The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-19
MY BURGLARY.


MY BURGLARY.
The buqle was placed in the holder. the
horses made a graceful turn and we checked
up in front of ''Ths Nugget" the leading
hotel of Goldtown. . mining Damp at an
altitude of Tome 1000 feet in the heart of
the Rockies. and seventy miles by the near
est stage route from q railroad.
After a supper OF mountain trout and
game. l felt rested. I had como to Gold
town in response to Mr.. Furber, the pro-
prietor of the general store Of the camp.
He wanted q bookkeeper and l had an
swered his advertisement. My references
pleased him; he said ''come," and I did so.
Mr.. Furber called the evening of my ar
rival. found him a thorough business
man and . gentleman. and to this writing.
now more than seventeen years later, 1
have never had occasion to change my i'm
preston. He briefly outlined my RESPONSE
bilities and placed a comfortably furnished
room over the store at my disposal; thus I
was a room ahead. and the store had a
night guard,
The day following my arrival I began
active duty. The work was abundant. but
the associations were SO pleasant and the
mountain air celebrating, 80 on the whole
l was contented. Jan. l soon came, and
with it . handsome increase Of salary.
Other Januarys followed with greater core
and liberal remuneration. I made friends,
was trusted and was saving money. Mr..
Furber consulted me regarding various
ventures and seemed to value my opinions.
More than fous years of devotion to my
employers interests had passed when I was
informed that I should take entire charge
OF She financial affairs of the house, involv-
ing the mansgership. II have basn on the
lookout for some time" said Mr.. Furber to
me, "for some investment for you. William,
that would be safe and net large returns.
l think I can recommend the Turkey point
mine. I was under the ground yesterday.
and I find good showings for a wonderful
future; they are on a vein now that will
assay twenty ounces of silver and four and
q fraction ounces of gold. There is some
book stock yet; l will take all that is left,
unless you want some Of it"
I had implicit confidence in the business
sagacity and honor Of my employer, and on
his recommendation l placed sc. 0O0-all
my savings-in the Turkey point" Two
or three dividends were paid, then the mine
went blind:.' the vein was only a pocket
of ore that was soon exhausted.
As I wal making up the cash one night
several thousand dollars. mostly in gold
dust, but some ooin-the wealth before me
called to mind a report I had read that
morning of an express messenger who took
some $50, 900 from Wells. Fargo & Co.
l weighed the gold dust, counted the coin
and placed it in the safe, thinking all the
viii Q about the express messenger. tracing
him to remote parts and imagining him
living in luxury. ASH was closing the vault
door a mine owner came in. "Wait a min
ute" said he; there is some gold l want to
deposit"
weighed it. "pll make you q receipt"
I said.
II don't want your receipt. William,'
and he was away. HIS manner and tone, so
exp essive of confidence, made me dislike
my thought of the moment before. I med
itated, Am / too honest to be tempted?
Whv was l thinking of the express messen-
ger?" l tried not to.
l went to my room by the only stairs
that led to the story above, the foot of
which began not three feet from the vaults.
My room was in the rear. and below nv
window flowed a mountain stream, at tina
season. when the snow was melting off the
mountains, swelled to some magnitude.
THAT skitf," thought. while Watching the
waters. lis the only one in camp. 1t is less
than forty miles to where the railroad
crosses this stream. BY horseback the same
point cannot be reached under sixty miles"
l checked my thoughts in horror; what was
I thinking of?
l flung myself in a chair and closed nv
eyes to evade my invisible companion, the
express messenger; but he seemed INSOFAR
able. took a book and tried to read. NV
eyes alono traced the words; my thoughts
ran on; "Furbsr induced me into that
Turkey point mine l lost all l had-his
fault. He owes me something" Then l
began to count the dust we were storing
for mine owners. "The Crystal Rock has
about $4,000. Yellow Dirt about S., 900, the
Silver Moon between 49, 600 and $4,000;
the house owns over 500. 600, besides the
small deposits"
Was i turning theft Why was | fight.
ing against my thoughts? Do what l would
my mind continued to plan.
Many saloons. blacksmith shops and
small mines deposited in the Furber vaults;
they were the only secure deposits in the
camp. The store of II. l.. Furber sold
everything, from whisky TO mining en-
gines, besides accepting deposits and doing
u kind of banking business.
found as several days passed that / was
ridiculing the notion of becoming robber,
and at times disgusted with myself for per-
hitting the idea. Then | would think.
"Whe 9 would have been my deBtination?'
During such speculations l found myself
n9urlnR on railroad connections and the
number of hours start l would have, wholly
unconscious of the accurate preparations
WAS completing. When In my mind l was
lost to my pursuera in India, l must have
experienced some of the true sensations of
a criminal. | had calculated infinitely NV
disguise. aliases and business ents rp.i Uses
when far away.
Toward the latter part of July, after
business hours one evening, | carefully re-
moved the contents of the grin that hed
accompanied mo to Goldtown, and with it
IN my hand crept on tiptoe down stairs. l
felt that l was acting like a sneak and
stepped more firmly; nv foot touched the
broom, 1t fell and | jumped. The noise of
a mouse %Qnswing made me pause and
listen. orept back upstairs and looked
place.
Five minutss later and the well-hupp
Ysult door swnnn naixalalalx asaa L..