Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-10-03

ssiiszsmen to remain any longer; they
fIssnlselves would wait as long as the
eerItIemen choose, but the hour Tor
z5realzsng into the strongest OF all
strong rooms-if it could be broken into
at aIl-was long past
The next morning the board held an
/ extraordinary meeting, in order to dis
cues the result of the efforts OF the
gentlemen who had been all night in
the vault. After long argument
/ about nothing, a porter entered with
letter, which he stated had been
found on the table in the strong room.
It ran as follows:
you. can do ass yeod like. Lars
night herd someon speek to Mr.
FeIdin, who know is an hossifer of
the perlice, sow of course did not
come, as I mite ave dun. I give yeou
another chance. Coome to mite. If
two or 3 gentlemen are theare aloane
hi will be with un. If eny detective
| IS thear hi shall give it al up at 1st.
Yeou may choose as yeou will
Every suitable precauticn was taken
! when night came. The sentinel paced
| up and down outside; the detectives
were not far off; and after the most
rigorous search had been instituted,
! the gentlemen were locked in.
| At last one of them who paced the
/ door impatiently, beginning to think
/ that perhaps after all it was only
+ clever trick, cried out:
you ghost, you secret visitor, you
midnight thief, come out! There is
no one here but two gentlemen, and
myself If you are afraid, I give you
| my word that the police are not here"
/ 1t was more in jest than in earnest
that Major Clifford-for it was a mill
tary man-shouted out this absurd
speech. His establishment, however,
was great. when, in reply to what he
had said, he heard a voice, saying:
IF you have kept your word, will
Keep mine. Put out your light. and
then I'll come"
The major and his fellow directors
did not much like putting out the
Hight, but they were not towards, and
!. after some demur it was done.
| When the light was out they waited
/ in silence, while the major grasped
firmly in one hand revolver. For a
! little while a low, grating sound was
beard, then the falling of a heavy
] body, and the next instant a man was
visible. standing in the middle of the
/ vault, with dark lantern in his hand.
The man soon spoke for himself and
| the directors listened in establishment.
/ 1t appeared tt at ne was a poor man,
/ and obtained a precarious living in a
1 Strange way. When the tide was low
1t is the custom of a certain class of
people unknown to refined society to
enter the sewers to search for any
j articles of value that may have been
accidentally washed down into them.
! One night he discovered an opening
leading to some place abo1e :. There
was large, square stone, which he
found could be easily raised. He lis
tened for some time, and finding all
| was silent, lifted up the stone with
out much difficulty, and found, after
i some little investigation by the light
of his lantern, that he was in the
strong room OF bank,
He told his wife, who was a woman
of much superior education to his
own, of the whole affair, and then he
wrote. as we have seen, to the di-
rectors.
The mystery was now cleared up,
/ and the directors, calling for lights,
examined the place carefully, and
fully verified. The mans statements.
The directors felt that they owed
the strange man a debt of gratitude.
1 There was incalculab1e wealth hidden
! there. in the shape of not only notes
and the most valuable securities, but
/ also in solid bullion and hard cash.
The very strictest search proved
that nothing had been taken besides
| the box, which was returned intact
When this point was fully settled it
was agreed by the directors that the
mysterious visitor should be rewarded
for his honesty, and it was currently
reported that they settled upon him
| a liberal annuity, sufficient to support
him in comfort for the rest of his
days.-Boston Globe.