The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-06-11


roll top desk, while two clerks
Derched on stools. were hiking at
come books.
am Mr. said the portly one,
y;yag The name OF the head OF the
rm sSomess,ing has gone wrong with
ase safe, and want you to open it
he combination is 62T-45, but some
hing must have broken inside, for it
ssscnt open, and we have got 70 get
a0sss books out Of the safe tonight
AS tried the combination which the
aa had given me ne explained that he
ad locked the safe when ae Went out
Is dinner and was unable to open i
hen he came back.
1T was one OF those .aluna filed
safes, and I suspected rust had done its
aorS Inside.
othlng ID do but driH II open,
said -
go ahead, said the pertly one. and
Don't keep me here any longer than you
can help.
sslTish that he turned to his desk, and
worked away unsuspectingly There
as dead silence except when The man
at the desk spoke to one or the other
90 the clerks about some account, and
tie tread OF the policeman on that beat
could be heard as he passed the office
Gsd not realize until afterNard that
was working out OF view ofthea pass
ss,g poiiceman. for the safe was behind
bookgeeDer'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.
got out ny bits, adjusted the
brace, and soon steel was biting steel.
bus the sound Of the ratchet vas drown,
I'd By the chck Of the typewriter, for
he pertly party began debating TO one
oa the clerks SIS soonrasI i began drilling
the safe. When I thought it all over
afterWard st occurred TO me that thls
sVag to coFer The soundso nyoperaS
sons.
SIS. "a half an hour had q hole IN the
front of the safe. and little nlanipu-
lation got the tumblers into place, ana.
ahe door SWING epen.
Here you are. sir, said I, and the
Dortly man came around to the safe.
-. Very neatly Done, he said YOU'D
r1asea good burglar.
But the sound Of the ratchet would
bring the cops, said I.
-. True, remarked the man and.
Srawing out roll Of bills, be handed
me so.
is that righty he asked
Quite right replied Shall come
IN the morning to FIX the safe?
s. NO, said he. I win have the max
ers Of the safe attend to it
AS gathered I'D nv tools the port
- man directed enc Of the clerks to
ret cut the books that were needed.
and he went back to the desk.
=. trund,ed back to my shop. meet
ing the policeman at the corner, and
while was standing chatting Wlfn
him the trio came out Of the Office.
..sYou can come down an hour later
ss,ap usual in the morning. said the
portiy man as be climbed into nan
son, that had rolled up to the Office,
and shouting the name Of well
known clab to the driver. he pulled
me doors to and was driven away.
ss Before noon the next day the po-
asceman whom had talked with and
detective came into my shop.
.That was a neat job you did last
night, said the policeman
what? I asked. the nature of the
work had done not yet dawning On
me-
The footing of -'s safe said the
policeman. Come along.
.srhe portly person who employed
me to open tie safe was well known
burglar who had made up to imper-
senate the head of the firm. and the
swo CLERKS were confederates. one OF
whom had got q place with the urn
10 get the lay Of the land
.sThey had taken possession OF the
once after it was closed for the day'
and, not daring to blow open the safe'
because that would have made the po-
Wee swoop down on them. tney mao.
boldly sent for me TO do the job neat
~ possessed themselves OF nearly s4'-
600 that was in the safe and were
across the Canadian border before the
ROBBERY was discovered when the Of
nee was opened the next day.
.sI told my story to the magistrate
and was released on bonds to appear
30 a witness when the trio were
caught.
.sThe papers called me the innocent
urglar.' the name stuck to me ana
hurt my business, and the police were
rather attentive to me. SO l came here
same years ago."-New York Times.
a few dozen large feather busters
loca Ia opcY fo close