Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1913-02-27
HIS
CONVERSION
And What Stood Between
Him and Relapse
BY r. a. mitchell


When | got tired Of work couclud.
ed to tramp. But when a man gifts
dissatisfied with a bard job and takes
an easier one the chances are that he'll
soon want an easier one still. The Eel.
Ter that tackles the job he happens to
have for all It's worth IL the one that IL
most likely TO sit an easier one In time.
and when he gifts II bell be satisfied
With II TIL be gifts an easier one. and
he'll be goIn' up bill all the time.
1 hadn't been trampin' very long be
fore II occurred to me that Il would be
the easiest thing in the world. when
ZONE fool woman was givin me
somep'n to eat. with no man about the
house. TO make her tell me where she
kept her valuables. take 'em and light
out. needn't try II on at houses near
together. but separate. so that there
wouldn't be any one 10 call on for help
and I'd have a better chance to GIT
away after I'd done the Job. Another
thing must keep clear Of was houses
where there was n telephone. or. n I
tackled one OF 'em. must cut the wire
before I started In.
The hrst Job OF the kind I tried
found dead easy. The men were all
away. and the women was skeered 20
death. They handed over all the money
they had 10 the house Csi7, and offered
me some jewelry besides. declined
the jewelry cause I didn't care 90 be
traced tryin' 10 convert Il Into cash.
got away with the money. and I
don't believe the losers tried very hard
wasn't enough 60 pay 'em for dom 30.
BY choosin' houses that were unpro-
tected and IN thinly settled regions
and bein' content with small sums
did n very good business and took the
least risk possible The people 1 rob.
bed considered me their natural enemy
aud would nave taken any revenge on
me they could. This kept my con.
science. and on the whole considered
my lot far better than that OF persons
who slave all day nc hard work.
roamed at large and had what money
needed for an occasional good time
II the persons I robbed had only kept
on hurting their maledictions at me per
hnpa ia n got enough by this time q
set up IN some kind o. business. hirini
others 10 do the work. Strange 90 say
my run OF prosperity was brought 60 Z
standstill by the opposite kind O. treat
ment.
One day after trampin' two or thre'
miles without meetin' q person or
team or comm 60 n house I overtool
gnl on the road and played the usua
game OF out o work. hungry. no hons
nor nothin'. I asked her n she knew an
charitable party whereabouts who would
give mo a crust OF bread. She was th'
easiest fooled gal 1 ever tackled. sh'
not only believed all I said. hat almos
cried over my misfortunes She sale
she lived with her old mother aroun'
bend In the road ahead and II II
20 with her she'd give me all ! wante'
20 eat aud n little money 10 help mi
on 10 a better condition.
She took me 60 a spick and span plnc
ana set me down before n bright Ore
where could warm myself. for
wasn't In the line o. my business 4
, wear seasonable clothes. and or sh
% goes 20 git me somep'n 10 eat Firs
thing 1 knew ! heered n squawkin' u
, the chicken house and. lookin' on
, through n winder. saw the gal chor
} pin the head or'n a fat hen. TO
} awhile couldn't believe that she wa
) fool enough TO XIII chicken for me
; and didn't feel sure OF II I'LL ] heere'
' Il siEzlin' on the stove.
All this while was thlnkin' ho7
I'd commence the business was Their
|, for. NV usual game was 20 nnd on
/. | where the money was kept or at leas
, IN what part of the house 10 look 10
|, Il. Sometimes l did this by round
, about questions. sometimes by obseT
, walton. II could learn this befor
. holstin' the pirate dag II made IN
' lob much easier for me. In this cas-
. n occurred 10 me that while the "a
!, was out In the Kitchen cookin' chick
en- for me that she could sell for 2
!. cents a pound l might 80 up the iron
. stairway and take look into the b.
: reau drawers.
: Coin softly. turned into u bed
. room ON the second door ! opene
: the top drawer Of the bureau ana nnc
y In nothin' opened an inlaid boz ON Oh
manteI. Among a few trinkets an
other small artielea nestled a roll Q
bills. took 'em out. stuffed 'em !
my pocket and was turnin' to leay
the room when l saw an old lad
standin' there lookin' at me 81
turned white as sheet. ran into
room. locked the door. aud l heard be
raise a sash and call out 10 her daugi
ter that .hera was a robber In N
house. ran downstairs. intendin'
light out. but met the gal In the hal
She looked as II she hadn't yet got o
10 the fact that ! was the robber he
mother was talkiD' about.
"Where Is hep she asked.
~ reckon he went down the bac
stairs" said.
10 II the old woman hadn't recovere
a. from her scare enough 10 unlock he
N, .alf ana eoma downstairs 1 would I