Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-17
YOUTHS DEFENSE OF
7 POSTOFFTCE WINS
REWARD AT LAST
Florida Boy Who Saved
b Government Property From
Safe Crackers Is Appointed
Clerk After Five Years
Wait.

WASHINGTON, Sept, 17.-Paul "
ssuls has been appointed a clerk at a
,.iary of $500 in the Tallahassee, Fla,
nostofioe, as a reward for his valiant
dsfense of that office against desperate
,.s. crackers on January s, 1910 He won
h,s esht with the burglars with his boy
,.h strength and a revolver of the cheap
~, make, which he had won at country
fair.
An executive order for the young mans
.rnontment was issued last May by
President Wilson, but 1t lay unacted upon
IN government archives until dug UP re-
esntly by Merritt o. Chance, chief clerk
AZ the Post Office Department.
The reports of the battle read like tales
NJ the wild and woolly West in the 40s
NJ. sauls, father of Paul, lived on a
small farm outside of Tallaha. with
his wife and family of eight children.
The elder Sauls was night watchman in
the Florida post office, and on the night
OF January there was sickness in his
family and by special permission of the
Just past his 18th year, to stand guard
over the Government property that night.
Paul took the job, unarmed.
After the night clerk left at o'clock
and the fires had been stirred up to keep
the young watchman warm during the
night, Paul settled down to wait for the
dawn After a few minutes there came
. knock at the basement door. On his
way to the door the young watchman
psssed tho cot of a friend, who was sleep
Ing In the building. Under the sleeper
was very cheap revolver which the lat
ter had won at a country fair the evening
before Paul took it for safetys sake.
who's there?" he called out, before
he slid the doors apart.
Here's a mail sack which we found
on the street. and I thought it might
have dropped from the mail cart" came
the answer.
Back the doors went. And as they
opened Paul was confronted by q shining
revolver with the command, accompanied
BY an oath, for the watchman to hold up
his hands. Paul backed a little to one
side and as he did so the would be
burglar grabbed first one hand and then |
the other. but the watchman had his |
he fred, the bullet going through the |
liver and stomach of the burglar. The
latter held on to Paul's arms with a
death grip. The second burglar, appar-
emily unacquainted with what had hap
pened in the darkness, and having ample
confidence in his partner. afterward
found 10 be Tennessee Dutch one of the
most notorious of criminals. came for
ward with a rope to tie the boy. But he
kato1 1AAa 1
hand loose. fired twice and the burglar
fell mortally wounded both bullets hav-
Ing taken effect in his head
= All this happened in less time than it
takes to tell 1t, and Paul was unassisted
Even his friend, Harrison, whom he left
sleeping on the cot, thought II wise to |
remain away from the point of contact
established by the advance guard. And
he did remain away until the smoke of
battle had passed, and while Paul still
watched the property of the government
and the bodies of the dying men Harri-
ton went in search of policeman and a
PHYSICIAN. Meanwhile the first burglar
war gradually choking the watchman.
Inc burglars head was resting on Paurs
night shoulder. Paul reached up and
ired but Dutch shifted his head to
resting place on the left shoulder, and
lust as the head landed there Paul fired
lVer that shoulder, both bullets going
hrough the burglars head, Neither of
he highwaymen ever regained conscious
less
Paul remained in the building in the
morning until the post office was opened.
vent home. sat down to his breakfast
aole and modestly announced that he
ad killed couple of cracksmen. A jury '
aler convened over the bodies of the
cad men returned verdict of justihable
omcide.