Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1888 — A NEAT JOB. [ARTICLE]

A NEAT JOB.

A Burglar’s Stary., ' . Chicago Inter Ocean. My profession isn’t a popular one. There’s considerable prejudice against against it. I don’t myself think it’s much worse than a good many others. However, that’s nothing to do with my story. Borne years ago, me and the gentleman who was at that time connected with me in business — he’s met with reverses since then, and at present isn’t able to get out—was looking around for a job, being at that time rather hard up, as you might say. We struck a small country town—l ain’t a'goin’ to give it away by telling where it was, or what the name of it was. There was one bank there; the President was a rich old duffer; owned the mills, owned the bank, owned most of the town. There wasn’t any other officer but the Cashier, and they had a boy who used to sweep out and iuu of errands.

The bank was on the main street, pretty well up one end of it —nice snug place; on the corner of a cross street, with nothing very near it. We took our observations, and thpre was no trouble at all about it. There was an old Stoughton bottle of a watchman that walked up and down the street nights, when he did n’t fall asleep and forget it. The vault had two doors; the out-side one was chilled iron and had a three-wheel combination lock; the inner door wasn’t no door at all; you could kick it open. It didn’t pretend to be nothing but fireproof, and wasn’t even that The first thing we dene, of course, was to fit a key to the outside door. As the lock on the outride door was an old-fashioned Bacon lock, any gentleman in my profee sion who chances to read this article will know just how easy that job wes, and how we done it. I may say here that the gentlemen in my line cf business, having at timrs a good deal of leisure on their hands, do considerable reading, and are particularly fond of a neat bit of writing. In fact, in the way of literature I have found among’em—however, this being a digression I drop it and go on with the main job again. This was our plan: After the key was flitted I was to go into the bank, and Jim—that wasn’t his name, of course, but let it pass—was to keep watch on the outride. When any one passed he wcs to tip me a whistle, and then I doused the glim and laid low. After they got by I goes on again. Simple and easy you see. Well, the n'ght as we selected the President happened to be out cf town—gone down to the city, as be often did. I got inride all right, with a slide lantern, a breast driD, a small steal jimmy, a bunch of skeleton keys, and a green baize bag io stow the swag. I fixed my light and rigged my breast drill, and got to work on the door right over the lock. Probably a great many of your readers is not to Well posted as me about bank iccks, and, I may say for them, that a three-wheel combination lock has three wheels in it and a slot in each wheel. In order to unlock the door you have to gat the three slots opposite to each other at the top or the lock. Of course if you know the number the lock is set on yon can do this, but if you don’t you have to depend on your ingenuity. There is in each of these wheels a small hole, through which you put a wire through the back of the lock when you change the combination. Now, if you can bore a hole through the door and pick up those wheels by running a wire through thoee holes, why you can open the door. I hope I make myself clear. I was boring that hole. The door was chilled iron, about the neatest stuff I ever worked on. I went on steady enough; only stopped when Jim—which, as I said, wasn’t his real name —whistled outside, and the man watch to tt lad by. By and by when I got pretty near through, Jim, so to speak, whistled again. I stopped, and pretty soon I heard footsteys outride, and I’m d—, I mean plowed—if they didn’t come right up to the bank steps, and I beard a key in the lock. I was bo dumbfounded when I heard that that you could have slipped the bracelets on me. I picked up my lantern, and I*ll be hanged if I didn’t let the slide slip down and throw the light right onto the door.and there was the President. Instead of calling for help, as I supposed he would, he took a step inride the door, and shaded his eyes with his hand and looked at me. I knowed I ought to knock him down and cut out, but I’m blest if I could, I wag that surprised.

“Who are you?” says be. “Who art you?’' says I, thinking that was an innocent remark, as he commenced it, and a-trying all the _ time to collect myself. “I’m the president of the bank,” says he, kinder ahcrt “Something the matter with the lock?’’

“By Georgil” The idea camo to me then. “Yes, sir,B says I, touching my cap. “Mr, Jennings, he telegraphed this morning the lock was out of order and he couldn’t get in, and I’m come on to open it for him.” “I told Jennings a week ago,” says he, he ought to get that lock fixed. Where is hot” “He’s been a-writing letters, and he’s gone up to his house to get another letter he wanted to answer.” “Well, why don’t you go right on?” says be. “I’ve got almost through,” says I, “and I didn’t want to finiahnp and open the vault till there was somhody here.” “That’s very creditable to you." says he. “A very proper Sentiment, my man. “You can’t," he gess on, coming round by the door, “be too particular about avoiding the veiy suspicion of evil’’ “No, sir," says I, kinder modest like. “What do you suppose is the matter with the lock?” says ,he. I rather think it’s little wore on account of not being oiled enough. These ’ere locks ought to be oiled about once a year.” 1 ‘ Well,” says he, “you might as well go right oh, now I am here; I will stay till Jennings comes- Can’t I help you? Hold your lantern, or something of that sort?”

The thought came to me like a flash, and I turned around and taya: • “How do I know you’re the President I ain’t ever seen you afore, and you may be a-trying to crack this bank for all I know.” “That’s a very proper inquiry, my man?” says he, “and shows a most remarkable degree of discretion. I confess that I should have thought of the position in which I was placing you. However, I can easily convince you that it’s all right. Do you know what the President's name is?” “No, I don’t,” says I, sorter surly, “Well, you’ll find it on that bill,” said he, taking a bill out of his pccket, “and you see the same name on these letters,” and he took some letters from his coat. I suppose I ought to have gone right on then, but I was beginning to feel interested in making him prove who he was, so I says: “You might have got them letters to put up a job on me." “You’re a very honest man,” says he, “one among a thousand. Don’t think I’m at all offended at your persistence. No, mv good fellow. I like it, I like it,” and he laid his hand on my shoulder. “Now, here,” says he, taking a bundle out ot his pocket, “is a package of $lO,000 in bonds. A burglar wouldn’t be apt to carry those around with him, would he? I bought them in the city yesterday, and I stopped here to-night on my way home to place them in the vault, and, I may add, that your simple and manly honesty has so touched me that I would willingly leave them in your hands for safe keeping. You need not blush at my praise." ' " I supposo I did turn sorter red when I see them bonds.”

* “Afifyou satisfied now?” said he, I told him I was thoroughly, and so I was. So I picked up my drill again and give him the lantern to hold, so that I could see the door. I heard Jim, as I call him, outside once or twice, and I like to have burst out laughing, thinking how he must be wondering what was going on inride. I worked away and kept explaining to him what I was a-try-ing todo. He wasvery much interested in mechanics, he said, and he knowed as I was a man up in my business by the way I went to work. He asked me about what wages I got, and how I liked my business, and said he’d took quite a fancy to me. I turned around once in a while and looked at him a setting up there as colemn as a biled owl, with a dark lautet n in his blessed hand, and I’m blamed if I didn’t think I should have to holler right out. I got through the lock pretty soon, and put in my wire and opened it. Then he took hold of she door and opened the vault. “I’ll put my bonds in,” says he, “and go home. You can lock up and wait till Mr. Jennings comes. I don’t suppose you will try to fix the lock tonight?” ' ... I told him I shouldn’t do anything more with it now, as we could, get in before morning“Well, I’ll bid you good night, my man,” says he, as I swung thedoor, to again- « r

Just then I heard Jim, by name, whittle, and I guested the watchman was a-coming up the street. “Ah,” says I, you might speak to the watchman if you see him, and tell him to keep an extra lookout to-night” “I will,” says he, and we both went to the front door. y “Tnere comes the watchman up the greet,” says I. , “Watchman, this man has been fixing the bank lock, and I- want you to keep a sharp lookout to-night. He will stay here until Mr. Jennings’ return.” “Good night againsays he, and we g hook hadds and he went up the street. I saw Jim, so-called, inthe shadow on the other side of the street, as I stood on the step with the watchman. “Well,” says I to the watchman, ‘TU go and prek up my tools and get ready to go.** . .'A ' '■ 1 went back into the bank, and it didn’t tike long to throw the door open 'and stuff them bonds into the bag. I There was some boxes lying around and ’ a —fa, «*T should rather hare liked to

tackle, but it seemed like tempting Providence after the luck.we’d had. I looked at my watch and seen that ft' was just 12:16. Thera was an express went through at just 12:30. I tucked my took with the bag on top of the bonds and walked out at the front door. The watchman was on the steps. “I don’t believe I’ll wait for Mr. Jennings,” fays I. “I suppose it will be all right if I give yop his key.” “That’s all right,” says the watchman. “1“ “I wouldn’t go away from the bank very far,” says I. “No, I won’t says ne, “PH. stay right about here all night.” “Goodnight,” says I, and I shook hands with him, and me and Jim, which wasn’t his right name, you understand, took the 12:30 express, and the best part cf that job was we never heard nothing of it. It never got into the papers.