Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-04-02
A BURGLARS STORY

time that you began to think about choos-
ing profession"
These were ominous words. Since left
Elton, nearly year before, had spent my
time very pleasantly and very idly, and
was sorry to see my long holiday drawing
to close. My father had hoped to have
sent me to Cambridge Cambridge was
tradition in our family, but business had
been very depressed of late, and sentence
Of six months hard labor had considerably
straitened my poor fathers resources.
1t was necessary-highly necessary-that
1 should choose a calling With sigh of
resignation admitted as much.
IF you like" said my father, "I'll take
you in hand and teach you my profession,
and in a few years perhaps may take you
into partnership; but, to be candid with
you, l doubt whether it is a satisfactory
calling for an athletic young fellow like
you"
II don't seem to care about it particular
ly," said l.
Forgery The BARI Cornish wrecking'"
Father" said, II should like to be for
ger, but write such an internal hand"
"A regular Elton hand" said he Not
plastic enough for forgery, but you could
nave writing MASTER.
II think should like to be burglar"
Yes" said my father, considering the
subject. "Yes, it's fine, manly profes-
sion, but it's dangerous, it's highly danger
GUS"
Just dangerous enough TO be exciting,
10 more"
well" said my father, IF you've a dis
met taste for burglary I'll see what can be
done"
My dear father was always prompt with
pen and ink. That evening he wrote to his
old friend Ferdinand Stoneleigh. a burglar
of the very highest professional standing,
and in week | was duly and formally
articled to him, with a view to ultimate
partnership.
had to work hard under Mr. Stoneleigh
Burglary is jealous mistress" said he
''She will tolerate no rivals. She exacts
the undivided devotion of her worshipers"
And so found il. Every morning at 10
o'clock | had to present myself at Stone
leigh's chambers in New square, Lincoln's
inn, and until IL | assisted his clerk with
the correspondence. At 10 | had TO 20 out
prospecting with Stoneleigh, and from to
4 / had to devote to finding out all particu-
lars necessary to a scientific burglar in any
given house.
At first / did this merely for practice
and with no view to an actual attempt
He would tell me off to q house of which
he knew all the particulars and order me
to ascertain all about that house and its
inmates-their coming and going, the mum
Der of their servants, whether any of them
were men, and, If %, whether they slept in
the basement or not, and other details nee
essary to be known before burglary could
be safely attempted. Then he would com
pare my information with his own facts
and compliment or blame me, as l might
deserve He was a strict master, but al
ways kind, Just and courteous, as became
q highly polished gentleman Of the old
school He was one Of the last men who
habitually wore hessians.
After years probation l accompanied
him on several expeditions and hmd the
happiness to believe that was of some lit
tie use to him. 1 shot him eventually in
the stomach, mistaking him for the master
of house into which we were breaking Il
had mislaid my dark lantern) and he died
on the grand piano. His dying wish was
that his compliments might be conveyed TO
me.
now set up on nay own account and en-
gagged his poor old clerk, who nearly broke
leigh left no family. His money-about
R12, 900, invested for the most part in Amer
lean railways-he left to the Society fol-
Providing More Bishops, and his ledgers
daybooks, memorandum and papers gener-
ally he bequeathed TO me.
As the chambers required furnishing, ]
lost no time in commencing my, professional
duties. | looked through his books fora
suitable house to begin upon and found the
following attractive entry:
Thurloe Square-102. House-Medium.
Occupant-John Davis, bachelor. Occupa-
tion-Designer Of dados. Age-Eighty-six
Physical pecuharities-Very feeble eccen-
trio; drinks; evangelical; SHORES. Servants
Two housemaiss. one cook. Sex-All
female
Particulars Of Servants-Pretty house
maid called Rachel; Jewess. Open to at
tentions. Goes out for beer at p m.
snores Ugly housemaid called Bella
Presbyterian. Open to attentions; SHORES.
Elderly cook; Primitive Methodist. Open
to attentions; SHORES.
Fastenings-Chubb's lock on street door
chain and bolts Bars to all basement
windows. Practicable approach from third
room, ground floor, which is shattered and
barred, but bar has no catch and can be
raised with table knife.
Valuable Contents Of House-Presenta
ton plate from grateful aesthetics Gold
repeater. Mulready envelope Two dia-
mond rings. Complete edition Of Brad
shaw" flbm 1884 to present time, 5ss vol
umes, bound limp calf.
General-Mr. Davis sleeps second floor
front; servants on third floor. Davis goes
10 bed at 10. No one in basement Swarms
with beetles; otherwise excellent house'for
purpose.
This seemed to me to be a capital house
to try single handed. At IL o'clock that
very nighu4 pocksted two crowbars bunch
of skeleton keys, aicenterbit, a dark lantern,
. box Of silent matches, some putty, life
preservcr and knife, and set of at once
for Thurlee square remember that it
showed heavily. There was at least foot
of snew on the ground, and there was more
TO come. Poor Stoneleigh's particulars were
exact in every detail. Igot intos the third