The Forrest City times., 1891-08-07
A BURGLARS STORY.

My profession isn't 8 very popular one; there is considerable prejudice against it, I don't myself think it's much worse than 8 good many others. However, that's nothing to do with my story.
 Someyearsago me and the gentleman who was at that time connected with me in business-he's met with reverses since then and at present isn't able to go out-was looking around for a job, being at that time rather hard up, as you might say. We struck q small country town. ain't a-goin' to give 1t away by telling where it was or what the name of it was.
 There was one bank there; tho man. ager was a rich old duffer-o owned the mills, owned the bank, owned most of the town. There wasn't no other off cer sot the cashier, and they had n boy who used to sweep out and run errands. The bank was in the main street, pretty well up one end of it-a nice, snug place, at the corner of 6 cross street, with nothing very near it.
 We took our observations, and found there wasn't no trouble at, all about 1t. There was an old watch man that walked up and down tho street at night, when he didn't fall asleep and forget it.
 The vault had two doors. The outside one was chilled iron, and had a three-wbeel combination lock. The inner door wasn't no door at all. You could kick it open. It didn't pre- tend to be anything but fire proof and wasn't even that.
 The first thing we done, of course was to fit a key to the outside door. As the lock on the outside door was an old-fashioned Bacon lock, any gentleman in my profession who chances to read this article will know just how easy that job was and how we done it.
 may say here that the gentlemen in my line of business, having at times Q good deal of leisure on their hands, do considerable reading, and are par ticulariy fond of & neat bis of writing; Tn fact in the way of literature, have found among 'em-however, this being Aggression. I drop it, and go on with the main job again.
 This was our plan: After the key was fitted was to go into the bank, and Jim-that wasn't his name. of course, but let it pass-was to keep watch on the outside. When anyone passed he was to tip me whistle, and then doused the glim and lay low; after they got by I goes on again. Simple and easy, you see. We'll. the night as we selected, the President happened to be out oftown; gone down to the city, as he often did Igot in inside all right, with slide lantern, a ibreast drill, small steel jimmy, 6 ibunch of skeleton keys and green ,baize bag to stow the swag. liked my light and rieged my breast drill. and got to work on the door right over the lock.
 Probably great many of your readers are not so well posted as me about bank locks, and may say for them that three wheeled cOmbina- tion lock has three wheels in it, and q slot in each wheel. In order to un- lock thedoor you have to get the three slots opposite to each other at the top of the lock Of course, if you know the number the lock is set on you can do this; but if you don't you have to depend on your ingenuity There IS in each of these wheels small hole, through which you put wire through the back of the lock when you change the combination. Now, if you can bore @ hole through the door and pick up these wheels by running . wire through these holes, why, you can open the door. hope make myself clear. Twas boring that hole. The door was chilled iron. about the neat est stuff ever worked on:
 went on steady enough; only stop ped when Jim-which, as said before. wasn't his real whistled out side, and the watchman toddled by. I heard Jim--so to speak-whistle again. Istopped, and Pm blowod if they didn't come right up tho bank steps, and heard key in tho lock was so dumbfounded when heard that that you could have slipped the bracelets right on me. picked mp my lantern, and I'll be hanged if I didn't lot the slide slip down and throw tho light right on the door, and there was the manager. Instead of calling for help, as supposed he would, he took step inside the door and shaded his eyes with his hand and looked at me- lknowed ought to knock him down and cut, but I'm blest if Icould, was % surprised.
 .Who are you?" says he.
 "Who are you?" says I, thinking that was an innocent remark, as he commenced it, and a-trying all tho time to collect myself.
 I'm the President of the bank, l" says he, kinder short; something the matter with the lock?"
 By George! the idea came to me then.
 "Yes, sir" says I, touching my cap; 'Mr. Jennings, he telegraphed. this morning as tho lock was out of order and he couldn't est in, and I'm come oa tO ppen it for him.
 "i told Jennings week ago." says he. that he ought to got that lock fx. cd. Where h hei'
 "He's been a-writing letters, and hos eons up to his house to get another Ietter he wanted for to answer"
 "Wsll. why don't you @ on1" saya