The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-05
His Last Job
At Burglary.
-&eYVete, .e.(.eseV


tOriglnall
Before | went TO make an entrance
into the vault o. the Tenth National
bank Ellen gave me long talk. She
said that our way of gettln' llvin'
was KILN her and Id soon have our
kids on my hands to take care o till
got caught and put in prison; then
they'd have no one to look after them.
The boys would soon he In jail, too,
and q worse fate was in store for the
girls. But what was | to do? Not an
honest job was open to me. But |
needed all my nerve. and after n kiss
for her and the kids | threw of the
depression and In an hour was In the
bank before the vault.
had set my dark lantern so that
the bullseyc shone on the spot | want
ed to perforate and was about to APP
ply my drill when heard voice be-
hind me sa':
"Do you think you can do it?"
The words were spoken In the coolest
possible tone. and coolness begets cool
ness. couldn't see behind me with
out takin' up my lamp and bringin' II
to bear on the speaker, and before
could do that and shoot felt reason
ably sure bullet would come crashin'
through me somewhere. SO | never
turns around at all. but begins TO work
my drill, remarkin' at the same time:
at won't he any trouble ut all. I've
done II often before"
"Hold on" said the voice. n mans.
"Are you artist enough to do the job
without inJurin the door?"
"In course" says |. III you wanted
It done that way, why didn't you say
SO? But it'll take longer"
"Picls the lock-" said the voice, "be'
tween now and daylight, and III give
you new crisp $50 bill."
Couldn't you make 1t hundredT
asks.
reckon my impudence must "a took
him fat aback, cause he didn't answer
for a small while; then he says:
"Fifty Is all and more than / ear
spare. Pm only clerk In the bank
! and I'm suTerin' under an attack o
honesty just now"
! puts away my drill and begins tc
work with my fingers and my ears
| talkln' with the feller sociabe-like. II
was very kind o him to treat me 50
| perlite, for | knowed he wouldn't bt
that away onless he had me covered
aud ready to enforce orders. Referrin
! TO his last remark, ! says:
[ 81 had that disease myself onct, but
| a wife and couple o. kids cryin'. fol
bread TUX 1t clean out o. me. Diseases
require medicine and sometimes thu
myself dose o. dishonesty for an anti
dote and the habit got fixed on m'
like takln' Il drug
"But you kept the kids from starvin'
suppose"
"Thats what I've done so far, but i
my work gifts a check for the matter o
ten years or so they're still liable 4
starvation. If could "a got through
a few years more they'd be old enough
TO iii their own mouths"
He didn't make any answer to this
and KEEP on monkeyin' with the tum
blers. llstenin' TO how they fell an,
maxim up my mind what was the com
bination.
"Whats the timer" asked.
"rwo twenty-five" he said. 81
doesn't begin to get light now till
o'clock. Can you do It in that timer"
"If | can do Il at ALL"
heard somethln' between sigh an,
grunt.
"Is 1t very importantT I says.
"Yes, 1t is. I'm responsible for tn
vault bein' shut without any one know
In the combination. II we can't get 4
there by o o'clock tomorrow mornir
there'll be no end o. trouble. I'll &c
fired, of course"
"Don't worry" says. II wouldn'
have such Ii perlite young gentlema
fired for all there is inside. Just yo
stop talkin' TO me for awhile-it botl
ers me-and reckon can do the job.
l worked till near o'clock before
got on to the problem; then heard tn
last tumbler drop into place, and, turr
In the knob, opened the vault door.
keep your face to the vault and la
your weapon on the floor behind you,
said the clerk.