Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-05-24
AN INNOCENT ROBBER

Snop, not faT from tie great uay 9ABAs lls-
Hrict, contains a foil assortment Of impie
ments for the forcible opening AZ safes TIE
writer said: "W Guild you he Wen qlaliiied
Ito play the burglar
Eyes" said the little, keen.eyed man,
running bis firges througa his scart :aig
retlectively II once did pay burglar in
fac, payed ne tar role IL safe acie
ing erprise | Was tie innocent means
BY ie8 wholesale house was robbed ot
sevrla fnou-s.G a0i0,s Waiea Haa been
takeA b too iate IL the cay 70 be bark6i
vas ID bGssaess tuen ii aaotAef city.
was sitting 10 lsi & at ms sop door about
eight o'cleek Que tyenine waeH messen-
ger boy came with a note on the letter paper
Of q weii-known house asking me to come
at once Win niy tools to tie Office OF the
firm
THE office was lighted up, and porty,
prosyetoaslooking man sat al roll.top
desk, wAI.e two clerk, percaed on stools,
were working al some books.
i am Mr.. $50, said the portly one, Civ
ing tie name Of The head OF the firm. Some
thing has gone wrong 9th the safe, and /
want you to open it. Tae combination is
6.2745, but sonnet hing must have broken
inside, for ii wont open, and we have got
to get some books out Of tie safe tonight
Az | tried the combination which the
man had given me he explained that he
had locked TIE safe when he went out to
dinner and was unable to open it when he
came back.
1T was one Of those alum flled safes,
and ! suspected rust aad done ils work m
side.
No ia 0 do but dfill il open, said l.
81 SAT-, said Is portly one, ana
don't keep ase here any langer than sou can
help,
Witt thar he turned to his desk and
worked away, unsaspeeHgy. lEere was
dead silence, except When the man at the
desk spoke TO one or tbe other q tie clerks
about some account, and the tread OF the
policeman on tie beat eeaa te Heafd as
he passed tue office
do not realize until atefWard that
! was working out Of view 81 the passing
policeman, for TIE are was &c ma the
bookkeeper's desk, but the saades were
up and the man g I foii.ten eesS and the
bookkeepers eodd be plainly seen from the
street.
cot out my hits adjusted the brace,
ana soon steel was hltmg steel, but the
Sound q the faeaet was drowned by the
click Of the typewriter, for the portly party
began DEBATING 20 one OF the c4erks as soon
as ! began drilllng the safe Nheh l
thought 1t all over atterWard u occurred
to ne that this was to cover the sound OF
my operations
In nall an houf | aau mole III tue
front Ct the safe. aud ittle aanipulation
get the tumbiers INTO place, aud tfe door
sNnng open.
Here you are, sir, said and the portly
man came around to Tue safe
cry neatly done, he SAID. oud
make good burglar
Bat the sound OF the rachel would
BRING the cops SAID l.
True remarked tue man. and draw
ing out a roll OF oAis, ne hahGea me ~
'ls that right! he asked
tlnite rigat,' ! replied, 'Shali come
IN the morning to hX the saief
No, sand he, ! VII nave the makers
OF the SAFE attend TO IT,
As | gathered M my tools, the portiy
man directed one 81 the clerks 20 get OUT
the books that were needed ana ne went
back 70 ms desk.
i trundled back to my shop, meeting the
policeman at the corner, ana WINE | was
standing chatting with nm the trio came
out Of the office.
"'Acu can come down an hour later
than usual m the morning. sala the poftiy
man as he climbed INTO hanson tnat had
rolled up to the ofhce' and shouting the
name 81 q weil-knoWn eiuh 70 the dilVer,
he pulled the doors TO and was driven
away.
Before noon the next DAY the policeman
whom had talked VITA and detective
came into my shop
luat was neat JOB you dla iast
blight, SAID the ponce man