Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1920 — THE ROBBING OF BURKE [ARTICLE]

THE ROBBING OF BURKE

By LAURENCE D. YOUNG

(CopyrJ<tat.) They were on the far turn, now, with Dlavalo and Gretchen, split favorites, out in front, and Lady Grace, her jockey, Robson, rating her nicely, back an easy length, while the pack trailed out behind. Burke liked his bet on Lady Grace better than ever. For the" last“eight months he hnd watched the work of this good little daughter of the peerless Lord Quex, until now he thought he knew pretty certain what she could do and when she could do it. At the six-furlong post Gretchen, under whip, weakened, and there was nothing for Grace to beat but the big black Dlavalo, who, at his best and out to win, was racing up the stretch like a whirlwind. Robson with the Ally challenged in the last sixteenth, and the black, worn down by making pace throughout the long trip, responded for a few yards, but could not stall off the final push of the flying Lady Grace, who came home by a safe lead. ——.

A short time later, as Richard Roscommon Burke stuffed the comfortable bundle of yellow bills Into his pocket, he thought: “These western tracks are right for me.” After a season of continuous misfortntie at Giavesend and Sheepshead, Burke had gathered together what little remained of his fluctuant capital, told his circle of intimates at the Metropost that he was going to try his luck In pastures new, and betook himself to Cincinnati, arriving at that city for the opening of the fall meeting at Latonia. Whether it was the change of scene, or that he knew the horses to better •advantage, or that his happy star was in the ascendant, he could not say, but now, after four days of racing, as hetdTdMattliWS.whotvrote "turf” for the Cincinnati Investigator, he was “on his feet again.” During the journey from the track to the city his mind was mainly occupied with the thought of his winnings and how he could bring them to double and treble their present size.. ‘ As he was entering his hotel it occurred to him that he had a great deal too much money in his pocket to safely carry around, "especially that night, when he was going to dine with Matthews and some of their friends in common, and so he stopped at the desk and asked the clerk if he would put his winnings Xu the safe. “I’m sorry, Mr. Burke,” replied that gentleman, "but the combination of our safe is out of order and it won’t lock, although they are working at it now. I can put the money in the cashdrawer, if you like.”

A glance at this somewhat flimsy contrivance convinced Burke that it would never do as a receptacle for anything of his, so he said he would take care of his property himself. He went up to his room trying to think of some hiding place for the roll, and put It under the rug. ■ ~~ It made a hump plainly perceptible from anywhere in the room, but in moving the rug he noticed a board which seemed to be loose. With the aid of his cane he pried it out. and having placed the money in a large white envelope, dropped it into the boxlike compartment revealed. Hearing someone coming, he hastily stamped down the board and threw the rug back over the spot he had molested. The person passed his door without stopping, and Burke shortly afterward went to join Matthews and his friends.

In the course of a most agreeable dinner a question arose as to the achievements of a certain horse, and Burke, saying he had a racing form In his room and could prove his assertion, went up to get the book. No sooner did he enter the room than he saw that a corner of the rug was turned back in such a way that he felt sure he had not left it so. Had some one been at his money? In feverish haste lie tore up the hoard and looked into the hole. The envelope was gone! According to the elevator boy only one person had been on that floor since Burke went down, and that was a man with a black beard who had taken a room that afternoon. No, he hadn’t come down yet, said the boy, in answer to Burke’s query. His thoughts were interrupted just then by a slight noise like the click of a telephone in the next room, and then a man’s voice saying: “Is this the clerk? I won’t be able to stay here tonight, as I expected, and I would like to know when- the next; train south leaves. Oh, well, I’ll have to hurry. Will you send me one for my baggage?” Another click told the listener the conversation was over. So he wasn’t going to stay, as he had Intended, thought Burke, and he would have to hurry if hie was going to go south by the next train; well, he'd have to go fast if he was going to get away with that money’. It was how or never, decided Scarlet Burke, and the longest kind of a chance on a clear bluff might win. After slipping a revolver into his outside coat pocket, he knocked on the door of room 368. “Who’s there?” came from the Inside. “Did you ring for a porter, sir?” asked A bolt slid back, and Burke opened the door to find a tall, strong-looking man with black hair and beard facing the opposite end of the room and point-

Ing toward a suitcase and a valise, saying: “Get them down and have a carriage—” He stopped, for Burke had rebolted the door and was steadily looking into his eyes. “4 want the money you took,” he said decisively. you notified the police?” anxiously demanded the man. “No.” “Will you swear not to do anything before morning if I give back the money at once?” he asked. "Yes,” said Burke, so glad at the Idea of recovering bls lost wealth that he was prepared to make any concession to get it. Thenowdeiightedßurkegave himself up to the pleasure of counting his regained treasure, but in a few inoments he whistled from sheer astonishment at the turn his affairs had taken. Whereas in his own envelope there had been a trifle over $2,000, the money the man had given him amounted to exactly $6,500! Scarlet Burke had never been distinguished for valor as an early riser, and it was quite late on the following morning, after he had told the police of his loss and while he was making a leisurely breakfast, that in his morning paper he came across this piece of news: