The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1898-01-11
CAUGHT I'M A HOLE.

y
my desk there called upon me a wardcr
from the 6tangeways jail at Manchester,
telling me that the man who was convict
ed for stealing my money would be liber-
ated the following day, and II I cared to-
make it worth his while he would have
watch set upon the prisoner with view
to recovering the treasure should he, as
was suspected; have it still concealed.
/ accepted his PROPOSAL ard soon after
midnight was on my way back to Nan,
chester with the prison warder.
He told me that heidi not propose hin-
self to do the watching, but tliat it would
be done by q man who had at one time
beena warder of the jail, but had left the
place some years ago.
From this man l learned that the ticket
of leave man had talSen up his place of
abode in a northern suburb Of the cityS,
and arrangements had been made by which
he (the ex-warder) would be informed Of
all his movements.
The thief had been convicted under tho
name of James Gale, and 1t was not until
a year later that I discovered "jim Gale
TO be one of the aliases OF. the notorious
housebreaEer and burglar Charles Peace.
On the second day after my arrival in
Manchester we learned that the ticket Of
leave man had made arrangements with a
carter to accompany him ont to some open
fields lying on the confines of a northern
suburb of the city.
About o'clock in the evening the thief
joined the carter whom he had engaged,
bringing with him piokax and shovel.
He had changed his dress and appeared
an ordinary laborer.
When we reached the fields in the sub
urbs, itwas close upon 8 O'clock and pitch
dark. The thief had, however, provided
himself with lantern, and by its light
we saw him busily engaged digging at a
spot 30 yards from the roadside
The carter whom be had brought with
him had remained with his horse and cart
in the roadway, SO that we could notap-
proach very nearfor fear of being observed.
Consequently we turned back along the
road, and then striking across the field at
right angles were able to approach the
scene Of operations from tho farther side.
BY this means we We're able TIC get within
few feet of the thief without being OBJ
served.
He was busily engaged and already had
sunk pit o}gsolne feet in depth. He fad
placed his la tern in the hole ana was
himself standing in it and throwing out
the soil in large shovelfuis. The-hole we
then saw was at the foot of large heap Of
stones, which had.evidently been used as
landmark to identify the spot.
Making circuit to tho right, we got to
the back Of the heap of stones, and APP
preaching were able to get close up to the
thief without being observed and to look
down upon him at his work.
He was SO busy that he would not have
noticed us bad we been even less cautious
than we were. The hole was now sunk to
depth OF six feet and the thief had to
exert himself considerably to throw out
the earth.
At last, with a grunt Of satisfaction, be
stopped in his work and stopped down.
His shovel had struck the lid of a large
square box. Another minute and he had
the lid opened, and we saw before us a coll
lection of old silver tankards and salyers
and spoons, and among the silver a small
box or casket This he also opened, and
in it we saw, still bright and glittering, a
mass of jewelry.
There were rings and chains and brace
lets, but what struck US more than all else
was a magnificent diamond tiara, contain
ing stones of marvellous size and brill
lance.
And beneath the diamonds was packet
Of papers, which, with a great gaspof sat
isfaction, l recognized as the bank notes
which this man had stolen now nearly
seven years ago.
: Having satisfied himself that the stolen
booty was still there, the thief closed the
box and lifted it up to the surface of the
ground. He placed it OH the edge at the
foot of the heapof stones behind which we
were concealed and over the top of which
we were observing kim.
had drawn the revolver with which |
had provided myself and was quite pre-
pared for the moment when lie should see
us
This he did not do until he had placed
the box on tie ground and was preparing
to climb out,of the hole after it.
The man was no coWard-few Of the
scoundrels who resort to burglary arc
and though he started when he found
himself face to face with loaded revolver
he did not quail Anger rather than fear
was the emotion which expressed itself
upon his features.
Curse you'll he said. +" }5'has has it got
to do with you?"
Nothing, only chat you We got my bank
notes in that box and that the fest Of it
has got to be handed over to.tho polce.''
The thief still retained the same posi-
ton, with one knee raised to the bank Of
earth and his other foot still resting at the
bottom of the hole.
One of his hands, however, had stolen
into his coat pocket, and though l had not
noticed it my companion had done 50 and
exclaimed;
Now, No 1so, drop that, or you're .
dead man, at the same time-eeyering
him with his revolver
"And if do, what then? How much
do you want? I'll give you half OF it, and
Ill keep the rest.
''We shall band you over to the police
with the swag.
No sooner had the words left my lips
than tho thief, grown desperate at the
prospect of again returning to prison
to work out the remainder of his sentence,
drew from his pocket tho revolver upon
which his fingers had been resting during
the last few moments and fired point
blank at me.
The bullet grazed my shoulder and
passed harmlessiy away; not SO, however,
4 20 shot with which my companion had
replied to it.
He had been prepared for a demonstra-
ton Of this kind and scarcely -had the
thief fred than lie received III reply slug
tfft1. III