Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-11-24
What The Burglar Found.

What The Burglar Found.
AS he stepped out of the alley into
the street, it began to rain dismally.
This pleased him, for it added to the
blackness of the night, and had ten
dency to drive away any late pedes'
trian.
He was not hampsred by luggage,
such tools as he nesds-a bar OF soap,
an air pump, can Of nitrogIyceri e,
some tusee, jimmy, dark lantern,
a revolver-he carried in his pockets,
and, under his coat, a folded grain
sack.
Without pausing without hesitat-
ing, he glanced up and down the
street. A smoking oil lamp stood
lpon a post at the corner of the main
-treet of the village, its feeble rays
struggling inefectively in the midst.
A few strides took HIM to the side
window Of building The sill was
on a level with his head. He tried
to raise the cash, but, as he expected.
it was fastened. So he took the jim
my from his pocket, and, slipping its
thin edge under the frame, threw all
his weight suddenly upon the handle.
With a report like that of a pistol
tn. lock snapped. For FIVE minutes,
perhaps, the burglar crouched in the
shadow under the window, watching,
listening. But not sound, save the
patter Of the rain in the gutter, did
be hear; not a moving object did he
see.
Then carefully, noiselessly, be
pushed up the sash and climbed in.
He was in total darkness, but knew
exactly where he stood. He could
have drawn an accurate, detailed plan
OF the interior of the building-knew
precisely how many feet it was from
the window to the safe from the safe
to the front door; from the front door
to his horse and cart, standing in the
lane at the rear.
So, although he could not see his
hand before him, he turned confident
ly to his left and walked six PAGES
Then he circled to his right around
the end of the counter, and took four
steps more. Pausing. he reached out
his hand and touched the safe.
Without losing moment he filled
the cracks around the door with soap,
leaving one small opening. To this
opening he attached his pump and
exhausted the air on the inside.
Closing the opening, he cut piece
off the bar of soap, and rolling it be-
tween his palms and moulding In with
his fingers, soon fashioned it into the
shape of small cup. This he fas-
tened at the bottom of the door and
filled with nitroglycerine. Then he
attached fuse.
Ten feet from the safe, door open
ed into he rear office of the bank,
and in this room the safebreaker had
planned to seek refuge while the
explosion was doing it's work. Not
desiring to tarry unnecessarily in close
proximity to a charge of nitroglycer'
inc about to explode, he concluded,
before lighting the fuse, to satisfy
himself that the door of the inner
room was not locked or bolted.
He turned the knob, the door open
ed readily, and he took one step across
the threshold. Then he paused. In
the intense darkness he could rot see
an object; in the perfect silence he
could not hear a sound.
Bnt neutrality-suspicious., in
stinct, some iudefnable sixth sense
something sent chill through him,
and he trembled as one who suddenly
become, conscious of the presence of
unseen spirits. Without the power
to move, he stood staring into dark
ness, the per,piration standing in icy
drops upon his forehead.
With the desperation that fear In
spires, he drew his dark lantern, alp
ped back the slide, and threw the
searching glare around the room,
lighting frat the most distant corner.
Slowly he moved the lantern, bring
ing light towards him across the car
pet. Suddenly he uttered low cry,
and shrsnk back as the light fell
fercely upon an object almost at his
feet.
So near that by STOPPING the burg
lar could have touched aim, dead
man lay, his wa1ed face and sightless