The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-01-29
THE REWARD OF HONESTY.
Reformation Followed by the Accu-
mutation OF "A Fortune


mutation OF Fortune.
BRIDGEPORT. Conn. Jan. 29.-Edwa.d
Burns. sal.-breaker. Shakspearian student.
and Biblical scholar. became a successful
miner when he decided TO live an honest
life. AS a result he is now returning from
the Pacific Coast with fortune. made in
two years. which viii approximate $200. 600.
Burns life is d remarkable enc. Tie
came TO Bridgeport when "a Young lad with
his parents. Before he was twenty-one
years old he had passed the threshold Of
a prison cell.
His first offence. so FAR as the police rec
ords show. was an assault uuon a condu,t-r
Of a street car. He escaped severe punish
meut Tor this. but in a short time he again
was In trouble.
Policeman George Sanger caught q man
entering house in North Bridgeport about
twelve years ago TWo shots we're fired al
most at the same time. The policeman
dropped with a bullet In his body. Ire
burglar disappeared but ief, behiad him
a heavy overccat in which there vas a
bullet hole. Sanger recovered. and was
positive that the burglar was Burns The
young man did not make an appearance
in Bridgeport after that for several
months.
About ten years ego Burns and s-other
young man known 10 the police as ColEel-
ly broke into a store in Ess- Main Street
a 4 o'clock In the morning, just after e
police went OF duty for the night. They
rolled a heavy safe out the door TO q house
five blocks distant without being disc5y-
cred Later the safe was traced TO the hid
ing place, ard the Two men were arrested
and convicted Of the crime.
Superintendent Birmingham aud his men
kept a close watch upon Burns after he
came out again, and it was not long before
he found himself behind The bars for an
other burglary. In attempting to arrest
him Policeman Joseph Burke was obliged
10 shoot his man The lrjured burglars
wound did not prove serious. Fer this Of
fence Burns went 10 WeJhcrsdc,d prison
for TWO years and a half
During his confinement he spent all his
leisure time studying either Shakespeare or
the Bible
While be was studying the Bible duriag
his last Imprisonment Burns decided 10
live an honest life His first act after Ee
left Wethe'sfeld was TO visit Superintend-
ent Birmingham. make known his iuten-
ton, and ash for enough money 10 get him
out Of COnnCcticut
II yog u give me s. you'll never set
eyes on me again" he said 10 the super
intendent I'm going away and now. at
the age Of forty. I'm going to begin N
honest life
superintendent Birmingham handed him |
the IJney- badc him gCOd-by. and has I
never heard from him since. Burns worked
his way to the Klondike. That was more
than two years ago. Nothing was heard
from him until a few days ago. when lie |
wrote 10 one Of his old pals the story OF /
his good fortune in the KlOndike
II m worth nearly S200. O0O." he wrote. !
having made rich strike and 1 came bv !
IL all honestly. Superintendent Birmfpg- /
hau viii hear from me soon. as intend 1
to return that s. with liberal interest /
But I shall not come near Bridgeport. I
gave him my word that he would never
see my face again, and l shall locate in
some strange city. where I can continue
the life which l started when 1 left the
prison walls behind me. 1t pays to be
honest"