The evening times., 1896-12-23
WATCHMEN BITTER RIVALS
True Tale Of a Young Downtown
Merchants Experience.
ONE AFTER THE OTHERS JOB
Both BIackened Each Other's Char
acters-The Unemployed Operated
On the Store Door to Make the
Merchant Distrustful of the Mans
Vigilance.

This is a true story about two private
| watchmen in particular, but not about those
guardiaEs of the peace at nightin general.
| 1t Is hard to believe, but well-known
| young merchant in Il downtown police pre-
| cinct can vOuch for every word OF it, and
moreover prove its truthfulness.
| When the enterprising burglars not a.
| burgling and the cut-throat is not occupied
| in crime, then sometimes it happens that
the private watchman will stimulate busi-
ness as a watcher by doing like the boy in
the fable who persisted in crying Wolf,
| wolfI'
The case n point, which illustrates trick
of the watchman's trade, happened cnly a
| few days ago, and has not yet teen de-
| veloped to q conclusion.
The young merchant has been employing
a special policeman or Waterman to look
| Iiter lis store In the all-night hoJrs and
prevent theories, who might elude the po-
IIcemen, from carrying or his goods. The
special nlIcd his post with entire sausfac-
| ton for IA time, and all went well. Nobur-
| glars broke in, and no attempts were made
| TO carry Off the store, as has frequently
been Une cas-. ne.c WIN utHer merchants.
Then there appeared on he scene another
special who was seeking employers and
to the young merchant he went and I'M
| folded a long story about the notorious
| character of the original special.
Painted His Rival Black.
Hq painted his rival ever dark color, and
invented iuil record that would cause even
Billy Williams to rise nd mutiny dgaifst
the police He said hat half the burglarIes
in the precinct were committed by the spe-
cial watchman n himself. and insinuatcd that
-. ..a.ssl
linz wren the "riihcS were done or Wnked
their eyes in federation Of the acts.
Itse4 ,uc new ssi,IiaIiJ tOr s.4tChinans
honors unfolded n glowing account of his
own character. ana 1t appeared that he
ought to be a basket-holder in 4 church
dGunS IhunkstsR ms Time. me- Is st,Cn
good fellow, So he said, that thieves can't
breathe the same atmosphere with him.
He volunteered To take the store and put 1t
on his list of places to be watched. and
guaranteed to guard II SO closely that not
even Jack Frost could break entrance.
The young merchant pondered and de
fcrred giving a definite answer. He felt
greatly alarmed To thin that perhaps he had
for months employed Il crook, who W as only
awaiting 4 chance to get away with every
thing OF value. He did not act hastily or
unjustly, as So many other men would have
done, but called the original watchman into
the store that night and uacstionc d him.
The special was asked what he knew OF
the character OF the new watchman. He
replied in very much the same terms as had
been used by the other in describing him.
and made t appear that he was fellow
who was fit only for life imprisonment in
some out-uf-tiieway prison.
The business man heard it all, reflected
and said nothing.
A night or 50 afterward as the DARK hours
before dawn crept on. the tall form of a
ff.f ST. rhn
policeman aud the special were not around;
the street was still and the coast was clear
for good job
Quickly AMI deftly the form extracted a
cold chisel from a pocket and a few quick
strokes OF the steel dug deep dents in the
door near the lock.
II looked for all the world like a skillful
case of house cracking. and the burGlarioHs
form showed the craft Of nexpcrt in the
stiffness and dispatch with which IL did the
work
watchman Became Excited.
Strange to say, although time and op-
portlnity favored. the prowler did not
>rrS entrance into the Stnrr. but stole away
after cIopping the woodwork around the
lock.
The original Waterman came around later
AMI examined the door, as was his custom.
Then ne jumped high in the air nd ripped
Oatns out OF lis cnest faster than second
hand store mar can hand down garments
from his shelves. He hunted high and low
for the burglar. but not a trace could he
discover. He had his suspiciOns-but that
comes later.
The murder was out the next morning,
and the original watchman made the best
OF 1t by relating bow he had scared off a
gang of half grown boys who We're trying
TO break in. He minutcly described his dis
covery of the Gark forms around the door
way when he was long distance off, and
how they had scented his approach and
fled in dismay III every direction. He was
sure il would not happen a gain ant, equally
positive that he would use his revolver with
killing effect the next time the burglars
troubled the store.
Tie same dag the rival watchnian came
around and carefully inquired into the de
tails of tie affair. He regretted that it had
happened, insinuated that the older special
hadperhaps been en ioying nap i'll warm
corner, and wished that the store was in
lis charge, as he was sure no thief whcth-
cr human or sp0Uk could pass his blockade
The merchant thought it all over. eau
toned Ills store watcher to be very careful,
reported the matter tu the police hnd went
on advertising bargains for shoppers
only a few nights elapsed before an
other shaGowy form crept up to the door
and the same program as before was car
ried out. EXpeditiously and eXpertly the
Job was done and then the form faded
into the nothin gness of night.
\ gain the original watchman raved; the
merchant thought long and deep and wide,
the rival watchman insinuatcd and sug-
gcstcd. and the police made q note in the
record of robberies of the second attempt
within a week.
Cutting the story short, here is the way
the merchant thought il out and told it
TO times man:
There are two watchmen. One wants
to get me away from the other. So he
sneaks up twice and jabs my door all up
With a chisel. Pm going to lay for him
l told Lieut.. Amiss that l thought cold
ball would not be too good for him. aud
il 1 catch him at it I'll give it to him
short and swift.
Il am Il new man around there and they
think 1 am u mark for them. But I'll
make target out of the fellow who makes
the third attempt L am not saying a word
to any one, but 1 am sleeping In the store
nights"