Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-03

don't myself think It's
much worse than a good many others.
However, that's nothing to do with
my story. Some years ago me and
the gentleman who was at that time
connected with me in business-he's
met with reverses since then, and at
present isn't able to go out-were look
ing around for job, being at that time
rather hard up as you might say. We
struck small country town. amt
a-goin' to give it away by telling where
1t Is, or what the name of it was. There
was one bank there; the President was
a rich old duffer; owned the mills,
owned the bank, owned most of the
town. There wasn't no other officer
but the cashier, and they had a boy,
who used to sweep out and run of en-
rands.
The bank was on the main street
pretty well up one end of it--nice, snug
place, on the corner of a cross street
with nothing very near it. We took
our observations and found there
wasn't no trouble at all about it. There
was an old watchman who walked up
and down the street nights, when he
didn't fall asleep and forget it. The
vault had two doors; the outside one
was chilled iron, and q three wheel
combination lock; the inner door wasn't
no door at all; you could kick it open.
1t didn't pretend to be nothing but
fireproof, and it wasn't even that. The
first thing We done, Of course, was to
fit key to the outside door. As the
lock on the outside door was an old
fashioned Bacon lock, any gentleman
, my profession who chances to read
bis article will know just how easy
)hat job was, and how we done it. l
may say here that the gentlemen in
my line Of business, having at times n
yood deal Of leisure on their hands,
DO considerable reading, and are partic-
ularly fond Of a neat bit of writing. In
fact, in the way of literature, l have
found among 'em-however, this being
DEPRESSION, drop it, and 90 on with the
main job again.
This was our plan: After the key
was fitted l was to go into the bank,
and Jim-that wasn't his name, of
course, but let it pass-was to keep
watch on the outside. When any one
passed he was to tip me a whistle and
then l doused the glim and lay low
after they got by goes on again. Sim
pie and easy, you see. Well, the night
as we selected the President happened
to be out Of town; gone down to the
city, as he often did. l got inside all
right, with a slide lantern, q breast
drill, small steel jimmy, a bunch of
skeleton keys, and a green baize bag
to stow the swag. l fixed my light
and rigged my breast drill, and got
to work on the door right over the
lock-
Probably a great many of our read
ers are not so well posted rs me about
bank locks, and l may say for them
that a three wheel combination lock
has three wheels in it, and a slot in
each Wheel In order to unlock the
door you have to get the three slots
opposite to each other at the top of the
lock. OF course, if you know the num-
Der the lock is set on you can do this;
but If you don't you have to depend
j your ingenuity. There is In each
these wheels a small hole, through
Jhich you can put wire through the
Jack of the lock when you change the
bmbination. Now, if you can bore a
sole through the door and pick I'D
those wheels by running wire
through those holes, why, you can open
the door. | hope l make myself clear.
1 was boring that hole. The door
was chilled iron about the neatest stuff
ever worked on. | went on steady
enough; only stopped when jim
which, as | said, wasn't his real name
-Whistled outside, and the watchman
toddled by. By-and-by, when I'd got
pretty near through, l heard Jim-so
to speaE-whistle again. | stopped,
and pretty soon l heard footsteps out
side, and I'm blowed, if they didn't
come right up the bank steps and l
heard key in the lock. / was so dunn
foundered when l heard that that YOU
could have slipped the bracelets right
on me. l picked up my lantern, and
I'll be hanged If 1 didn't let the slide
slip down and throw the light right
onto the door, and there was the Presi-
dent. Instead of calling for help, as |
supposed he would, he took step in
side the door, and shaded his eyes with
his hand and looked at me. / knowed
| ought to knock him down and cut out,
but I'm blest if I could, 1 was that
surprised.
"Who are you?' says he.
"Who are you?" says l, thinking that
was an innocent remark as he COM
menced it. and a-trying all the time to
collect myself
I'm president of the bank" says he,
kinder short; something the matter
with the lock?"
By George! the idea came to me then.