Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-06-17

| only are they entitled to salary when
i their names are on the rolls, but the
| government must support them even
when that slight formality is missing.
Some patriot ought to Introduce in
| Congress bill to pension all congress
sional lame ducks. That would be
cheaper for the government in the end.
TOLD IN CAsEY's BACK ROOM.
| Chicago Chronicle
The thief was in reminiscent mood
when the medical student and the cop
| per on the beat dropped into Casey's
back room one night last week and
found him smoking cheroots and buy
ing drinks for Casey. He looked mel
ancholy, too, and the copper on the
beat rallied him on his down-cast
air.
Cheer up, pal" said the good-natur-
ed officer, maybe it aip't true"
The thief smiled and tossed away the
newspaper which he had been read
ing.
Il was just thinking what a fierce
proposition this game Is Tor some peo-
pie" he said. Il was just reading in
the paper there two different cases
where fellows got it thrown into them
good and plenty where they didn't ex-
pect it. One of 'em is dead-shot him
self when two or three coppers were
ready to nail him. The other one was
winged by woman while he was get
ting in window. Half an hour before
each one of these guys got it he was
feeling all right and figuring how he
would blow in the coin he was going to
get. The fellow that got winged, for
instance, went out after bunch in a
house where he heard widow had got
half million from her godfather in
France What did she want with all
that coin? She couldn't spend it if she
tried, and she wasn't half trying. This
booster goes out to get a little piece of
, it and gets two or three 3Ss thrown
into him. The other fellow is broke
way down fiat. He nails a horse and
wagon that some careless boy left at a
curb. He thinks he can get about
twenty for the rig, and drives away.
But mob gets after him, he sees
there's nothing to it but trip down
the Alton if they get him, and he puts
| a cannon to Ills head, and let's her
flicker. That's pretty fierce, do you
know it,
''Oh, l don't know" said the copper
on the beat, winking at Casey. You
know the way of the transgressor is
hard, and you can't go out after other
peoples goods without taking
chance. Here, just change things
around little. Suppose some old guy
died and left you wad of money that
you weren't figuring on, and you saw
where you could retire and take things
easy the rest of your life. You've got
the coin at home, and you have your
mind all made up how you'll blow it in,
when some handy boy comes up the
pillar, opens the window and nails the
whole bagful. You wouldn't be sore
at all, would you? You probably
wouldn't take shot at him if you saw
him making a getaway with it, would
you? No, l suppose not concluded the
policeman, with much scorn. The thief
was silent for few seconds, and the
medical student silently motioned to
Casey to see what everybody would
have. When the drinks were on the
table the thief tossed his of with
gulp, and then said:
when l was reading ABOUT that guy
that the woman shot out on Michigan
avenue I was thinking about something
that happened to nae one time, when
came nearer to cashing in, guess, than
I ever did before. l used to Aave side
partner once, a fellow we called VeVet,
because he was so smooth.
velvet Knew His Trade.
HE wasn't smooth enough to keep
out of the pen, though" interrupted
the copper on the beat. Hes doing an
indeterminate right now
rs he?" Said the thief, with smile
"You don't keep posted. He was, but
he isn't He's been out for three
months, and he's right back in this
town But that's another story. was
going to tell you about this trick we
turned down on Grand boulevard. Vel
vet got next to a plant that he thought
was pretty rich. l don't know how he
did it-that was his business. He was
a swell dresser and he looked the part
too. He used to loaf around the big
hotels, cut in on billiard games, get
acquainted with All kinds Of people and
keep his eyes open all the time TO ma
out where there was something doing.
/ guess he got acquainted with this old
fellow down town, got him drunk and
went home with him in cab. That
was one of his best plays. He always
had a nttle roll of his own and he'd
buy right back as fast as the other fell
low ordered them If he thought it was
worth it. Then he'd take him home in
a cab, help him upstairs and get line
on the place for future reference. He
never went against anything w.-hout
| knowing just what he was doing-but
once. That was the time I'm telling
you about.
velvet and I went down there with
a rig he used to get from his brother
in-law's livery stable. We always had
a rig for the getaway because 1t don't
attract as much attention as two fell
| lows on foot at 8 o'clock in the morn
| ing. We planted the horse and buggy
| in dark alley near the house and then
sneaked UP close to the porch. It was
one Of these big stone front houses that
are scattered along the boulevard, with
a swell porch and rough stone pillars