Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-12
ROBBERS PRAISE
Addressed TO a PIucky Frisco Broker.
Old Mans Courage Won the Adj
miratiOn OF the HOld-Up Man.
FoOtpad Did Not shoot.

81 mean business hand over that gold or
you re a dead man" Thus spoke busi-
ness.like looking stranger as he thrust a
pistol into the face Of f. II. Neville,
money broker at ia Montgomery street at
$40 O'Clock yesterday morning Neville
had Just returned from the safe deposit
vaults and spread out his trays with 5000 in
gold for the days exchanges.
"If it's shoot, shoot but you get no gold,
calmly replied Neville as he stood face to
face with the man and only the narrow
counter between them. Then Neville
walked slowly down a few PAGES toward the
narrow little counter gateway. The man
edged along opposite, keeping the pistol
presented full at his victims face. As
Neville reached to open the gate and come
from behind the barrier the man looked
full at him and. with quivering lip and
trembling voice, said Il cannot kill
man"
He lowered his weapon and turned toward
the door. Ne Vile accompanied him and at
the entrance extended his hand. The
stranger gripped it warmly and then said
Don't follow me"
''I will not, " was Neville's assurance, and
the stranger passed out and disappeared
along the sidewalk in front of the Occi
dental Hotel.
"I could have summoned the police,
exclaimed Neville, after he had been
pressed for an accurate detailed account of
the affair, but the man had every appear
ance of being gentleman. He uttered no
coarse word while in the place. He came
and started talking about the price of Eng
lish sovereigus, and I supposed he had
come with some to sell. Then he suddenly
drew his pistol, a small nickeled one. He
was no ordinary criminal He appeared to
be about IS years Of age, about medium
height and wore plain business suit and a
short, dark, rather curly beard" "
But this is not the most remarkable part
of the affair The attempted robber wrote
letter expressing his gratitude and thank
ing Neville for having prevented him from
committing a crime It was with much re-
luctance that the money broker, who is
seveuty-two years old and an active and
much younger looking little man, would
consent to the publication of the letter. He
declared that il was altogether too laudatory
Of his simple act of resistance, merely the
fevered expression of gratitude from a man
laboring under strong feeling, and that he
did not purpose to pose as a hero. This is
the letter, written in pencil on plain cheap
paper, within the hour of the attempted
robbery and posted in the regular way:
City, Q a. m.-Mr Neville, Broker
Dear Sir: I wish without delay to thank you
for the magnificent display of physical and
moral courage which saved to you your
money, and at the same time saved me from
/ what l now see would have been a disturb
/ ing memory through life had my plans been
/ successful
Il entered your place fully intending to
get money or die endeavoring / looked
for resistance and should have fought my
way out, reserving the last shot for myself;
but your kind OF resistance was something
/ never dreamed of. did not believe that
that kind of courage existed outside of
fiction. / am glad have met with brave
man / could have killed a coward and
would have died fighting had you drawn a
weapon or made an outcry. Your calm
courage in defense of principle II don't
for a moment believe IL was for the sake of
the money disarmed me. l might have
taken my own worthless life, and may yet,
but honor a brave man. The names of
military and naval officers are heralded all
the world over for acts which would not
compare with yours as a demonstration OF
courage, physical and moral.
AS to myself no one can know the tor
ture have experienced seeing little home
slipping away by mortgage, my dear ones
suffering actual hunger, at times sickness.
death and poverty all around me. Made
desperate by failure to secure a situation !
have brooded over my troubles till you
know the result
81 have destroyed every evidence Of iden-
tity on my person and should l be appre-
hended the coroner and not the sheriff will
oficiate. 1 have at last met that rarest Of
creatures, brave man. salute you"
II feel sincerely sorry for that man,
added Neville, and wish you would say
that if he will call on me in confidence, be-
lieving his statement as do, I'll try to help
him. San Francisco ChyoHicie.