
had elapsed. Of
course, my father refused to listen
% such proposition, and tried to
worm out of his informant where the
wealth was hidden; but the prisoner
vas too cunning for him. He de-
;ected his object, and became very
'eticent.
"About a month after the man
lad been released my father re-
,eived by express a package con-
aiming fully $500 worth of jewelry,
n the shape Of ladies' rings and
bracelets. There was no letter with
he bundle, but there was no doubt ,,
bout the accuracy of the address.
The things were shown to the jew
Ter who had been robbed, but he
aid none Of them had ever belonged s
o him, so we kept them, subject to :
n original owners claim.
"Late last winter l was in New !
orleans with my husband, and one !
fternoon an elderly colored man
ccosted me as I was walking in the '
treet. He was dressed in the most
ashionable material, cut in the la
est style, and he literally twinkled 8
nth diamonds; but l easily recog- !;
lied our old Weathersfield gard = =
ner. He was evidently quite rich, :
nd / asked him when and how he
cquired his wealth. |.
Missy he said, forgetting that !
was an elderly married woman, :,
t was befo' | went to prison. / =
one tole yer pa all bout it, but he =
i've me de cole sholdah. IN. Y. =
un.