The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-03-30
THE POLICEMAN's STORY.
He Tells of IA Thrilling Experience With a
Somnambulist


The fat policeman and THE SUNDAY HERALD
man were sauntering leisurely around together
upon the formers ''beat." 4 large well-built
man passed them during their stroll and spoke
familiarly to the policeman. ~ can tell you
pretty good story about that man." said the
policeman. ''He is one of the wealthiest real
estate dealers in the city and somnambulst.
Several times he has got up at night dressed
himself, and wandered about the streets while
fast asleep. His Office was at one time on my
beat, then in the heart of the city, and it was
there the incident occurred that I'm going to
tell you. One morning, it seems, he drew from
his bank a large sum of money, way up in five
figures TO be paid out during the course of the
day in q real estate deal. But the man who was
to receive the money for some reason or other
did not come after it, and kept the real estate
broker waiting until after banking hours with
the funds in his possession. AS it was very
large sum, he naturally did not wish to leave it
in his own Office safe. But as the man who was
to receive the money did not put in an appear
ance up TO the time for closing for the night the
real estate dealer was forced to leave the funds
in his safe. He went home worried about the
risk he was running.
II was pacing up and down my beat that
niqht when noticed a man advance rapidly
toward one Ol lIc OillCCS dDOut my ghiuo llOii
where was After pausing at the door a mo-
ment, as If working at the lock, he entered and
closed the door behind him. l could not see
who he was as the lights were not lit in the gas
lamps the moon being expected to furnish all
the light necessary, but as the sky was we'll
clouded the moon hadn't chance to get in her
work | hurried to the place to investigate.
Itwas the real estate dealers Office and the door
vas unlocked. pushed the door back softly,
silently crept in, and moved across the floor to
where the private Office was partitioned off from
the rest of the apartment. Sure enough, some
BODY was at work in this room. l could heal
the combination lock squeaking The room
was quite dark. / moved around TO the private
Office door and glanced in, pulling outmy gun al
the same time. The door worked easier than
thought IT would, and swung back, making
little noise / expected the man would in
gtantlY look up from his position near the safe
and having made up my mind in which direc
tion the safe was placed, covered it with my re
yolyer, so in case he should pull out his lanterl
and turn it on me 1 would have the drop OIL
him But no noise followed the squeaking 0
the door, and still | waited. Then the mool
burst from the clouds for moment and say
quite clearly into the place The safe was no
exactly where / had located it, but about fou
feet away, and before it, rumaging in one Of it
commandments / saw the kneelng figure of tn
man He withdrew package from the drawe
and proceeded 10 90 over IL carefully. EY
aently II was bundle OF bank notes he wa
counting out. / saw that must plunge IN q
once and drew myself up ready TO spring upo
him and endeaYor 70 place the bracelets upo
Elg wrists. / expected to have an almight
struggle 70 do 1t, as could see he was prett
strong man As / was fully making up N
l.iud 70 do this caught sgpt OF the messeng'