Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-02-06
AN uRcHINs ADVENTURE.
Locked Up in u San Francisco Bank, ii
Makes His Escape with a Broom.

Locked Up in San Francisco Bank, He
Makes His Escape with Broom.
A suspicious sound inside the closed
doors of the American Bank and Trust
company, OH the corner of Commercial
and Montgomery streets, attracted the
notice of a street passenger at 6:l5 o'clock
last evening.
1t was the place of the famous exploit
and capture of the notorious burglar,
Jimmy Hope, and the pedestrians mind
was filled with many misgivings as he
advanced to the glass doors giving view
of the interior of the bank.
What was his surprise to see midget
of years in short petticoats, armed with
an ordinary broom, preparing to make
attack on-not the great steel vault, but
on the glass street doors. The midget
pulled his big hat down over his brows,
poised his weapon like knight of old,
and with hopping jump pranced at the
glass, aiming straight at the face of the
inquisitive spectator. The latter drew
back with an alarmed shout. The cry
attracted the attention of others, and
quite crowd gathered about the banks
doors.
"Ping!" went the point Of the broom
against the doors, but the glass never
even cracked. The young knight rubbed
the back of his sleeve across his nose and
regarded the result in rueful dismay.
Finally he stepped back pace, lowered
his broom and once more rushed for
ward. The crowd drew back with
yell. Bang" went the broom against
the glass, and "bung" went the midget
sprawling ON the floor at the shock. He
sat on the floor dazed for some time, evil
IDENTIFY at loss what to do.
The crowd kept increasing in numbers
and curiosity.
"What is it, Casey?" yelled man on
the outskirts.
"It's buggler!" was the reply. "But
can't just make out whether it's him
that's caught or the bank"
Meanwhile the mannikin rose, and
lowering his lance once more, came at
the glass doors with a terrific rush.
Crash went the glass as the broom han
die went through, and the little fellow
banged against them.
Officer Donnellay caught sight of the
unusual crowd just as the crash came.
Brushing the people aside, he reached
the broken glass just as white, scared
little face showed on a level with the
sash.
"What's the matter here?" he asked.
"Please, sir" came the plaintive re-
sponse, 81 don't want to be locked up in
the dark. I didn't do anything bad.
Lemme out"
"What are you doing in there!" asked
the officer.
II want to buy some papers,"
"You're sure you amt trying to rob
the bank?" said the officer, quizzically,
and the crowd laughed.
The little fellow stared in wonder.
Subsequently Officer Donnellay en-
larged the orifce in the broken door and
pulled out the prisoner.
my name is Johnnie Baptiste Conif,"
he said, in reply to the curious questions
that rained upon him from all sides. 81
went in there to buy some evening pa
pers, and the man by the gas didn't even
look at me.
"Then stood still; then was tired and
I was going back to tell my ganmuver
and the door was locked, and there was
nobody left to sell papers; no, not even
a boy. hollered ever so loud and no.
body come, and then kept still because
if hollered the bugaboos might come
and catch me, and then I could not get
any papers to my ganmuver. wanted
to get out, so I found broom and
smashed the glass awful hard and it
knocked me down awful hard, and I
hurted myself" and the late prisoner
rubbed the lower end of his spinal col
umn with undisguised fervor.
The janitor of the place appeared and
stoutly maintained that when he closed
and locked the bank doors at 5:55 p. m.
there was no one inside.
Willie Conf, the brother of the youth
full Johnnie, declares that his brother
left him at 5:55 p. m. to go to the office
of an evening paper to buy more copies.
Johnnie was not seen by the janitor.
His small size seems to be the only ex.
planation of his not being discovered.
Officer Donnellay took him to his grand.
mother, who sells papers at the corner
of Sacramento and Kearny streets. His
little sister, who sells papers at the cor.
ner of California and Kearny streets
was with her. They were anxiously in
quiring for the whereabouts of the miss
ing lad. They corroboyated Willie'E
story.
The mother of the Conf children dice
lately, and now they and their grand
mother are earning a living by selling
papers.-San Francisco Examiner.
Profits of Grape Culture.