The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-08
He WORKED THE DISK
How a Foxy Night Watch
man Fooled the
Superintendent.


E. C. McGillicuddy, a lawyer in the
State Mutual building, was in Pepperell
last week, and met the superintendent
of large shoe shop there, who told
him good story.
1t seems that they had night watch
man in the shop, who was considered
model OF his kind, He had worked
there for several years, and was pune
tual in his duty, and always to be found
at his post. This summer he took to
riding Wheel and as he rode about
all day long, some of the men began to
wonder where he got in his sleep. Early
in the morning, just as though he had
not been up all night, off he would go
on long rides into the country and come
back at dark, ready to tumble into bed,
If he was like most men. The gossip
of the snop came to the ears of the
superintendent and although he trusted
him SIS much as he would his own
brother, just as a matter of form, he
resolved to visit the shop quietly some
night and see his faithful Waterman
at his post of duty, making the rounds.
! Evening" came, and by the aid Of sew
eral strong cups of coffee the super
intendent was able to keep awake un-
of tennis shoes, so that he could go
! quietly about the yard, he sailed forth.
1t was ali unusually dark night, and
stumbling along the uneven path that
led to the shop. he cursed himself many
times for being a fool out on a FOOLS
/ errapd. He reached the yard, that was
partially iEclosed by the buildings, and
began to softly creep along, keeping
| close to the sides of the main building.
r., L, 4 IL,
| faithful employee, but he never APP
peared. After making himself thor
ou@hly miserable there for more than
an hour, cold and tired he went home
| to BED. If anything was wrong, il
would appear next morning on the time
sheets, worked by electricity, which
| registered every Is minutes when but
| ton was pressed, and thus kept tab
| on the Waterman, as the next morning
| If he had failed to press that button
| every quarter of an hour, it would show
on the perforations of the dial sheet
| Morning came and the superintend-
ent having oversight nearly an hour
1 went down to his office in an unpleas-
ant frame Of mind, determined to cal
| the Waterman to a reckoning, in case
that the dial sheet showed that he ha6
been remiss in his duty But the cleo
: trio contrivance that could not lie
/
rounds every 10 minutes 1t seemed as
though there must be a. mistake some
where, and the next night the superin-
| tendent went down to the shop again
this time accompanied by the foreman
in the shop A diligent search failed
| to show the whereabouts of the watch
nan, and both were certain that they
had HIM this time. But the register
was all right the next morning. Now
] En1o HI 81 -
was aroused, and that night he took
down with him the entire police force
I Of the town, consisting of two famous
/ local detectives. After an hour spent
in useless search for the mysterious
Waterman, they went-carefully through
! the whole building, and at last found
| him fast asleep in snug, warm corner
covered over with a heavy blanket.
/ They determined not to wake the
sleeper, but thought it better to wait
for the next day. But the register was
/ all right, and nothing could be said
4 The third night the superintendent sta
/ toned himself by the register, and
stretching himself out on the floor
waited. He probably went to sleep, for
| the next thing he remembered was see
! ing the crafty Waterman standing by
the register. He took a key from his
pocket and, with many yawns and
stretchings, unlocked the glass door and
proceeded to tinker with the disk. The
superintendent jumped up and grabbed
the man. who was thoroughly fright
ened to see his employer there at that
time in the early morning, He imme-
diately confessed as indeed he had
| nothing else to do, and told how the
! trick was done. He would go to the
shop at the regular time. and after a
smoke, would curl himself up and go to
sleep. About 4 or O'Clock in the morn
ing he would go to the register, and,
opening the door, would punch the
right holes in the disk with an instru-
ment he had made for the purpose, and
then go home.
| There is new Waterman now on
duty at that shoe shop.