St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-11
THE RETIRED BURGLAR.
One of the Most Remarkable In
stances in His Career.

One of the Most Remarkable In
stances in His Career.
New York Sun.
AFTER l had gathered in what 7
could find in the dining ROOM" said the
retired burglar, telling of his expert
ence In house in Western Massachu-
sets, Il started for the parIor. This
parlor was just in front of the dining
room, and there were heavy curtains
between. 1 pushed these curtains one
side and went in carefully, so as not
to mar the furniture by kicking II.
feeling along for the table which I
knew must be in the center.
Il came to it presently, and found
1t very solid feeling with a sort of mold
ing or carving along the edge. 1 had
struck it on side, apparently, and so
L felt toward the dining room until I
came to the corner of the table and
J then L felt along the end for the next
corner to get the dimensions of it. I
Struck the other corner so quick that
~ made my hair raise right up; knew
ithere was only one thing they build of
such shape, and that's coffin.
+ L turned my light on it, and it was al
big oak casket, one of the kind they
make now days, square and solid, and
ut had three silver handles on one
side. didn't dare look in, but I felt
Jas though l ought to have them han
idles. The head was toward the front
fof the house, and the foot toward the
ldihingsroon1. 1 set my lamp down and
| got my screw driver out of my bag
and beganaon one of the handles near
/ est the bfoot.)C u suppose IL must have
felt little easier after I'd got that one
Ioff and into the bag. 1 know 1 went
iaround the end and then up the other
islde pretty prompt, getting 'em off
tsmooth as could be, and around the
head, and started down the other side.
where I'd begun. 1 got the handle off
by the head on that side, and then 1
went at the last handle, the one in
the middle. In turning the last screw
out of the handle, dropped my screw
driver
1T seemed to me as though it made
more noise than an iron telegraph pole
dropping inside of an empty iron oil
tank. l just lay down and waited. I
didn't dare run. / expected a million
people would come pouring down the
stairs and from all around, and l lust
waited, lying on the floor, but there
didn't anybody come. You know, the
fact was that dropping that screwdriv-
er hadn't made noise enough to wake
up mouse; but it seemed to me like
the greatest racket you ever heard,
and 1t scared me most to death. But
when nobody came I picked up the
screwdrlver and set it in the notch in
the screw again, and I'd just got that
handle off when 1 heard something
say:
Don't you think you're crowding
! us here little, my friend, carrying
away them handles?' 1t was the dead
man sitting up and looking down at
me. l suppose he'd been in an epilep-
tic trance, or something of that sort,
and dropping that screwdriver had
made just shock enough to start him
into life again.
Il was so scared 1 dropped the han
die, but 1 grabbed my bag-I suppose
instinct made me do that-and started
out through the dining room again,
and down cellar, and out by the win
dow l came in by. / didn't want to see
If anybody was coming this time.
Il got $117 for those five handles. 1t
seemed a pity to lose the other one,
but it was always a great satisfaction
to me to think that I'd woke the man
up"