The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1899-10-19

had a lock. With this room between
the sitting room and dining room 1t
appeared to be perfectly safe, espe-
cially as our servants were Europeans.
| The house was never alone by day,
and at night there were four of us IN
IL. One morning it was discovered
that an attempt had been made to en-
ter the strong room by cutting hole
through the floor. The bungalow was
clear of the ground, and but for the
brick and cement floor the fellow
would have got at the box. What puz-
zled us was how he hit on the spot so
exactly. He couldn't have done better
with tapeline and full liberty to
use it.
1.-THE hole he made was repaired and
little said about the matter Just a
week later he returned. BY climbing
tree he got up on the roof of the
house. and working his way along he
struck the exact spot from above. 1t
was a matched roof, and with his
knife he cut out square hole. The
interior of the bungalow was ceiled,
or. at least, the rafters We're. He cut
hole through this wooden ceiling
without noise, and was then able to
drop down into the strong room. He
first tried to pick the lock of the chest,
but failing in that he determined to
take the chest out. He had to file
through link of big chain. and then
ascend and go for a rope. The chest
weighed 1T5 pounds. BY means of this
rope after charging the holes, he got
it up and out on the roof. He had to
descend by way of the tree, but he
did it with that safe on his back. He
also got over an iron fence nine feet
high and had carried the safe full
mile when he was arrested by pa
troll
After the fellow had been disposed
of a new strong room was built in one
corner of the parlOr. 1t was closet
just large enough to hold the safe and
made entirely of boiler plate. There
We're two locks on the door, and bell
was arranged to give an alarm in case
a stranger meddled. There was n bed
room off this parlor, with door always
open, and my friend and | slept there
on cots. One night, two months after
the other robbery, two thieves came
after the chest. They entered the
room over the top sash of window,
and working in the dark and within
fifteen feet of two sleeping men, pick
ed both locks with a stout piece of
wire. Before attempting to open the
door they disabled the bell. The chain
on the safe ran through both handles
and was secured to a big eye bolt
screwed to the iron wall. They I'M
screwed this bolt and We're then ready
to take out the safe. Fearing to open
a door, they cut out the panels of one
and safe, chain and eye bolt all to-
gether We're passed through The
dead weight was over 200 pounds. 1t
was in getting the safe over the fence
that they made noise enough to arouse
us, and one of them was shot and
killed as he fed. They had worked in
the parlor for four long hours without
disturbing us. 1t would seem as if
they must have made some little noise
with the safe and chain, especially in
passing them outdoors. but we hadn't
been awakened, though both were light
sleepers. 1t was probably better so. l
asked the captured robber if he knew
we were there, and he smiled blandly
as he replied:
1--WE were bending over you before
we began at the door. Oh. yes, sahib,
we knew that you We're there
"'And did you drug us with any
thingY
"'Not at all, sahib. There was no
need
but suppose we had waked?" l
asked.
"'We had our knives-you would
have slept again. he said, as a muir
derous CLEAN came to his eyes for a
moment"