The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-01-16
Town CLOCKS Capture ;
BY MAX BEWNETT THRAsHRR.
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Oho <Aoko ocS hASCAAOOA ~ wen
dressed, businesslike looking man, car
rying small leather nundbng, walked
up the principal street of the village Of
Graytown. In the basement of the big,
old fashioned country church which he
approached small door stood open.
Turning from the sidewalk, he entered
this door.
Once out Of sight from the street he
ran hurriedly up fight of stairs aud
then found himself in the vestibule,
wi:ci: was dns!ssy and COO; after the
garish light outside. He looked in. One
door Of the audience room was open.
The sexton was sweeping the aisle and
coming toward him. He tried door at
the end Of the yestibule, but this was
locked. Steps echoing through the
empty building told him that some one
was coming In at the same door by
which he had entered. The man hur-
riedly pulled at n small door In the
wall. 1t opened into what seemed to
be tall, narrow closet, down through
the middle Of which q stout wire rope
ran into a rough stone floor.
Cramped as these quarters were, the
man crowded himself In, holding the
leather bag close to his side. and pulled
the door shut after him.
Not more than three or four seconds
elapsed before a young man walked
rapidly through the yestibule to the
open door of Tie. audience room. "Oh,
Mr.. Jackson" he called to the man
sweeping, may go up and wind the
clock? It's the day to wind 1t, know"
MAY you? Why, certainly If you
want to-" was the reply. "Here are the
keys" and he slid the bunch OF keys
along the floor Of the aisle.
The boy. Rodney Calvin, picked up
the keys. unlocked the door at the end
Of the vestibule and went Gathering up
fight Of stairs which the open door
disclosed. By that time the sexton had
reached the vestlbule and, whistling ms
he worked, began to sweep It.
Rodney Calvin so far had been q dis
appointment to his family. His father
was determined he should be q busi-
ness man. his mother had hoped that
he would be minister, but Rodney, 80
his father said, wrathfully, cared only
for "tinkering." He doctored oil the
disabled bicycles In town, and broken
watch or clock gave him joy. When he
had been refused a position in the bank
month before and Harry Grant had
been taken instead, Rodney's only re-
gret was that he should not have an op-
portunity to investigate the time lock
on the bank safe. He watched for
chances to wind the town clock, for he
liked to study its works.
On this day he went with practiced
tread up the dark stairs behind the gal
lery, along the narrow board walk laid
across the beams In the garret floor, up
another long flight Of rude steps, and
then he climbed the almost perpendicu-
lar ladder which ied 10 tiie clock room.
Around him were backs of the four
great dials up to which the citizens of
Graytown looked when they wished to
set their watches. The works Of the
clock were In the middle OF the room.
Taking big movable iron crank from
the foor. Rodney Rcs!HeeyJ fitted It up 70 the emu
OF the arbor. or spindle. and began
turning It to wind up the stout wire
rope to which one OF the clock weights
was fastened.
The town clock OF Graytown is near
ly as old as the church In which It Is
placed, but the people OF the village
cherish it and would not think OF hav-
Ing it replaced by one OF more modern
style. AS consequences the sexton OF
the church had to climb up to the clock
room In the spire once every week rn-
less he could get some one to 60 for
him and wind UP from the basement,
to which they hnd spent the previous
week In descending. the blocks OF gran
lite that served as clock Weights.
1t seemed to Rodney this afternoon
as If the machinery worked uncommon.
~ hard, and after turning the crank a
few times he dropped it and went back
down stairs.
II think that pulley needs greasing,"
ne said. .I never knew the old clock
to wind SO hard"
II shouldn't wonder but what 1t
does" was the sexton's answer. ST
haven't got q bit OF oil here, though"
he added.
''I've got some down to the house
thatM do" said the boy. "I'll go and
get It,"
"Ail right" sale the sexton. "IfI get
through before you come back. I'll
leave the doors unlocked md the keys
on the window sill."
There, isn't anything the matter
with the weights. Ia therar' asked Rod
ney. opening the narrow door which
gave access TO the shaft In which one
or the clock weights ran from belfey to
basement. There was nothing to be
seen. The square block cfs stone which
Just flled the space had been wound
up out os sight.
When he went out on the street, RfA.
ney found people wildly excited. The
national bank had been robbed. The
teller was out OF town, and while the
cashier had been nc dinner Harry
urant. the clerk, had been knocked
sfenseless :. and the robbery, effected.
seventies. hundred dollars in money
and many valuable papers were gone.
Little Mary Grant reported having
seen a strange man on the street with
'eather ls:i ihss Ga s. Hurry Gruni was
st,li too stunned to talk coherently.