The record-union., 1891-12-11
CLEVERLY DONE.
An Ex-Convict Caught in the Act of
Burglary.
How Captain Lee Dropped on Gus.
Ammond's Little Job-The Fellow
Caught in the Act.

Police Captain Lee and officers Lowell
and Simmons did about as pretty piece
of police work last night as one could
wish.
About 10 O'Clock the Captain left the
Police Station and started on his usual
round. He walked down Second to L,
up L to Third, and thence across to K.
In passing the grating in the sidewalk
alongside Considine's saloon, on the cor
ner, he saw a man there with light, fill
ing a basket with coal, which he soon
brought up.
Then Lee sauntered around the corner,
and through smaller grating on the K
S rect side he saw another faint glimmer
light. Stepping inside, he asked S. T.
Eurkhardt, the barkeeper, if his man
lad left light behind him in the base
1ncnt, and Burkhardt ascertained that he
Lad not.
''Then there is something in the wind, y
said the Captain. where do you keep
your money-in safe?"
No. replied Burkhardt, there in this
locker behind the bar" showing one of a
row of lockers, bat the only one with a
paddock.
Lee was certain that, whatever was
going on below, the operator would be
there for some little time, so he went
over to l. street and got Officer Lowell to
go and keep watch by the grating, that
teing the only means of egresS from the
Easement, while he (Lee) looked up Off
Ger Simmons.
For nearly two hours the officers stood
there in the cold north wind, but nobody
clme up from the basement. Then Cap
tain Lee sent Lowell and Simmons in to
inquire Of Burkhardt if he had heard any
Ioise from below, but he had not, being
busy moving back and forth.
But the officers heard it, and it was
plain that somebody was boring through
tie floor. They reported the fact to Cap
tain Lee. and the latter decided TO wait no
longer, IS ii was then nearly l o'clock III
tie morning, and bitter cold.
Noiselessly the officers raised the graf
ing and descended to the basement, and
there they saw q man, with a lighted
candle to guide him, perched upon an
improvised platform and boring upward
through the floor with an augeT.
Lowell was the first to reach him, and
covering him with his pistol made him
ii row up his hands. When Captain Lee
got good look at him he said, why,
hello, Gus! is that you? Don't you know
nle?'
"Yes, know you, Captain" replied the
burglar. Il see you know me. L ac-
knowledge the corn; you've caught me
a it,"
"Why, it's ten years since I saw YOU"
said Lee. How long have you been out
o. Folsom ?'
''Seven months" +" replied the prisoner.
But you got only five years from
here?''
Eyes; but [ got five more from San
jose"
The officers marched their man out and
to the Police Station. He left behind him
lot of holes in the floor which would
soon have made an opening right behind
the locker, where the money and other
yalables of the saloon had been kept.
Ills purpose was to then cut through the
back of the locker and help himself.
The measurements were exact, and If
Captain Lee had not made his timely dis
coYery the thief would have made y clean
sweep of the contents of the locker.
On arriving at the jail the Captain no.
ticed that his prisoner, whose name is
Gus Almond, alias Dutch Gus" had
on good coat, and it then dawped upon
him that he had passed him few days
before on the street when he did not have
the coat on.
He asked Almond if they did not
meet on the street, and the latter replied
that they did, but he saw that Lee did not
then identify him.
Where did you get this coat?'' asked
Lee. Have you cracked another place
since / saw you?''
Not exactly" replied the prisoner,
Il walked into hallway and helped my
self to it,
Captain Lee is very happy over his
capture, as he regards Almond as one
OF the cleyereSt and most determined
burglars in the State.