The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-09
HIGGINS, THE WRONG MAN
By William Hamilton Osborne.

By William Hamilton Osborne.
 Copyright. 1908. by Daily Story Pub. Co.) It is unlikely that Mir. J. Q. A. Boggs
 will ever carry a big wad of bills around with him again. He has learned his les son, one that he will never forget On the day in question he had drawn the
 bills from the bank on the afternoon be- fore pay day. for a specific reason-he wanted to get of early on the next day, and 1t took a considerable amount of time to go to the bank His idea was to take the bills home, count and arrange them for the men and save himself a pile of work the next morning. It was
 dusk hen he started home from his office. He failed to notice the buriy individual who dogged his footsteps on the way home, but that burly individual had not failed to notice him. At particularly dark spot in the street. something sud- denly loomed up before Mir. Bogg's vision that something was the burly individual. He didn't waste words. No sooner was he aware that MT. Boggs had seen him than he hit MT. Boggs first on one side of the head and then on the other:
 T guess you won't remember much af- ter this, me buck" he muttered to him.
 self, as he helped himself to the roll of ASo66o
 uttered a stified cry for help. The cry
 was heard. and unfortunately for the
 robber. two. policemen loomed into view.
 They saw the thief just as he was rais- ing from a stooping posture above the prostrate man. They levelled their revol-
 vers ''Halt!' they cried in unison. The robber laughed and started off at an easy gait, that became faster as he ran. One of the policemen followed-the other pull ed MT. Boggs over to a place of safety
 and then joined in the chase. The thief led them on, first up one street, then down
 another, constantly doubling on his tracks. Occasionally a citizen would join
 in the pursuit. Suddenly when the fore
 most officer almost grabbed hfm-both
 had long since emptied their revolvers-
 he darted hastily around a corner and
 disappeared. But the police were close on his heels and as they turned the corner they heard a door suddenly slam. They
 located the sound. and crossing to the
 house, attempted to force their way in. | They did not try long. A man appeared
 at the door and opened 1t with such will | lingness that an officer, whose shoulder ! had been pushing 1t too hard, fell fiat within the passageway.
 Gentlemen" said the man who had opened the door what gan do for your" As he spoke he appeared to be slightly | out of breath. The officers grabbed him. We want youl" they exclaimed.
 The man gasped with surprise. What
 for?" he asked. You're the fellow that
 robbed a man in ouimby street." they
 said He gasped again. Robbed a man"
 he went on, impossible. Why. I have f just come home from work" You've been running" said one officer. Exact ly," responded the man, flor I was late. In fact I reached the house just before you came" This conversation occupied | several minutes. There was a clock on
 the mantel. It was just eight o'clock. An officer took out his watch and verified the ! time. The other one had taken a note | of the time of the robbery. It had oc- | cured at 25 minutes after seven.
 They searched the house, but they did
 not find the bills. The man of the house.
 Higgins as he gave his name. was quite amused at the little episode, but he was
 not so much amused when they took him around to the station house and locked
 him up. He was held for trial: The trial came on. The police went on the stand
 and proved their case. They had chased | a man tozthe corner in quesHop,s and they J had heard this door slam, they went in, l the man admitted that he had been run ning-the case was clear to their minds The prisoner was 1onplussed. He took l the stand and protested that he was in- nocent. Dear meY' he exclaimed, If the law would only allow me to call MT. Humbert, the clock maker. Why, your
 honor was in his place for one whole
 hour, from 6;55 to 7:55, and I was due at my home at eight o'clock, so I ran. If | the law would but let me call him, could prove what say" The judge looked over
 his glasses. "The law allows you to call him, sir he said. Why don't you call