The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-07-21
SLIDER'S ARREST.
How a Wealthy Banker Was In
geniousiy Swindled.

His theory was that IL man wished
10 make success of his profession, he
needed TO use his brain rather than his
muscle. 1t was all right enough, when
starting out to commit burglary, to
take knife with you, or loaded club,
or pistol, but Billy claimed that the
doing of this showed a lack Of mental
ingenuity. Any muscular fool can
bludgeon the senses out of half
awakened householder aroused from his
first deep sleep by the noisy entrance
Of thief through the kitchen window,
but bludgeoning Billy looked upon as
clumsy and unnecessary. The conse-
quence was that Billy, by strict atten-
ton to business, and the endeavor to
please customers soon begaD to
build up for himself an enviable repu-
taticn among the police. They never
caught sight of Billy or his pals, but
they always recognized his handiwork
by the nestness and dexterity of it
They did not even know his name, but
they called him among themselves Billy
Haven out of respect for the memory
of detective of that name, who was
especially good at tracking crimes of a
kind whose origin was obscure, and the
clew to which was not visible They
said among themselves, when their at
tention was first directed to the kind of
burglary the new burglar was doing,
that this was Job Billy Haven would
like the unraveling of II he were alive,
and so they drifted on never getting a
sight Of the burglar, until the crimes
were called Billy Haven jobs, and final
" the unknown cracksman came to be
called Billy Haven.
At last these neat burglaries ceased
and there were no traces of Billy for
years. 1t Is possible that the authori-
ties would never have known any par
ticulsrs about Billy's career If it had
not been that convict dying in one of
the prisons told about Billy's last and
successful coup, which enabled Haven
and his gang to retire into respectable
but monotonous private life.
Billy, 1t seems, had long looked with
hungering eyes on large mansion that
stood in lonely part of lonely sub
urb. 1t was entirely surrounded by
high brick wall, and Billy felt that if
he and his, mates ever got inside that
mansion they could work in uninter-
rupted security.
Inquiry showed Billy that 1t was the
residence of Mr.. Slider, the well-known
banker, . man intimately connected
with numerous prosperous companies,
and man of great reputed wealth.
The name Of Slider was power In the
city. Billy's investigations led him to
the knowledge that Mr.. Slider was
most careful man, who had arranged
every electrical appliance then known
for the discovery of q burglar.
Billy's plans, when matured, were very
simple. He obtained the costume of a
police inspector for himself and the
clothes of an ordinary policeman for
each of his four pals. Re got, likewise,
a very good imitation of warrant of
arrest, made out in the name of Mr..
Slider. Billy was the man of brains in
the gang, and the other four, realizing
this, did exactly as he told them. They
were in perfect state of dicipline and
had the utmost confidence in Biliys in
genuity The plan was this: They
at about nine o'clo ok in the evening, in
perfect legal form; the inspector was
to arrest Mr.. Sliden, who might, of
course, be indignant, but the conspira-
tors expected that the respect banker
has for the forms of law at least insured
submission under protest; and while
the inspector stood guard over the ar
rested man, two of the alleged police
men were to be posted so that no one
could leave the house, even if Mr. Slider
wanted to send messenger away,
which was not lil:ely, because of his
certainty that this was mistake which
could easily be cleared up. The other
two alleged policemen could then
search the house under the protection
OF bogus search warrant, and quietly
secrete all the valusbles and money
they could lay their hands on. The in
spector then intended to tell Mr.. Slider
that, because Of his protests, he would
not take him to jail, but that he must
understand that he was under arrest,
and that he might have to report to the
head officer when called upon 70 do 90.
This plan worked admirably up to .
certain point, when Billy and his pals
were treated 70 . Supplying surprise.
The man at the porter's lodge trem-
blingly admitted the officers of the law
into the grounds. He was then ordered
to lock the gates, which he did, and one
OF the officers took the key and re-
msined in the porter's lodge with the
man and his wife, who were certainly
very much frightened. Another police
man was left TO guard the entrance TO
the house, while the bogus inspector
and the remaining policemen rang At
the front door. The person who I'D
uitted them was also terrified at the
sight Of their uniforms.
Billy asked IL Mr.. Slider was at home,
and was informed that he was in the
drawing-room. He then asked that he
and the officers might be shown there
without being announced.
Mr.. Slider was sitting in an easy chair
surrounded by his family. He turned
his head round, and when the door
opened without the customary knock,
and when he say the uniform of the in