The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-04-08
Furnishing A THIEF.
How q Burglar Was Very Clover
" Trapped

Win t1ltKTaIln DurllCno 1T Idf-Q lllt1lt
ings and other events Of irregular and
itinerary occurrence. have visited
most towns Of any Importance In Eng.
land, and have been a spectator Of and
In some cases a participation In, some
curious incidents. one Of which pro
pose to relate here. Many Of the most
successful meetings. from racing
mans point of view, arc those held 1t
places otherwise Of very little size or
Importance. As an example, il viii be
sufficient 70 mention EPSON. II was to
town IN the Midlands ordinarily con-
tanning about six thousand inhabitants,
that /, with five colleagues, including
supervisor, was ordered in the
autumn 81 49, The event was two
day race meeting. The first day was
fine, with occasional showers; the
racing was good; and rs large com
pany was present, we had enough to do
not only at the grand stand, but also
later in the evening ut the town Office,
whence we dispatched large quantity
Of press-work BY means Of Wheat
stone,r which had been sent for the
purpose. 1t was eleven o'clock before
VIC finished, and we then had a good
half-hour's walk to our lodgings
The second day was awful Rim fell
in. torrents the whole afternoon of
course the programme was carried out;
but, beyond official results and ire
ceived messages, we had very little 10
do II is the only day ] can remember
during which our boss did not stir out
OF the office. He generally contrived
70 have some business 10 transact out
side about the time fxed for eslch race.
This day. however, the persistent down
pour WINS too much for him. After the
third race, he sent me TO one Of the re-
portcrs on some business. found my
man in the weighing-room small tenn
porary wooden shed at the back Of Tat
tersaTl's ring.
When ! entered, the Jockeys were
being weighed in, and there was APP
parcntly some difficulty or dispute, as
the process was an unusually protracted
one. WAITED, leaning against the back
wall Of the shed, and us | did So, be-
came conscious Of voices whispering
outside. caught the words: IA bIole
with big red nose and one eye;r and
( my attention was arrested at once for
this was a description Of our counter
clerk. ! listened attentively and with
increasing establishment. The voices
were those Of two men; and the gigt 81
their conversation was that q plot
which had been formed to rob our Office
Of the cashbox on the previous day had.
failed, owing to the fact that Harper,
our counter-clerk, had taken the box
into town carly Ia the afternoon, in
stead of, as was the practice, at the
conclusion Of racing. He had, how
ever, been closely watched, and seen To
place the box in the local posttnasters
safe at the town office. The safe was
In the room in which we worked in the
evening, and was an old-fashioned. nj
most obsolete continuance Ali our
movements must have been very dill
gently followed, as the men knew not
only the exact position of resale with
respect to the doors and windows, but
also at what hour we closed the office,
and the whereabouts Of our lodgings.
They had also ascertaiped that no one
remained during the night in or near
the room where the safe was.
The upshot Of the conversation.
which occupied less time than It has
taken me to relate it, was that the
town Office was to be entered that
night as soon after we had gone as
would be considered safe. Entrance
was to be effected from the back yard.
through the window Of a small room
adjoining the larger one inl which we
worked. Further details failed to
overhear, as the dispute at the weigh
ing chair, which had gradually grown
warmer, now waxed loud and furious. |
{ aiting advantage Of the noise / slipped |
out and hurried to the Office Talinr |
the boss to one side, told him all. He |
was Tor informing the police at once, |
ana having the place guarded and the /
thieyes scared off; but, after Il lot6of /
persuasion, talked him over, conyfnc-
ing him how much more to his credit ii |
would rebound If he himself captured /
the robbers red-handed and unaided ~ |
the police. ] expounded to him a plan. /
the main idea Of which had struck me
at the frst moment, to which he lis
tened attentively, and occasionally |
smiled approyingly When ended he
3 SAID; Ill would do very well but for
one thing. II involves three OF us re.
i naming concealed In the Office"
MA d>StHteG-/
on say they watched us leave last
night he went on, six Of us2 What
will they think il only three leave
to-night?'
was nonplussed. Il
II rather like the idea, resumed the
boss but think we should have help.
suppose we get couple Of Schinken's
men?'
Sergeant Schinken was kind Of
semi-pnblic, 'semi-priyate officer with 4
stan of men, who were largely en-
ployed by race committees in the task
sof preserving order in the Enclosures.
and including bad and doubtful char
acters, They Travelled about from meet
ing 70 meeting like ourselves. and n
this way sort Of intimacy sprana up.
oh, they'd just be as bad as the IL
Gals said They'd want to boss
the whole affair, and very likely spoil
r. III tell you whats Ill ask three In
young fellows I know to come and have
a game 81 cards at our diggins tonight
~ tell them TO call for us atthe Office
half an hour or so before we close. Az
closing time we can make some excuse
ana send them off with our own three
men, whilst you, Harper and remain. n
I lie still hesitated- j could see he was