The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-06

nights of trial and trouble. of Gods law and mothers
love. Gentlemen OF tine Jury it would take something
more than mere suspicion, something than the
fact that the accused Is stranger, to lead
wet rs thiet a man who had carried with him the
picture OF his little and the Bible that his mother
gave him.
BY this time | tnew had the jury with me. /
could it III their faces. The States Attorney made
n short, perfuuctorv speech. and the Jury retired
In less than ten minutes they in with their YER
diet OF Aot Guilty. The verdict greeted with
loud applause i'll the court room.
"Abn"r MORSE aud accompanied the men tc
the Iat, where they Went to get articles clothing
before rcsuming their Journey.
- low much do We owe YOU? asked of the
burglars.
how much have You got?' reioned.
One hu Gitd and fifty dollars.
THAT will do " ell take it
The men went down into their pockets and scrapcd
up $50. took SIS of it, handed it to Mr. Morse
and the other SO back to the You'll need
that your travels and now YOU better make tracks
out OF here just as fast you can, my advice
to them.
say. Col Spooner' said one of the men, give me
your address. want to send YOU your SO
81 shawl
''M ell, want to treat You square Colonel lust to
show'-amd here there was quzzica look in the
honest burglars eycs-'just to show you that there
is such thing honor among thieves
81 never expect to the color OF volr money
sand L. disdalnlng to handy words with him his
sly thrust at my profession, 'bu, I'll take this
souvenir OF the occasion. If you don't mind And |
picked up the little wooden box.
The men did not like the idea of parting with the
trnket. They said they needed it their travels
But held to my purpose and finally they consented.
Colonel Spooner remarked the far-haired man
have you noticed anything peculiar about that ere
Il replied that I had not save that it appeared a
trHc heavier than wooden box would naturally be.
The smiled. took the box from my hands,
touched secret spring and opened up false bottom
in which nestled the incest lot of burglars had
ever seen.
"Did you observe ANYTHING peculiar about that
picture france inquired the other man.
| a
backing dropped off the portrait of sweet Sister Lii
There lay more fine steel saws, and from
recess after another in the frame the took
delicate tools of his trade.
"'And the Bible | exclaimed sick at heart
'the Bible that your mother gave YOU and which
l worked off on that iury-is there anything
peculiar about that, too?
The dark grinned, removed the dirty
cloth cover from the sacred book and there
lying snug in little inches followed out of the
thick. old-fashioned leather binding, hall
dozen skeleton keys, assorted sizes.
You how it is explained my client
We've been arrested in fifteen different States
We've been taken in by sherfs policemen. con;
skin of his gun, his knife, his money. and
sometimes they take part of fellows cloth.
ing. But experience has taught us that there's
officer of the law mean enough to rob poor
chap of his box of tobacco the portrait of his
little sister and the Bible that his mother gave
.'Our friends disappeared" continued Senator
Spooner. Several months passed. and had
almost forgotten the incident when one day
received a letter IRON ST. Louis containing
draft for my SIS and neatly written letter
which follows:
"'Dcar Col Spooner: Enclosed please find
draft for SIS l send you this money for three
reasons:
az. Because you earned it.
"'2 Because promised you should have it,
'''3. Because l want to convince you that
there is honor among thieves.
''Yours truly
GONE OF THE BuRGLARS'
"There is Just one more chapter to the story"
resumed the Senator. 81 was in Madison
dav on some business when | received tele-