The daily Alaskan., 1909-06-10
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 , AN INGENIOUS ::
 3 * -:- BURGLAR.


 night when was cracking bank vault. working with my face to the vault. l heard "Ilem" behind me. l turned and saw q gentleman looking at me. with revolver in his hand.
 Now, had taken precaution to learn something about the bank and It's ofIi- ccrs. l knew their names and had seen them all. I'd much rather be pro- vldcd with such Information than 45 caliber revolver. knew that the gen tleman standing there was the vice president. Mir. Forbes. l kept my nerve as well as possible as I looked at him, though it suited my purpose to look q trinc surprised; but. without ap- bearing to see his weapon and without speaking, went right on turning my breast drill. making q hole near the lock.
 You're q cool one," he said.
 turned. feigning astonishment. What do you mean. Mir. FOrbes" asked.
 How did you know my name is ForbcsT he asked. with equal sur prise.
 How do know? Why, l ought to know the vice president of the bank keep my little account in. You went out this afternoon just as was going in to Mir. Cummings" 0he cashier). He told me there was something wrong with the lock and had sent for mo to see what it was. l messed over It for an hour without any tools, then went nome to supper, promising to be back with 'cm later. But was called out on an important job and didn't get here till half an hour ago. Mir. Cum mlngS was waiting and let me in. He's gone out for bite and glass of beer or something. Hell be back present. ly."
 saw in his eye remarkable inter est in what l was telling him. and inferred the cause. He reckoned he'd got on to a plan of the cashiers to git away with some funds. l learned aftcrward that he and Cummings hated each other like poison.
 With this turned and went to work again. didn't know how was coming out didn't think l was com' ing out anywhere except behind bars. | was simply figuring for little time and a possible loopholc. The man be- bind me was probably thinking, too, for he said nothing. l argued that having possibly caught his enemy, the cashier, in the act, the question was how to proceed It was mighty easy for him to make a fool of himself, and possibly he instead of Cummings might turn out the convicted party. The first words he said were:
 If your story is true the lock has been purposeIy put out of order. It was all right at 9 o'clock this after noOn."
 What do you mean, sir?' l asked, looking up at him and putting on scared look. You don't mean there's any skuduggery going on? l ain't go- ing 10 get mixed up in 1t, am l?'
 He gave me q searching look, and l thought I could see I'd got something of his confidence.
 "Now. my man." he said, If you'll help me convict q rascal I'll stand by you for the rest of your life. If you are what you pretend to bc-working on the cashiers ordcrs-the plan is this: Under pretense of opening a safe. the lock of which he has pur- poScly injured. he gets you to open 1t by the same means a burglar would use"
 By George! l never would have thought of that"
 "The safe opened, he would have helped himself to the funds. and the vault would appear to have been burglarizcd."
 And if caught I'd be the burglar! That's what he got me in for, Is itT'
 I was playing for ten years or more of liberty, and played the part we'll so well that l could see I'd captured my man. l knew I'd got to make move pretty soon and take the of- fcnsivc when l did move. Of course my story would go up in smoke the moment MT. Forbes took any action, and that action would be to call po- Iiceman and arrest me. But first he wanted to get all he could out of me as to how he could use me to show up the real rascal. He still held his re- volver in his right hand. l formed plan, and formed 1t mighty quick.
 Tt seems to me, Mir. Forbes. that the whole matter of proving MT. Cum mings' rascality depends upon whether the lock got out of order naturally or was put out of order. If I'm going to testify to that l want to find out about 1t now before any one has chance to tamDer with it."
 That's right. Examine it."
 l had drilled several holes before he came. put my little finger in one and my knife blade in another. pretending 10 be hunting for something, thinking hard what to do. Presently stopped sudden and said haDDy-like: