The Scranton chronicle., 1903-02-07
PREPARED FOR BURGLARS.
Iassalenz scheme af = Man y hose
VIE Aas Away sf1T< I = sams
EaelIemeuf.

= had heen keeping bachelors hall
while ny wife was away sadly rc-
mnrked the man whose Wife had been
N tie country. sof course. Il was
generally late when | turned in at
night. and. a N had been good
deal worried = sneak thieves ia my
part of the city. | was afraid they
might make \ raid during my ab-
senee. 81 I set M Wits To work,
First rented phonograph with
meganhene attachment. Then | got
husks-soieed friend II talk into
the machine. lis talk. which was de-
liverea At the top Of his voice, was
mostly about calling the police. hav-
ing the drop on some one. firing a
revolver, aud other conversation cal
enlated II make n burglar think he
had gone against the real game.
after I had the phonograph nice
II loaded | made test of Il. I'm
free IL confess that burglar who
heard Il would be worse frightened
than il he stumbled on To reserve
squad Of policemen.
Il put the loaded phonograph mp
In our fiat. and connected IL with
strings and wires SO that II any one
who didn't know just how To work
the combination tried 10 force any
of the doors he would start the
machine on its line Of strong-arm
conversation. figured that no
burglar would wait To see whnt the
man with the husky voice would
actually do. No. that burglar would
have immediate business in the
street. Our apartments were safe,
and l fell mighty proud of my little
eonirisanee.
Maybe one or more burglars went
against my photograph protection
game. II they did they fled without
leaving any traces but in about a week
my wife decided to return aud In"
cidentally to bring her mother with
her. She didn't intend TO reach the
city until late in the evening, so
sent me telegram addressed to our
apartments instead of at my office.
OF course. fate willed IL that | should
dine ut restaurant and 60 direct
from there tn the theater, not reach
ing home until late.
In the meantime my wife arrived
Mt the station. There was no one
to meet her. but as she Ind her key
md thought the telegram had missed
me. that didn't worry her much.
Accompanied by her mother she went
home in eab. took out her key. and
started to enter onr apartments.
Right at this point the trouble in
large quantities broke out.
"fhe key didn't work very well,
md she must have given the door q
little shake. That started the load-
ed bnrglar-porteetlo phonogrdph.
In an instant there was roar;
".Poliee! Pollcel Get out of here
or I'll shoot. Thleyesl Murderi'
1T was enough To give any woman
the fright of her life. My wife had
good pluck. though. and didn't faint,
although I'm certain she would IL
she had not had her mother with her,
whom she felt she must protect.
Somehow they managed TO get down
the stairs and arouse the janitor.
And all the time the roaring phono.
graph was letting out n series of
threats calculated To eurdle the blood
of the braFest burglar, let alone two
frightened women.
''The janitor, accompanied by po-
liceman with drawn revolver, made
M Investigation and solved the inys-
terry" continued the narrator. ac-
cording to the New York Times.
"They thought II was big joke. In
fact. it was their jovial attitude that
gave my wife and mother-in-law their
suspicious. When | finally reacbed
home that night | found them In a
half hysferieal state. aud an iceberg
would have been warm compared
with the greeting | received.
"rhere Is still somewhat OF n
chilly atmosphere in the household"