The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-01-09
AIINT SARAH'S MONEY.


By " QUAD
No one ever spoke Of her as tae Widow
Tyler. although she had been that for
years and years. She was always referred
20 Aunt Sarah, and she was a woman
of strong opinions and never TOOK advice
from anybody She lived alone in a house
on the outskirts q Jacksonville, drawing
a monthly stipend from relatives in dis
tant State, and TIE boys who planned &c
steal her fruit. aid the tramps who tried
b,-lldozing. found Aunt Sarah more than
a match for them. She was called queer
and odd and a little of in her head, and
nothing particular happened her until a
brother died and left her a thousand dol
lars in cash. Even before the money came
into her hands everybody was wondering
what Aunt Sarah would do with H. The
wondering was but the preface to advice
The lawyer who arranged matters started
in 10 tell her OF good investment in real
estate. but she cut him short with:
You tend to your OWD business and
will TO mine. I'm old enough TO know what
| want to do"
She repeated her words TO a dozen diff
fereat callers and sent them to the right
about and just what Aunt Sarah was
going to do with that thousand dollars
finally became a more serious subject of
conversation around town than how the
county was to be saved from the machiEa-
TORS OF the corrupt opposition Several
weeks after receiving her money the wo-
man walked into the local bank one day
and said she'd like 70 look around. She
had some idea of depnsiting her money.
but she wanted 10 be sure the bank
r,,ru. - 10
president knew Of her peculiar ways ard
in 4 joking way gave her the financial
standing of the il stitution and then show
ed her about There wasn't much to see
outside of the brick vault with its iron
door. According to the president the best
ten bank burglars in the country couldn't
get into that vault If left alone all day.
but Aunt Sarah wasn't satisfied with his
statements.
1t looks risky" she replied. "and I
don't want 10 run no chances with my
thousand dollars"
The matter was gone over again and
again, and though still unconvinced. she
finally decided to deposit her money. II
had been pointed out to her on all sides
that she ran a great risk OF being robbed
and murdered in her own house. and the
q
week had passed when she received a
call one evening from a stranger, who
pretended to be an agent sent out from
Boston to distribute free Bibles. He had
scarcely got inside the house when he
grabbed Aunt Sarah by the throat.
choked her into insensibility. and then
tied and gagged her, and spent four or
five hours searching for that thousand
nD11qTC a
he happened to run across her bank book.
and then he gave her a hearty cursing
and left the house. A few nights later
two tramps rushed in and tUrl5Ied over
everything in their efforts to find the
cash. and within a month three attempts
had been made 10 get hold of that boodfe
Aunt Sarah was ready to admit that the
bank was safer than her house, but she
still insisted that the bank could be
robbed. Every morning she used to walk
down to it TO inquire if ANYTHING had
happened during the night and after this
had become mOnOtonous the presiden;
finally said:
Look here, Aunt Sarah. Won know I've
got money outside of this bank and thar
m a man of my word. | don't like 10
nave you worrying about your money.
ana promise to give you five times the
amount if the place is robbed
I've allus heard of You as an honest
man. replied Aunt Sarah. ..but If Won
put that in writin' l shau't worry 81
much" "0'iS 81
1t was put in writing and Iuly witness
ed, and for a few weeks Tho woman fn1t
easier IN her mind Than q banl, in a
town few miles away WIS robhrJ -
as she heard it talked about shs grew
ierFors- She made exhaustive inoIIfries
as to how bank burglars looked. AT which
hours they generally robbed banks. and
many other inquiries wlicn were reneated
around town and laughed ever. ono dav
a stranger came TO town with A natent
churn. Aunt Sarah happened TO be in the
house of 3 neighbor where h. caI;zd mi
mar an noJr later she went down ~ The
oank to say TO the president:
You jest keep your eyes omen navar
seen bank burglar in all nv lie. but if
that Teller with the cnurn a.n't one rban
L don't know black from white"
She was laughed at, but she went ,wav
declaring that she couId not be mistaken
and that the bank ought To do somatbi,,
ana more jokes were cracked at her ex-
pense- She had been told that bank burp- |
iars generally began operations about |
midnight. AT midnight that night She left |
her hoHse and took walk down 10 tho
bank. She fully expected to End the doors /
wide open and a wagon bacLoe d |
up TO the curb. and was rather disappoint
I'd when she made 10 discovery. After a
look around she returned home, but on
her way she said TO herself:
Il shdn't give il up this way. | know
that churn man is a bank burglar, and
II he amt burgling tonight it's because
he amt ready. III come again t0-mo,rer
night"
That was what she did, and although
disappointed again. she was there on the
bird night at the same hour. This time
'he met with better u TX. The rear of the
'ank was on an alley, and as Aunt Sarah
luietly appeared she discovered a man
,rOuched under one of the window Tna
ron bars which protected il had been fl
ID and wrenched of. and a barrel had
leen rolled up TO give somebody a lift /
nto the opening. Aunt Sarah neither
screamed nor ran away. The situation
LACED her, and she stood stock still ard
Watched and waited 1t was fairly dark
hight, but she saw several bundles passed
,ut from inside the bank, and two Or
hree times she caught words Of whis
'ered conversation. All Of a sudden. with
tut planning it at all, the woman sprang
Onward with scream, or a succession
Il them. The man in the alley uttered a
hOut Of alarm and fled at the TOP of HE
pee1, and as he went Gathering away
man who had been working inside the
ank appeared at the window and iunp4d
or the barrel beneath. He landed On II
,ut it went over and gave him a ding. and
when he came down on the cobbIestones
4 the alley his hip wss broken and he
ay helpless. Aunt Sarah's screams
'rought sleepy Waterman, and he soon
ad half the town out Of their beds II
idn't need much OF an Investigation To
rove that tie bank had been robbed
he door or that iron vault had been
pened as nicely as you please. and the
DOR OF Safe inside had been blown Of
fter the latest fan style. There was about
$500 al hand. and IL was bagged I'D and
2ssed out 70 the man In the alley. In the
ault we're several boxes OF bonds belong
NJ TO deDOSit0rS and fHaSa urour mn. a. /