The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-27
Fl COOL SOOUNDREL.
San Francisco Argonaut.

San Francisco Argonaut
MY profession isn't a popular one
There is considerable prejudice against il.
L don't myself think rs much worse than
a good many others. However, that's
nothing to do with my story. Some years
ago, me and the gentleman who was al
that time connec ell with me in business
hes met with -everseS since then, and
at present isnt able to gc cut-was lolk-
ing around for job, being at that time
rather hard up az you might say. We
struck small country town. amt
agoin' to give it away by telling where
1T was, or what the name Of it was
There was one bank there; the president
was a rich obi duffer; owned the mills,
owned the bank, owned most of the town
There wasn't no other officer but the
cashier. and they had a nov, who used 10
sweep OUT and run of errands
The bank was On the main street,
pretty we'll up one end of it-rdce, snug
place, on the corner of a cross street,
With nothing very near il. We took our
observe lions, and found there wasn't no
trouble at all about IL. There was ar
old Waterman that walked UP and down
the street nights, when he didn't fall
asleep and forget Il. The vault had two
doors; the outside one was chilled ircn
and had a three-Wheel combination lock:
the inner door wasn't no door at all;
you could kick it open. 1t didn't pre-
tend to be nothing but fireproof and it
wasn't even that 'fhe first thing we
done, of course, was to fit a key to the
outside door. As the lock on the outside
door was an old fashioned Bacn lock, any
gentleman In my profession who chances
to read this article will know lust Row
easy that job was, and how We done it
l may say here that the gentlemen IN my
line Of business. having 1T times a good
IsNoI IS l1S- i, l..
siderable reading, AMI are pan riculariy
fond of a neat bit Of writing. In fact, in
the way CT literature, 1 have found
2Inong 'enl-however, this being digres-
sion, [ drop it, and go or with the main
job again.
This was eur plan; after the key WIS
fitted I was to go into the bank. and Jim
that wasn't his name. of course, but let
1T pass-was to keep watch on the out
side. When any one passed he was to
tip me a whistle, and then L doused tie
gIinl and lay low; after they got by, =
goes on again. Simple ard easy, you see.
Well, the night as we selected, the pres
ident happened to be out of town; gone
down to the city, as he often did. I got
inside all right, with a slide lantern, a
breast drill q small steel Jimmy, bunch
of skeleton keys, and a green-bsize bag,
to stow the swag. / fixed ny light and
rugged my breast drill, and got to work
on the door right over the lock
Probably a great many of your read
ers are not Sc well posted as me about
bank locks, and I may say for them
that a three-wheel comhina ton lock has
three wheels in it, and a slot in each
wheel In order to unlock the door you
have to get the three slots opposite 10
each other at the top of the lock. OF
course If you know the number the
lock is set on you can do this; but if
you don't you have to depend on your
ingenuity. There is in each of these
wheels a small hole, through which you
put a wire through the back of the lock
when you change the combination.
Now if you can bore a hole through the
door and pick up these wheels by run
ming a wire through those holes why,
you can open the door. L hope l make
myself clear. I was was boring that
hole. The door was chilled iron; about
the neatest stuff 1 ever worked on. l
went on steady enough; only stopped
when Jim-which, as 1 said, wasn't his
roal name-whistled outside, and the
Waterman toddled by. By-and-by, when
I'd got pretty near through, L heard Jim
so to speak-Whistle again. | stopped,
and pretty soon [ heard footsteps out
side, and I'm blowed If they didn't come
right up the bank steps and 1 heard a
key in the lock. I was so dumbfounded
L
slipped bracelets right on me. ] picked
up my lantern, and I'll be hanged IL
didn't let the slide slip down and throw
the light right on to the door, and there
was the president Instead of calling
for help, as I supposed he would, he
took a step inside the door, and shaded
his eyes with his hand and looked at
me. 1 knowed 1 ought to knock him
down and cut out, but I'm blest if
7 hal
'fWho are you?" says he.
s''Who are you?" says I. thinking that
was an innocent remark as he COM
menced it, and a-trying all the time to
collect myself.
I'm the president of the bank" says
he kinder short; something the mat
ter with the lock?"
Eyes. sir" says I, touching my cap;
MIR. Jennings he telegraphed this morn
ing as the lock was out of order and he
couldn't get. in, and I'd come on TO open
it for him.
81 told Jennings a week age" says he,
that he ought to get that lock fixed.
Where is he?
Hes been a writing letters. and he's
gone up to his house to get another let
ter he wanted for to answer"
"Wen, why don't you go right on?'
says he.
i
t'and I didn't want to finish up and open
the vault till there was somebody here.
That's very creditabIe to YOU says
he; "a very proper sentiment, my man.
You can't" he goes en-, coming round by
the door, .'be TOO particular about avoid
ing the evry supicion Of evil"
''No SIR" says I, kinder modest like.
what do you suppose is the matter
with the locke" says he.
81 don't rightly know yet" says 4;
.'but rather think it's q little wore on
account of not being oiled enough. These
ere locks ought to be oiled about once a
year y
well" says he. you might as well
go right on, now I'm here; I will stay
till Jennings comes. Can't I help your
hold your lantern, or something of that
sort?''
The thought came to me like flash,
and l turned around and says:
''How do I know you're the president?
amt ever seen you afere. and you may
be a-trying to crack this bank, for all
I know
That's a very proper inquiry. my
man.. says he 'and shows a most re-
markable degree OF discretion / cnafess
that I should not have thought Of the