The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-12-10
HOW BURGLAR
WAS CAUGHT.
Rstlrsd Cracksman Talks Of
Some "FooI" Things 10 90.
WAS BETRAYED BY "A PENCIL.
Since That Time He Has Never Carried
Around With Him Anything That Re
Professionally Picked Up.
WAS BETRAYED BY "A PENCIL.

"of all the fool things that man in
my business can do, said the retired
burglar, "the very foolest OF all is carry
ing about with him something that he's
picked up in the course OF his work.
II used TO think that writing letters and
leaving them behind, something by which
a man might some day be identified, was
the most foolish thing OF all, but l. am
satisfied now that carrying something
around Is still worse realized this when
something ! was carrying got me into
trouble.
Il always carried a lead pencil In my
pocket, and / lost this pencil, one day,
and the same night picked up another
from a desk I'm a mans library and Just
tucked IL In my pocket. + wanted pen
Gil. and just took this one. and thought
no more about II.
"I carried that pencil guess three or
four months. sharpening IL occasionally
and so gradually wearing IL down. The
last time ever used IL was in a railroad
station where ia just seen a big express
wagon drive up with a couple of boxes
that caught my eye as maybe containing
things that I'd like 10 have; both going
to the same town. not very far out, and
/ thought maybe I'd run out there some
night and look through these houses.
LOANED THE PENCIL.
'I don't believe in luck, but ] sort o.
had notion that I'd find something very
good in those two houses. and liked the
idea Of getting the clew TO them In that
way so / goes into the waiting room OF
the station again, and just puts down
those addresses before / forgets EN-;
writing EN- down at one end of desk
that was there, by the window OF the
telegraph Office.
I'D put the piece of paper that I'd
made the memorandum on in my pocket,
and was just putting away the pencil,
when a man that had stepped up TO write
a telegraph, and found no pencil on the
desk there, turns to me-hed seen me
writing-and says: VIII you kindly lend
me your pencil for minute?"
'Of course | handed IL over 10 him
without the slightest hesitation, ana then
l stands there and looks the other way so
as not to seem to be looking while he was
doing his writing.
II thought he was writing a pretty long
telegraph and L was just about to turn
around and look when l feels a hand on
my shoulder which I couldn't very well
mistake, and looking around / found as
j expected that AZ was a policeman, that
was elawin me, and my friend there.
that I'd lent the pencil 10. was standing
alongside of him pointing at me, and say
ing ,. ,,,. -. ,,,,, ,,r.,or,.
quite change In the situations Wen.
I should say so. And all through that
pencil. That pencil was Just plain,
common, simple pencil OF good quality,
with nothing remarkable about II at all
except that across 1.-THE fiat end or the
head of the pencil the end not used,
there were eight lituo straight lines, fonr
in each direction. crossing at right an
giles. and making a sort of a plaided ef-
feet, pretty well faded now, but sull per-
fectly visible.
TAUGHT HIM LESSON.
''This pencil belonged 10 the man that
| had borrowed IL OF me there In the station
I Makes you laugh to think OF my luggin
| around something that was markedY II
| does me. now. Well, IL was easy enough
| TO prove that the house had boen robbed,
and that the pencil | had came from H.
| An II interested me, "a little bit, too, TO
see how easy they We're able to prove the
marking on the pencil.
This mans little daughter made II. and
| she swore 10 IL without any sort of doubt
or bubble. She'd sat down one day at
! her fathers desk and marked those
| lines on the end of the pencil with pen.
"of course there was no sort of actual
| proof that | stole IL. but there was proof
| tnat ndu IL IN uiy poSStsSlon. !
| said l found Il: but / amt much more OF
| liar than George Washington was and
| when / do try lying j make the bunglin' =
| est work OF II YOU ever heard or That's
| the kind OF job made OF II, this time:
| and OF course they knew, you know,
\ "But they gave me year Still that wa 8
| enough To learn me that lesson. anyhow.
| l never after that, carried about with me
| anything that I'd gathered In, any lon-
| ger rhnn Il wuS necessary 70 dispose OF a.
| I may have other tricks. now Just as
| foolish, but that one I dropped right
| then"