St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-12-23
TROPHY OF BURGLARY.
4 Commercial Traveller Carries
Gold Watch ~ q Souvenir Of
His Misfortune.

"This watch was part of the spoils o
. burglary in which participated il
1884," said guest in the St. Charlie.
lobby to Times-Democrat reporter
drawing cut a handsome gold time
piece with a curious spiral pattern en-
grave in heavy relief on the lid. at
was ray first affair of the kind, and
regret to say l bungled it and got
caught almost Immediately. What ID
the joke, did you ask? There is nc
joke: it is perfectly true. 1t happened
like this: In the fall of 81. when was
quite young and green, got a job trav-
cling for Chicago grocery house, and
one OF the first places visited was a
small town in northern Ohio. i arrived
about II at night. and went out to take
. stroll, and smoke cigar before GO
ing to bed. Passing through side
street 1 noticed light in the little
jewelry store, and also that the door
was ajar. That reminded me had re-
Gently broken the handspring of my
watch. and l sauntered in to leave ii for
repairs. As l entered a young man arose
.
He seemed startled. which was not un-
natural at such late call, but he re-
gained his composure while explained
the purpose of my visit, and told me he
had closed some hours before. but hap
pened to remember some things that
had been left out Of the safe and re-
turned to put them back. When I
handed him my watch l asked him to
lend me another to wear in the mean
time, and he gave me one at random
from tray on the counter. This is it
on my chain noN.
''Next morning." continued the story
teller. Il was iounging in the hotel Of
fee when the town marshal tapped me
on the shoulder.
Let me see your watch he said.
y pulled it out Immediately, and was
At once placed under arrest on the
charge of robbing the jewelry store.
1t seemed that it had been burglarized
during the night. and somebody in the
hotel had noticed my peculiar-looking
watch and reported it to the police. 1t
was promptly identified as part of the
stolen goods, and. needless to say, my
story as to its acquisition was laughed
to scorn. was obliged to admit that
it seemed little gauzy myself. and
can't say l blame the authorities for
declining to give it credence. At any
rate, found myself in the deuce of
tx. NY old watch had been carried of
by the thief. and there was absolute
ly nothing to confirm my statement ex-
cept the bare fact that none of the other |
goods was found in my possession.
That. however, went for very little, for |
il was argued that I had abundant time |
to conceal my plunder. In my agitation |
and excitement l must have presented a |
perfect picture Of guilt. and the towns
people came near mobbing me on the
way to Jail. They kept me there for
exactly three hours. the agony OF which |
vi!l dwell with me if live to be hun
1red. Meanwhile the sure-enough bur
ylar had been bagged in an adjoining
town with all the loot. including my
timepiece, in his valise, and when was
inally released he was bundled into
ny cell. If he hadn't been caught /
Ion't know what might have happened.
don't like to think about it. The au-
horities made groveling apologies and
he jeweler was especially abject. To
'lacate me he offered to let me keep
he new watch in exchange for my old
me. and 1 accepted the proposition. 1
AIRY il as sort of tragi-comic SOU
q. Times Democrat,