Evening star., 1899-10-06
THE RETIRED BURGLAR.
"A SecOnd-StOry Experiment That He
Made on Only One OccasiOn.


A SecOnd-StOry Experiment That He
Made on Only One Occasion.
From the New York Sun.
"Once in the course of my experience. and
only once said the retired burglar, Il
tried to get into a house by flying trapeze
That was when 1 was young in the busi-
ness and young in years There a
big, comfortable-looking house in a town
had made few visits to that summer that
had window that sort of fascinated me-
1t was always open, the lower sash thrown
up back of the upper: but this window was
In the gable end of the house. where there
was no veranda roof to reach 1t by, where
it seemed, in fact. perfectly safe to leave
1t broad open they did, day and night
because nobody could reach it without a
ladder. But l never looked at that window
without thinking of what an easy way into
the house it would be if was on the
level with it.
standing in the lawn about twenty feet
from the end of this house there a big
tree. with stout big branches. One of these
branches that grew out toward the house
had curious sort of turn elbow in 1t
that grew in such a way that it had a
nearly horizontal section running about ten
feet from the house and about ten feet
higher up in the air than the top of that
window. That ten feet was as practically
Scou DIS tel IulleS, DIS IdT dS Keeping people
out was concerned, but one day it struck
me that a man could swing into that win
dow from the tree by a trapeze. made fast
to that straight stretch of limb. I'd just
been seeing some circus stunts done on
swinging bar, and 1 didn't see why
couldn't swing one we'll enough to land
en- that window sill, anyway.
Il climbed the tree night with
piece of twine and a nail for weight, to
make some little experiments and see Just
how long the trapeze would have to be to
strike the window sill. 1 tied the string
with the nail weight on the horizontal limb.
and swung 1t from another limb back of it,
further away from the house. the limb that
l intended to swing from myself when 1
had the trapeZe ready. / swung it to get a
length that would bring the trapeze just so
that when l swung forward could put my
feet and legs through the window, and
bend 'em down and hold on by 'em there
inside and slip off the bar onto the window
sill. Then 1 was going to tie the trapeze
while l was exploring the house. and when
1 came back to the window, loaded up
I was going to get on the trapeze and cast
loose and swing back to the tree and go
my way.
We'll. I got the exact length that the
trapeze wanted to be to reach from the
der side of that limb to the window sill.
and then l made, at home, trapeZe to
carry me over 1 had rope ends plenty
long enough to wind round the limb. and
had the hanging part measured exactly so
L could make the trapeLe last with Just
the right length below the limb. When the
night came that l was to try it l Skinned
up the tree and made it fast. l had a
twine tied to the trapeZe bar. and then
climbed the other limb that l was to swing
from and pulled the bar up 10 me there
and got on it, grasped the ropes in either
hand and when was all ready swung off.
1T seemed like a tremendous drop going
down, but l did not have long to think of
it: made just one swish down through the
air and was going up the other side before
YOU knew it. But 1 didn't forget myself.
I'd practiced this and kept my feet and
legs straight out in front of me and ready
to curve 'em through the open window
when 1 came to it and then drop 'em and
clinch 'em there: but somehow l had made
a mscalculation in trying the ropes, or
else at the very last instant 1 went wrong
with my feet. for instead of thrustng my
feet through the open space of the lower
window / jabbed them both plumb through
the double sash above, up to my knees.
let go of the trapeZe in the excitement,
which l don't think was surprising, and the
next instant was hanging head downward
outside; with my bag, that l had my tools
in, that I had carried by a strap my
shoulder. dangling down below me now
with the strap around my armpit
when 1 smashed through those two WIN
dows l made as much noise as you'd hear
in blowing up a crockery factory, and l
knew, of course, that it would only be
mighty short time before there was some
body around, and l made great effort to
get free. I knew / would go smashing
down on the ground, but I wanted to take
the chances on that rather than be caught,
and l didn't hesitate at all about trying to
pull my legs out from those windows.
though I knew l should fall the minute l
got 'em out. But, though I'd lost the trap
eze in that one moments excitement when
I struck the windows, 1 was cool enough
now, and l was figuring on how to get the
window sill. which l couldn't quite touch
now, and so break my fall somewhat, when
did get free, and above all things turn
myself that when 1 did go down
I'd strike the ground on my feet and not on
my head.
Il yanked one leg partly clear and then
the other, the glass rattling and the sashes
smashing as l pulled on 'em. and l settled
down until 1 could touch the sill below
with my fingers. Then l heard the bed in
that room jouncing under somebody spring.
ing up out of it-you all this that 1T
takes me some time to tell you about really
happened in next to no time at all-and l
knew If was going to go at all I'd got to
go then and I just yanked and smashed
both legs clear of the frames, settling down
more as I did SO until I got hold enough
on that window sill to turn myself over as
1 dropped and push myself clear of the
building When the man looked out of the
window I was describing beautiful curve
through the air preparatory to landing
safely on my feet.
."The man disappeared from the window
and was back again in an instant. and then
there was fash from a shotgun; but 1t
didn't do any damage; II was dark and Dy
that time 1 was a little too far Off to be hit
by a man whose aim was likely, under such
circumstances. to be more or less uncertain
anyway But there had been danger enough
in hanging head down on the side Of the
house from second-story window and
taking the chance on getting righted up
before you struck the ground. and l made
up my mind that one try with the trapeze
was all I wanted: was satisfied after that
with cellar windows, and that sort OF
thing"