The herald., 1912-06-20
Confession of a
Burglar
By FRED l. YOUNG


business while working for safe and
lock company. / became so familiar
With the construction Of locks that
could do almost anything ! liked with
them. 1t was the miserable pay got
that broke up my honesty. One win
ter my wife and children were all sick
at once and had to hire a nurse to
take care Of them besides running up
a big doctors bill. i got all bal!ed up
and II occurred to me TO take what !
needed for the time being from the
safe OF a rich cousin and put 1t back
when times were better with me.
! took what had to have, but as to
putting Il back that was another mat
ter. Persons who take for the hrst
time what don't belong to them usual
ly expect to replace it, but the law
that necessitates the taking prevents
the return. However, l was not fitted
for a burglar, and my wife getting wise
as TO how / made up the family def
ciencies 1t nearly broke her heart.
Then / was suspected and lost my le-
ultimate Job. OF course / couldn't get
another one-in my line Of business
without first class references from my
last employers, and this threw me into
the burglary line exclusively.
One night when l had got into an
offiee where there was one of the
SAFES had helped construct, the lock
Of which l knew as well as / knew
my own fingers, laid my tools down
before me and, taking up the one |
intended to begin with, was starting
In when l heard a voice behind me
say,
"If you can pick that lock right off
I'll give you $780,"
Now, 1 knew some one had the dead
wood on me. The blow had fallen at
last, and the merclless law would have
me In Its clutches. My wife and kids
and the way they would feel about 1t
came up before me, and instead Of at
tempting to put up any kind Of a de-
fense / said:
"I'll open the safe on one condition"
"what's thatY'
"That you shoot me through the
head as soon as have done the job"
must have shown my agony in my
tone, for the voice said, I'D rather
pay you In currency and let you out
Of here without giving an alarm"
'HThat wouldn't do me any good.
I'd have to continue as / am, and 1t
would only be putting off the evil
day"
"Well, go on and open the safe.
While you're working we can talk the
matter over"
l started In to pick the lock. Just
before beginning / cast glance be-
hind me, but there was no light ex-
cept my lantern, and 1 could not see
any one. l asked why he wished the
lock picked, and he said that he had
an important deal to close In the
morning and had been figuring at
home on the matter late at night
Needing a paper in the safe to COM
plete his calculations, he had come
for 1t and in trying to open the safe
the lock. He had gone out for the
purpose Of finding an operator, but
at that time Of night 1t was impossi-
BILE. On returning to the Office he had
found the door unlocked. Being sure
he had locked 1t, he suspected that
something was wrong, entered eau
tiously and came upon me.
ain case" said, "you would like to
do anything for me no explanation of
my being here would be necessary.
It is to be supposed that, finding your
safe lock gone wrong you had called
me In to fix It,"
"What do you mean by my liking to
DO anything for your?
mot only for me, but for a good wo-
man and lot Of innocent kids. Help
me out Of this horrible way Of making
living. ! need one person, and only
one person in the world to trust me.
Men are q flock Of sheep and follow
one leader. Let the world know that
you have confidence in me, and 1t will
be making me over again"
ne uluu I Bay any tuluB lOE u iOuS
while In reply to this. / knew very
well that he was thinking Of the risk
he would take in trying to help me,
and that risk came from me. Pres
emily he said:
"a good deal depends on your get.
ting that safe open. I'm very much in
the dark as to what am about to do
until / get that paper spoke Of.
must close the deal at 8 o'clock this
morning, and it's hit or miss with me" :"
Judged by what he said and his
tone that / had a chance, and put
my mind right on my work. In half
an hour threw open the safe door
The man behind me told me to shove
my lantern back bit. l did so. He
took 1t up and brought it to bear on
me. Then he told me to put my weap
ons back also, and when / had done
this and he had gathered them up he
secured the paper he wanted from the
safe and looked at his watch.
~Three twenty-five" he said. "Now
must go home and figure hard till
breakfast time. Go on out and come
back here Saturday afternoon. l may
have a scheme for you"
He did have q scheme for me-a
progressive scheme-by which, as
proved my regeneration / might ad-