Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-03-03
AN INGENIOUS
= BURGLAR.

|<c,nvright 1903. D! AHcrican Ns'o
|iSop' ciation.I
M, a burglar that relies on my wits
-..her than on my weapons. One
tint when I was cracking a bank
ali working with my face to the
-orlt heard Hem behind me. ]
.nrnad and saw gentleman looking at
~ with a revolver In bis hand.
Nov I had taken precaution to learn
.omefhing about the bank and Its Off.
..,s knew their names aud had
s.on them all. I'd much rather be pro-
~,ded with such information than As
.,,,ber revolver. I knew that the gen.
.,.m,n standing there was the vice
arosident, Mr.. Forbes. l kept my
.o,va as well as possible MS looked
:, him. though 1t suited r1y purpose to
,ook trihe surprised; but. without APP
gearing to see his weapon and without
speaking, / went right on turning my
hreast drill. making hole near thS
lock.
.you're cool one" he said.
turned, feigning establishment.
~wbat do you mean. Mr.. Forbesi" I
asked.
4How did you know my name is
rortesY he asked, with equal sur.
prise.
tnow the vice president Of the bank I
teep my little account In. You went
ont this afternoon just as was going
n to Mr.. Cummings" (tbe CASHIER.
ape told me there was something
~ronc with the lock and had sent for
NJ to see what It was. ! messed over
n for an hour without any tools, then
vent home to supper. promising to be
hack with 'em later. Bat ! was called
ont on an important Job and didn't get
here I'M half an hour ago. Mr.. Cum
minrs was waiting and let me In. He's
zone out for bite and glass Of beer
or something. He'll be back present
IT,"
I saw in his eye remarkable inter-
est In what / was telling him, and I
inferred the cause. He reckoned he'd
got on to a plan Of the cashiers to git
away with some funds. learned
af.erward that he and Cummings
hated each other like poison
With this turned and went to
work again. l didn't know how I was
coming out didn't think l was com.
ing out anywhere except behind bars.
was simply figuring for little time
and possible loophole. The man be-
bind me was probably thinking, too.
9or he said nothing. argued that.
having possibly caught his enemy. the
cashier, In the act. the question was
how to proceed. 1t was mighty easy
for him to make 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 purposely put out Of order. 1t
was all right at O'Clock this after
noon"
What do you mean, sirr asked.
looking up at him and putting on
scared look. you don't mean there's
any skulduggery going on7 amt go
Ing to get mixed up In II, am II"
He gave me q searching look. and I
thought | could zee ia got something
Of his confidence.
Now. my man." he said. IF you'll
help ME convict 4 rascal I'll stand by
you for the rest Of your life. II you
are what you pretend to be-working
on the cashiers orders-the plan is
this: Under pretense Of opening a
safe, the lock Of which he has pur-
posely injured. he gets you to open 1t
oy the same means a burglar would
use"
by George. l never would have
thought OF that"
The safe opened. he would have
neiped himself to the funds. and the
vault would appear to have been
burglarized"
And If caught I'd be the burglar!
dnats what he got me in for. is it?'
was playing for ten years or more
ol liberty, and played the part well
$50 well that could see I'd captured
my man. knew I'd got to make
move pretty soon and take the Of
tensive when l did move. OF course
ny story would go up In smoke the
moment Mr.. Forbes took any action.
ano that action would be to call a po-
aceman and arrest me. But first he
wanted to get all he could out Of me
:. 70 now he could use me to show up
ue real rascal. He still held his re-
'o'ver In his right hand. | formed a
pan' and formed 1t mighty quick.
:, seems to me. Mr.. Forbes, that
'ue whole matter OF proving Mr.. Cum
!. rascality depends upon whether
us lock got out of order naturally or
sas put out Of order. II I'm going to
!. .ssuiy to that want to find out about
= now before any one has chance to
anper with it."
mats right. Examine it."
nad drilled several holes before he