The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-05-08
HE PLAYED BURGLAR
BIT He DID IT INNOCENTLY AND
DID IT ARTiSTiCALLY AS WELL.

To the man whose shingle bears the
inscription Safe Expert and whose
little shop, not far from the great dry
goods district, contains a full assert
nent of implements for the forcible
opening of safes, the writer said,
Would you be well qualified to play
the burglar?
YES" said the little keen eyed man,
running his fingers through his scant
hair refectively. 81 once did play
burglar. In Sact, played the star role
in a safe cracking enterprise. 1 was
the innocent means by WHICH whole
sale house was robbed of several thou
sand dollars which had been taken in
too late in the day to be banked.
Il was in business then in another
city. l was sitting smoking at my
shop door about 8 o'clock one evening
when a messenger boy came with a
note on the letter paper of a well
known house asking me to come at
once with my tools to the Office of the
firm.
1.-THE Office was lighted up, and a
portly, prosperous looking man sat at
a roll top desk, while two clerks,
perched on stools. were working at
some books.
81 am Mr.. - said the portly one,
giving the name of the head of the
firm. Something has gone wrong with
tho 70 nd fo If
The combination is 6-27-45, but some
thing must have broken inside, for it
won't open, and we have got to get
some books out of the safe tonight
"As tried the combination which the
man had given me he explained that he
had locked the safe when he went out
to dinner and was unable to open it
when he came back.
ut was one Of those alum filled
safes, and 1 suspected rust had done its
work inside.
Nothing to do but drill it open.'
said l.
eco ahead said the portly one, and
don't keep me here any longer than you
can help
with that he turned to his desk, and
I worked away unsuspectingly. There
was dead silence except when the man
at the desk spoke to one or the other
of the clerks about some account, and
the tread Of the policeman on that beat
could be heard as he passed the office.
81 did not realize until afterward that
I was working out of view of the pass
ing policeman, for the safe was behind
the bookkeeper's desk, but the shades
were up and the man at the roll top
desk and the bookkeepers could be
plainly seen from the street.
81 got out my bits. adjusted the
brace, and soon steel was biting steel
but the sound of the ratchet was drown.
cd by the click Of the typewriter, for
the portly party began debating to one
of the clerks as soon as I began drilling
the safe. When 1 thought it all over
afterward, it occurred to me that this
was to cover the sound of my opera
tons.
"In half an hour 1 had hole in the
front of the safe, and little manipu-
lation got the tumblers into place, and
the door swung open.
"'Here you are, SIR said l, and the
portly man came around to the safe.
livery neatly DONE he said. You'd
make good burglar
".But the sound of the ratchet would
bring the "cops,"' said l.
True remarked the man. and,
4 Of hills ho handed
me 500.
"Is that right? he asked.
".Quite right replied. Shall come
in the morning to fix the safe?
mo- said he, 4 will have the max
ers of the safe attend to it.
LAS gathered up nv tools the port
" man directed one of the clerks to
get out the books that were needed.
and he went back to the desk.
Il trundled back to my shop. meet
ing the policeman at the corner, and
while | was standing chatting with
him the trio came out Of the office.
".You can come down an hour later
than usual in the morning, said the
portly man as he climbed into a ham
som that had rolled up to the office,
and. shouting the name of q well
known club to the driver, he pulled
the doors to and was driven away.
"Before noon the next day the po-
liceman whom I had talked with and
a detective came into my shop.
THAT was neat job you did last
night said the policeman.
"'What% ] asked, the nature OF the
work had done not yet dawning on
ne.
1.-The looting Of IS safe said the
policeman. Come along
1.-The portly person who employed
me to open the safe was well known
burglar who had made up to imper-
senate the head of the firm, and the
two clerks were confederates, one of
whom had got place with the firm
to get the lay of the land.
'.They had taken possession of the
office after it was closed for the day,
and, not daring to blow open the safe,
because that would have made the po-
lice swoop down on them, they had
boldly sent for me to do the job neat
ly possessed themselves Of nearly 81
900 that was in the safe and were
across the Canadian border before the