Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-09-05
Her
resentment
BY ESTHER VANDEVEER

Reuben kaStner was night watch
man at the Office of Jones Brothers,
dealers in railway supplies. One night
Ibis wife gave him his supper, he went
b the little bed where his two children
hay, kissed them, then babe his wife
adieu, with a sigh.
whats the matter, Reuben?" she
asked.
81 dunno" said Kastner. ct got
presentyment."
"a presentiment of what" asked his
wife.
'That soinepn's goin' to happen.
Bomep'n turrable; somep'n thatll leave
you and the children with nothin to
eat and no roof over your heads"
"And I've got a presentiment, too"
said Mrs. Kastner.
whats thatT'
"That somep'n is goin' to happen
that'll set US all up"
ooh, you're foolin'r said the hus-
band as he walked away. You never
take anything serious"
Kastner went to the office, where he
relieved the porter, who acted as day
Waterman, and began his dreary night
watch. He walked about from one
room to another, occasionally going
into a room where stood the safe. To
do this he was obliged to take out q
hey and turn the bolt in the spring
lock in the door that connected this
room with the main office. After TAX
tng look at the safe he would let
the door close and would sit down In
an office chair, and at the expiration
OF an hour would go through the proc
ess again.
He had opened the door to the safe
room and gone inside for a look when
three men-where they came from he
could not surmise-seized him from be-
hind and threw him to the floor. Pro-
ducing a cord, they bound him hand
and foot and gagged him. Then, sit
ting him in chair, they tied him to
1t, and one of them, knocking off the
knob Of the safe door with a hammer,
put a charge Of nitroglycerin in the
hole made and attached fuse. Hav-
ing done this they placed gunny bags
over the safe to deaden the sound.
lighted the free end of the fuse and
all left the office. Their idea was to
blow open the safe, killing the watch
man, on the principle that dead men
tell no tales return and help them
selves to the contents.
When they left the room the door
was closed by the spring, and Kastner
was shut up in the safe room while
n,
fuse toward the explosive.
A great many things came to Kast-
ner while watching that running fire.
He saw himself blown into pulp by the
explosion; he saw his wife waking
from slumber to think about her lonely
husband watching through the long
night; he saw his little children sleep.
ing in their bed with their arms around
each others neck.
He would not die. He would make
an effort for life. If he could get down
on the floor he might possibly escape
the worst. He began a violent rock
ing, a swaying from side to side. This
he kept up till he upset the chair His
fall broke the cord that bound him to
it. There was still foot of the fuse
trailing on the floor not yet consumed.
Kastner, having his hands and feet
tied could not reach the fire or kick it,
but he could roll toward it. This he
did and presently rolled on it.
Another danger confronted him.
Would the fire be smothered or would
it ignite his clothing and first burn him,
then blow him to pieces? He lay fat
Oh the fire and felt the heat beneath
him.
He heard rafting at the door. The
burglars, anxious to see what was 60
ing on within the safe room. We're try
ing to open it, but, finding it locked,
could not do 50 without breaking 1t
down, and this might attract attention
from those without Since nothing
seemed to be gained by effecting an
entrance. they determined to await the
explosion.
Meanwhile Kastner lay on the fuse,
praying that it would be smothered.
Gradually the heat under him died
down. He watched to see if it were
burning beyond his body, but since it
did not he made up his mind that it
had been eXtinguished
At last the robbers, having conclud-
ed that the explosion had failed after
debating the propriety of kicking down
the door. decided that they had better
get out while they could. Some one
might have gone into the safe room
from another entrance.
When the porter went into the safe
room in the morning and saw the
night Waterman on the floor bound
hand and foot, he knew at once what
had happened. He released Kastner
and telephoned for a member Of the
firm to come Immediately to the office,
since an attempt had been made TO
blow up the safe.
The senior. Mr.. Jones. came without
waiting for his breakfast. and when he
saw the safe and heard Kastner's sto-
~ hn avclafna1.