Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-03-01
AWonan
Detective sStory
By SADIE OLCOTT

am woman ueIeCIlNe. L was once
sent to decoy a desperate who was
making collections ostensibly for the
church. He was Aaron Burt-he pass
ed under other names-and at the time
was working in the town of Edgerton
l went there learned that he was at
a certain hotel, and he was pointed
out to me in the reading room.
1 entered the room and. going up to
him, said:
''The Rev. Mr.. Burt, l believe"
81 am,' he said, rising and looking at
me suspiciously.
II have understood that you have
great success in raising money for
churches, and would like to know if
you would be willing to help me pay
off a mortgage on our church at Avon
dale"
Avondale was a town not far from
Edgerton, and had heard that one of
its churches was under mortgage, which
the congregation desired to pay off.
But intended this only as means Of
making Mr.. Burt's acquaintance.
/ described to him the situation at
Avonda,e, stating that the people there
were well to do, but needed some per-
suasive speaker to wake them up. j
added that he would be paid for his
labor, proposing that he receive the
contribution himself and deduct one
third of it for himself. This I knew
would please him. for there would be
no difficulty in his deducting his third
or, rather, of appropriating the whole
contribution. He manifested a will
lingness to undertake the work, but
protested against receiving SO much
compensation as q third of the amount
collected. On no account would he
consent to deduct more than 10 per
cent He was ready to go to Avon
dale as soon as 1 said the word. told
him that / would see the pastor and
the deacon and as soon as / could get
their consent would let him know.
I pretended to go to Avondale, but
really returned to the sheriff, who had
employed me, to arrange with him as
to when and where he should send the
force intended to make the arrest II
was dSlCCu DCLhCCll uS lldL uC was "
send one picked man to Edgerton, who
was to pass himself as a commercial
traveller. This mans name was Larn.
ed, and l was made acquainted with
him, and we conferred together. l told
him to bring the largest sample trunk
he could find.
RetuEning to Edgerton, l told Mr.
Burt that everything had been arrang-
ed at Avondale, but the evening select
ed for his appeal for funds had been
fixed for the following Sunday, four
days hence. He was not pleased at
this, preferring that the work should
be done at once. The truth is he did
not care to remain in the same local..
ty for so long a period. l determined,
however, to hold him if possible till
could spring my trap.
/ laid myself out to please him.
spending good deal of time with
him. / knew that he was not inter
ested in matters of religion and did
not talk on religious subjects. pre-
ferred to choose other topics, in which
he would be more at home, my inten
ton being when l had gained his con-
hdence to give him to understand that
knew his true character, that was
one of the same kind as himself and
desired to assist him in plundering that
! might share the plunder.
When l thought the time ripe I re-
vealed the character l wished him to
take me for by confessing that 1 ex.
pected share in the collection | was
TO bring about. l saw him start, but
ne did not take the hint openly, and ii
was some time before he consented to
drop the parson and talk like the vii
lain he was. Then told him that to-
gether we might reap a rich harvest.
he caught at the idea and grew enthu-
siaShc over it.
Having won his confidence, I kent
holding up the rich hauls we would
make, joining congregations and ar
ranging for addresses, to be followed
by collections. He would disappear,
leaving me to repent having put CON
fidence in a rascal.
When all was ready for my scheme
Larned appeared at the hotel, and a
sample trunk of enormous size was
carried to his room. 1t was empty,
but only Larned and l knew that. /
told Mr.. Burt that was bent ON TAX
ing money from the commercial trav-
eier and that l was already engaged
in learning where he kept it. The
next day l informed my pal that
Larned had gone out and left $500 be.
tween the mattresses of his bed. sug-
gesting that Burt so into his room and
get it while l watched. The door was
supposed to be locked, and borrowed
a skeleton key from Burt with which
to unlock it. though Larned had pur.
posely left it unlocked
took position in the hall and after
pretending to have watched for some
time called Burt and told him the coast
was clear, and he went into the room
for the money. He had scarcely done