The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-12-22
HOW THE VAULT
WAS ENTERED
By EDWIN R. STONE.
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.


Of Messrs Weller and Stone, importers.
and asked to see a member of the firm.
Having been shown into Mr.. Weller's
private room. he said:
II have bit On some information TO-
day. sir. that is very important to your
firm. 1t didn't come to me in the line
Of duty. sir, so l haven't turned 1t in.
l just thought I'd come to you with It,"
well. what is it? l won't buy a
pig in a poke, but If your Information
turns out to be correct III pay you
what it is worth"
sir"
by burglars?"
well sir. they be professional, but
the story ! got, sir. was that they was
to be helped by some one in your en-
ploy."
'ln that case we must not appear to
expect anything, but be or the watch.
How did you get this information"
lone Of 'em bIowed on the rest"
"What time is the work to be done?"
"Along O. l o'clock, SIR"
"All right. What's your name?"
"Tom Murphy. sir"
swell. Murphy, come in tomorrow
and If our safe has been robbed I'll
give you a good tip"
You mean if it hasn't been robbed?"
Yes"
"Would you mind lettin' me look
owe the ground, sir?"
mo"
He tapped a bell. and a clerk appear
ed.
"Jenkins." said Mr.. Weller. "let this
policeman see the vault and it's sur
roundings."
The clerk led Mr.. Murphy to the
vault. and while the cop was examin-
ing the approaches, looking up at the
ceiling to see how a burglar could come
down, and down at the floor to see
how a burglar could come up, he bus
led himself shutting up. for it was
after 5 o'clock in the evening, and the
employees were going home.
When Mr.. jenkins was ready to 60
away himself be looked about for the
policeman. Murphy was nowhere to
be seen, but the clerk noticed that the
vault door. which he thought was shut,
was standing ajar. He pushed it in
until it clicked and then continued bis
search for Murphy. Not finding him.
Jenkins concluded that he had gone
down in the cellar to investigate
whether the vault could be approached
from that direction. 1t was rather
dark, and jenkins called. No answer.
Returning. he looked over the Office in
all it's departments, but as there were
no signs Of Murphy be concluded that
he had finished his examination and
gone away.
About II o'clock Mr.. Weller met sew
eral of the employees at the Office and
after telling them that he expected the
vault to be entered placed them In po-
sitions where they could watch with
out being seen. Then the lights were
put out. and the watch began.
Mr.. Weller had a sofa in his private
room. On this he laid himself to wait.
He fell asleep. When he awoke it was
broad day. If the vault had been en-
tered during the night he had not been
awake to see. Fearful Of having been
robbed without knowing it.. be went
out to observe the condition Of his
watchers. He found every man sound
asleep. and n Of them was snoring
loud enough to waken the dead. Mr..
Weller glanced toward the vault.
There was no evidence that the door
had been drilled or opened. He awak-
ened the ~sleepers, and each man as he
rubbed his eyes looked heartily asham-
ed Of himself.
you're a pretty lot," said Mr.. Wei
Ter angrily. II was Informed that the
burglars were to be assisted by one of
our Office force. 1t looks very much
as though they had been assisted by
every one of you. There's no easier
way to assist a burglar than to 60 to
sleep when he's burgling. The door
hasn't been drilled or blown open. and
there isn't any necessity for opening
it that way when the man who wishes
to get In knows the combination"
While Mr.. Weller was thus deliver
ing himself he was shaking up his
watchers. When they were all thor
oughly awake be went up to the safe,
examined it critically, then. applying
the combinations, turned the knob and
pulled open the door.
There vas surprise IN the face of
Mr.. Weller and on the faces of all his
watchers. A scattered brazen glitter
was first visible. filing the interior of
the vault; then 1T developed into a
uniformed policeman. But surprise
was converted into amaZement when
the figure Of Thomas Muil ny, police
man. stepped from the Enclosure. he
was pale from an all night conine-
ment without sufficient air and had q
shamefaced expression on his face. It
was plain to all that he had been lock-
ed In the vault. He tried to explain
how it happened. but his looks belied
his story.
- 1870