The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-14
Where Thieves Broke In.

II was very doubtful il old Ben had
ever heard Of the scriptural admoniIlon
against the boarding up of treasure on
earth. where moth and dust doth CORRUPT
and where thieves break in and steal; oui
* was evident that neither knowledge nor
ignorance would have made MN other
than he was, an incorrigible miser whose
only aim in life seemed 10 be TO exist with
as little expenditure as possible and TO
amass as much money as it were WITHIN
his power to acquire.
Ben engaged in the mental occup:ucn
Of scavenger. At the dawn OF day ne
could be observed making his general
rounds of the garbage barrels in the city
an old burlap bag slung over one should
er. an iron poker in one hand, and MS
whole appearance repelient in the ex-
IRENE. owing to his non-acquaintance
with water as an ablution. Throughout
the long day he toiled weariless!y'
scowl Overshadowing his features When
ill-luck crowned his efforts, but an al
most idiotic leer being percepuole wnen
he had experienced some little success.
Eagerly would he convey his store of
papers. bottles, boots and rags to the pur-
veyors of such mmodities. and haggle
over the terms of sale and purchase I'M
til q settlement had been effected; then,
with his few pieces of money, would ne
hasten TO his miserable howell. the place
that he called home. That home was IN
fit for the habitation Of man or beast. 1t
was dilapidated shanty. relic of revo-
lutionary days, long neglected and fallen
into decay.
But to Ben it was his castle. In it he
had first opened his eyes upon the light
of day; in it he had counted out the
cycles of years of his life, and there II
was his only treasure-money-was de-
posted. He had no faith in savings instl-
tutions or general methods of investment.
but in the cellar of the old shdnty, in a
dark and secret passage that he knew so
well. was buried his all-that which alone
made his life to him worth living, his sor-
did wealth the accumulation of years OF
labor, self-denial and actual deprivation.
How secure ne considered himself OF
the hoard which he had secreted. 1t
would remain his always. SO he thought,
and night after night, with tallow dip,
his only method of illuminating the place,
would he steal down into the cellar 10
battle his hands in his pile of copper and
silver, and frantically kiss an occasional
piece of gold, which was an object OF his
especial worship.
He had made every precaution to ban
ish the outside world from any knowledge
of his nocturnal visits to his cellar. The
one window in the basement was secretly
fastened, and boards had also been nailed
over the few lights of glass in order TO
Illustrate the attempt Of any curious IN
dividual who might be possessed OF the
desire to ascertain what the occas- onal
CLEAN Of light a hat lonely abode at such
an unreasonable hour might mean.
But the best laid plans OF mice ard
aoIo nd hanDer Q
that one one night an unlucky one for
old Ben, two desperate looking charac-
tiers who were passing along the street IN
front of the old shanty were attracted by
the glimmer of the candle burning in the
basement and Immediately set about to
ascertain the why ard wherefore of the
cause. At first nothing could Be discov-
cred, but by the aid OF knife and a
marauder's ingenuity, the little chink in
the wooden covering of the window was
enlarged sufficiently TO enable tho two
men to discover Ben in his accustomed
place. counting his coins and gleefully
laughing to himself at his being the lord
and master of SO much.
Every movement of the old man was
clearly observed. Would he never depart
from that foul cellar and leave the coast
clear for these two, who, from the mo-
menI Iley Hdu seen lIs~ HiOIICS iIdC OS-
termined to gain possession of it? 1t was
weary waiting, but finally Ben, gathering
together his hoard. put it back in its hid
ing place, and the light began gradually
to diminish and then disappeared.
An hour later, when Ben was sleeping On
his miserable pallet. these two men were
in the cellar. They had procured matches
| and located the treasure, which they
speedily appropriated, and then beat a
hasty retreat No grass was allowed 10
| grow under their feet, and on, on they
went exulting in their depreciation, and
! at the possible condition of Ben's mind
when the force of his loss would dawn
! upon him.
1t was never known what old Ben's
emotions were when next he went into
| the cellar. No doubt he raved in madness
| at the awful scene which met his eyes.
True it is that he again went into the
| basement to worship his monetary idol
and found it gone.
few days following the robbery the
people who lived in the neighborhood OF
| the shanty, being somewhat disturbed at
| the non-appearance of the old man. eff
! fected an entrance to the building, where
he was discovered dead upon the ground.
| His eyes were open and had wild ex-
! preston, even in death. and his yellow
! fingers were filled with matted gray hair
which he had torn from his head during
| his paroxyisms OF despair.
And those two who had deprived him
of his hoard had a not less enviable end
| Infamed with the liquor which they had
purchased with a portion OF their Ill
1 gotten gains, they quarreled over the d.
vision Of the spoil. and. falling upon each
other. combatted so fercely that one was
slain and the other. being afterwsrd APP
pretended. tried before jury, and found
guilty OF the deed, expiated his crime on
| the gallows.