The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-23
Confession Of a
Burglar
BY FRED L. YOUNG

/ always worked single handed and
had no confidants, confintng myself to
opening safes. You see, got into the
business while working for safe and
lock company. | became so familiar
With the conSfrue ton of locks that /
could do almost anything l liked with
them, 1t was the miserable pay l got
that broke up my honesty. One win
ter my wife and children were all sick
at once and | had to hire nurse to
take care of them besides running up
q big doctors bill. ] got all balled up
and it occurred to me to take what !
needed for the time being from the
safe of rich cousin and put 1t back
when times were better with me.
took what / had to have. but as to
putting it back that was another mat
ter Persons who take for the first
time what don't belong to them usual
ly expect TO replace it, but the law
that necessitates the taking prevents
the return. However, i was not fitted
lOI lSIdl, MY NllS SCilluS5 NibC
as to how / made up the family def
eiencies it 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 | had got into an
Office where there was one of the
safes had helped construct, the lock
Of which | 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 ! heard a voice behind me
say:
If you can pick that lock right off |
III give you $780,"
Now, | knew some one had the dead !
wood on me. The blow had fallen at |
last. and the mercless law would have |
ne in its clutches. My wife and kids
and the way they would feel about it |
came up before me, and instead of at |
tempting to put up any kind of de-
Tense | said:
.'I'll open the safe on one condition" |
whats thatY
THAT you shoot me through the /
head as soon as | have done the job"
must have shown my agony in my /
lone. for the voice said. I'D rather
pay you in currency and let you out
of here without giving an alarm"
THAT wouldn't do me any good.
Id have to continue as / am, and ii
would only be putting off the evil
day"
well. go on and open the safe. t
While you're working we can talk the
matter over"
| started In TO pick the lock. Just
before beginning | cast glance be-
hind me. but there was no light ex-
cept my lantern. and l could not see
any one. 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 it and in trying to open the safe
found that something was wrong with
the lock. He had gone out for the
purpose of finding an operator, but
at that time Of night it was impossi
BILE. On returning to. the office he had
found the door unlocked. Being sure
he bad locked it. he suspected that
something was wrong. entered eau
tiously and came upon me.
"In case" / said. you would like to
do anything for me no explanation of
my being here would be necessary.
1t 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
a living. | need one person, and only !
one person in the world to trust me,
Men are a flock of sheep and follow :
one leader. Let the world know that {
you have confidence in me. and it will /,
be making me over again."
He didn't say anything for a long +,
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 I
the dark as TO what | am about TO do i
until l get that paper l spoke of. | {
must close the deal at o'clock this
and it's hit or miss with me-"
| judged by what he said and his r
tone that / had a chance, and l put J
my mind right on my work. In half 5