Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-06-15
YHE RETIRED BURGLAR.
One Of the Most Remarkable Incident, In
His variegated Career.

One Of the Most Remarkable Incidenhi In
His variegated Career.
CATER had gathered in what I
could find in the dining room" sal the
retired burglar, telling of his exper fence
in house in western Massachr sets,
Il started for the parlor. This parlor
was just in front of the dining room,
and there were heavy curtains between.
pushed these curtains one 81 de and
went in carefully, SO as not to mar the
furniture by kicking it, feeling along
for the table which knew mu st be in
the center. I came to it presently and
found it very solid feeling, with sort
OF molding or carving along the edge.
/ had struck it on a side app lrently,
and SO felt toward the dini:lg room
until came to corner of the table,
and then felt along the end for the
next corner to get the dimensi ons of it.
struck the other corner SO quick that it
/ made my hair raise right up. knew
there was only one thing they build of
| such shape, and that's coffiII.
Il turned my light on it, and it was
| big oak casket, one of the kind they
| make now days, square and solid, and
| it had three silver handles on each side.
/ didn't dare look in, but felt as
| though I ought to have them ha ndles.
| The head was toward the front of the
house and the foot toward tho dining
room. set my lamp down and got my
screwdriver out of my bag and began
on one of the handles nearest tho foot.
I suppose I must have felt lit tie easier
| after I'd got that one off and into the
| bag. / know I went around the end and
then up the other side pretty prompt,
| getting 'em Off smooth as coul be, and
| around the head and started down the
other side where I'd begun. got the
| handle Off by the head ON that side, and
| then I went at the last handle, the one
in the middle. In turning the last
screw out Of the handle I dropped my
screwdriver.
| sit seemed to me as though it made
more noise than an iron telegraph pole
| dropping inside of an empty iron oil
tank. 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 just
waited, lying on the floor, but there
didn't anybody come. You know, the
fact was that dropping that screwdriver
| hadn't made noise enough to wake up a
mouse, but it seemed to me like the
| greatest racket you ever heard, and it
scared ne most to death. But when no.
body came l picked up the screWdriver
and set it in the notch of the screw again,
and I'd just got that handle off when I
heard somebody say:
Don't you think you're crowdin us
here little, my friend, carrying away
them handles?' 1t was the dead man
sitting mp and looking down at me. I
suppose he'd been in an epileptic trance
or something of that sort, and dropping
that screwdriver had made just shock
enough to start him into life again.
81 was SO scared I dropped the ham
die, but 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 window
came in by. 1 didn't wait to see if any
body was coming this time.
Il got S1l7 for those five handles. 1t
seemed pity to lose the other one, but
it was always great satisfaction to me
to think that I'd woke the man up. y
| New York Sun.