The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-01-18
THE REAL BURGLAR.
BY CHARLES B. LEWIS.

Next to the highwayman came the bur-
glar don't know but he was an equal
favorite in my imagination. For years
I left doors unlocked and windows open,
hoping a burglar would call, but for
reasons unknown to me my house was
avoided.
A few weeks ago was left to keep
bachelors hall while the rest of the
family paid visit in the country. One
night at midnight, as peacefully slept
in my bed, something happened to
arouse me- 1t took me minute or two
to discover what that something was,
but l made no mistake. A man stood
over me with cooked revolver held
close to my head, and as he saw that I
was awake he growled:
"Now, then, wants to talk to yer.
If yer go to raisin any row, yer'l git
bullet plumb through yer head"
"Who are your asked.
eyer kin call me most any name''
"And what do you want here?"
m after the SWag.
"Then you must be burglar?''
Fur sure +"
So my burglar had come at last. sat
up in bed to get good look at him, and
after one glance felt sick at heart. The
burglar of my Imagination had always
looked the gentleman. This fellow was
low browed, common looking man who
hadn't been shaved for week even if
he had washed his face or combed his
hair during that period. He not only
looked common, but he looked low mind
ed and tricky. l had always given
burglar credit for wearing good clothes,
but this man had on a cheap suit, and
it was badly worn in spots. was dis
appointed and disguised, and he saw
was and asked:
care you sure that you are a bur-
glar?" / queried.
"Of course l am. Haven't l bin ar
rested five or six times and served two
different sentences fur burglaryf"
''That may be, but had different
idea of the fraternity. You are not an
intelligent looking man. You wear very
shabby clothes. You can't speak ten
words without making a slip in your
grammar. Be candid with me- Aren't
you chap who got in here by mistake?
Wasn't it your plan to rob the clothes
line or steal something from the wood
shed?"
"What yer givin me, ole mann" he
exclaimed as he tapped me on the head
with the muzzle of his pistol. "After
l gifts through with yer yer Ii think I'm
a burglar fast huff. Git over ag' in the
wall Now, then, if yer move finger
I'll bore yer''
One side of my bed stood against the
wall, and l moved over at his bidding.
My clothing hung on chair at the foot
of the bed, and he laid down his pistol
and picked up the garments in success
sion and searched them. From my trou-
sers he took roll Of money amounting
to about $40, from my vest gold watch,
from the breast pocket of my coat some
papers of no value to him, and after
glance he returned them. On the dresser
was my diamond scarfpin, and when he
had placed that with the other plumber
/ said:
II have always believed that men
were driven to burglary through power
ty or misfortune or unjust treatment.
How was it in your case?'
81 went into the bizness because l
wanted sunthin dead easy" he replied,
with solemn wink of his left eye.
"And doesn t burglars conscience
trouble him now and then?"
II never heard if it did. If the pur
leece let's us alone, our consciences are
all right. Where's the rest of the stuff,
ole man?"
care you asking if 1 have anything
else of value you can carry off?''
Fur surel This is no haul. There
walkin half a mile
sit will figure up close to $500, and
it seems to me that is pretty fair pay for
an hours work -
"Shet up. Now, then, git outer bed. .
''What for?''
"I'm goin to tie yer fast while I
ransacks the crib. Where's the wife and
children"
''Out in the country.
Chats good I'll hev the crib all to
heself. Put on yer trousers. Now sit
down.
He placed the chair against the radi-
ator, and as / sat down he whipped a
sheet off the bed, tore it in strips and
tied me to both chair and radiator. He
was nervous and alarmed all the time,
but attempted TO hide it by buster. I
finally told him that he ought to be
ashamed Of such nerve and was reward
ed by cuff ON the ear which kept my
head ringing for five minutes. When he
had secured me to his satisfaction, he
looked me over and said
I'm goin down into the kitchen for
suuthin to eat, and if yer try any tricks
on me it'll be the wnss fur yer. :"
1T is no use to go down. / replied.
"There mas been nothing TO eat in the
house since the folks went away week
ago"
'Then I'll hev to go hungry. Let's
see what's in this safe deposit"
He opened all the drawers in the
dresser in rotation. There were few
odd pieces of jewelry, half dozen old
coins and the baby's savings bank, con-
tanning 119 pennies.
"You wouldn't rob baby, would
you?'' I asked as he poured the pennies
into the pocket of his sack coat.
'And why not?' he queried with a
cunning leer. "It's the bizness of bur-
glar to take all what comes. -
''Well, that's another disappointment.
I supposed the burglar to be above rob-
bling infants Of their pennies. If I'd had
the least idea that any such man as you
was around, I'd have taken precautions
to keep you out. By the way, how did
you enter?'
"By the kitchen door,
Eyes, left it unlocked in order to
save burglar time and trouble. Where
are you going now?"
"I'll take look about. If yer veil
out or try to git away, I'll be right on
to yer in minitp'
He left the bedroom and went down
the hall, and l heard him in the guests
OA'etAIOSA eehNt LIO hdAb IOOlu. no
was gone about ten minutes, and when
he came back he was in bad temper
As wasn't stocked up for burglars he
had found no other plumber.
Look here, Gully r. he growled as he
stood looking at me. 81 hewitt found
no handbook yit. !"
81 might look around here myself for
six months and not find one," an
swered.
"But if yer don't bank yer sugar
where is it?''
whenever I have dollar left give
it to the Society Of Reformed Burglars. %
ooh, yer does, Ell? Well, I wants
more money. See? Yer got money hid