The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-01-23
Che 14lan Wlbo Butted In.


dish up this minute, why pop goes this
yere gun, see?"
The lines across the dignilied brow
of MI. Armstrong were deeply grooved
as it he was thinking. Ils stretched
forth one of his knarled hands to as
sist him to gain sitting posture; the
attempt failed; he sank back with a
grOan. Jules Strong observed all this
as tho he was rooted to the spot; he
was simply dazed. One scream from
his powerful lungs, and the robbers
would have instantly fed, but he did
not prove equal to the occasion.
The younger of the two men ap-
preached the bed and felt of the mans
pulse. my God, Bill, he's desdv'
"Wbat's that!"
"He's deadi"
"Hurry up, then, as we had better be
hitting the high places at once"
When Mrs Armstrong heard this,
she gave one piercing shrek and
tainted. At this psychological mo-
ment a wagon happened to be passing
the house; hearing the scream Of Mrs.
Armstrong, the occupants stopped and
rushed to the rescue. They caught
sight of Strong coming around a cor
ner of the house with q club in one
hand. AS his clothes were soiled and
worn they at once concluded that he
was the cause of the trouble aud
pounced upon him. He tried to ex-
plain, but they would not listen. Dur
ing the meantime the burglars escaped.
Strong was taken into the house. He
told them in scholarly language how
he happened to be where they had
found him, and that If his attention
had not been attracted by their arrival,
he Intended to wayiay the two burglars
as they emerged from the house. They
did not believe him; his clothes were
against him. When Mrs. Armstrong
was restored to coDSclousness, he was
brought before her to be identified.
She kpromptly admitted that he was
one of the men. 3.
What strange irony of fate! While
they were bringing him to town TO
turn him over to the sheriff, he was in
anything but a happy frame of mind.
He thought of the past and the hard
struggle he had working his way thru
college; then his thoughts wandered
back to his early childhood, the death
of his parents, the breaking up of his
home; how he was placed in the hands
Of guardian who illtreated him, and
how he had ran away, etc. Occasion
ally smile would fit across his mouth
az he recalled some happy incident,
only in turn to be followed by frown
and a knitting of the eyebrows as he
fully realized the actual seriousness
of his present position.
When the young men arrived in
town they turned Strong over to the
sheriff, explaining why he was cap
tured. The sheriff searched him and
locked him in a cell to await further
developments on the morrow. This
was the Grst time Jules Strong had
been inside jail, and those who have
passed thru a similar first experience
can imagine his feelings. .
The next day the cOroner's inquest
was held. The doctor who performed
the autopsy on Mr.. Armstrong estab-
lished the fact that he died of heart
disease. When Mrs. Armstrong was
called to testify, the audience was pro-
foundly silent. She explained how she
was awakened and on hearing one of
the robbers exclaim that her husband
was dead as they were stuf1ing their
pockets full of plunder, she screamed
and tainted away. When asked to
identify the prisoner as one of the rob.
bers, she unhesltatingly pointed out
Jules Strong as being one of the men,
Then she described the things that
were stolen, including a, wallet con.
tanning forty-eight dollars. Among
the things missing were silver spoons
knives and forks, a gold watch, gold
chain, cuff buttons, several gold rings
and gold pin. The young men who
made the capture followed and told
how they happened to arrest the pris.
oner. Jules Strong was sworn next
! and told to give his version Of the rob.
q