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Robbed A Lawyer

Robbed A Lawyer image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
April
Year
1894
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Six momns wltn Hard labor," sald the magtetrate, calraly, to the pris oner at tlie bar. "It wili be quita with you before loug," eaid the prisoner to the solici tor for the prosecutor, as he turned to descerní to ihe cells. For .loe Reaahaw feit hurt. That particular solicitor, Benjamin Timpany, (Joe made a note of the name, and ïeuistcred a resolution not to forget it) had eonducted his case with a zeal that seemed to lorder on animus, otlierwisc Mr. Reoehaw's explanation as to his presence on enclosed premises at jnidnigiit mlght have been aecepted. Mr. Tiinpany faeard 'ihe words. He s;uv the glance that accompanled them. It Avas not a reassuring glaince. If one met it by the llght o: a bullseye at midnight ! I'gh I JlrTiinpany shuddered. "Cleverest cracksman going, Joe," saiil the . in a tone almost of admiration. "Electric bella and all th-it sort of thing don't bother him a bit. He ean get through an iron shutter as if it was brown paper." Mr. Timpnny's Etate of minil becami' c-s complaceos than ever. He had done his duty to liis elient ín tasuring ihis desperado'B oonviction; but he begau vo woader whpther a man could not do liis .duty too well. He bogan to think hmv exposed liis house was, limv low the back garden Avall, limv close the balconies to the grouml, how rusty the front door chala, and how insecure the window fastenimts. There was, however, one consolation - he liad six month's start of Mr. Renshaw. Mr. Ttmpasiy's poIlteiiesB to the polireinan whose beat erabraced his house, and who had once been seen klsslng Jiis houscmaid. was surprising, havlng regard to the indignation he had evim-ed when some time previously he had been inlormed of the housemald Incident. The six months of liis inearceration diil not speed quite Bo quickly for Joe Reaisliaw as for Mr. ïimpany. Joe was averee to Jabor of any kind, more especlally to the hard variety. He had. however, ampie lime and opportunity for medltatlon on what he considcrcd the vindietire wickednes3 of Jlr. Tinipany and thé meana for his requital. Artist as Jie was ia hls own line, in the operatlon contcni]ilatcd he meint to exeel kimself. Be would not hurry over ii, he would liide his time. Everytking comes, he rei'lected, to the jnan who waits; lie would walt- OO Tinipany. At last carne the liour when lie stepped íortli a free man- any way for ia time. He begon to look abou for occupation, not work ; he liad hac sis moinhsiit fchat, and if he liad car ed for hoaéei work outside prlsoi walls it would have been dlffleult to find. One, two, three months since Iïen shnw's n lítense had explred, and Mr Timpany began to Imagine tliat he had forgotten his promiee anti to sleep soundly of nights. He even ven tured occasionally to brlng home valu able documenta of title and seeuri in liis black bag and to once mort believe in the truth of the adage that an Englieliman's house is his castle. Buti one night, whlle Mr. Timpany was wrapped in gentle sleep and liis pajamas, a thhi Btreak of wliite light gltmmered for an instant along liis back garden. Bendigo, who elept with one eye open, (ancled he caught a glimpse of something that ought not to be and emitted a deep warning growl. Much to his surprise, as if by magie, a plece of saovry horseflesh, just sufficiently underdone to suit ,the palate of so damt y a canino epicure, feil 'within a yard of liis nose. With the snorting growl that was his usual expression of delight, the lmlhlog rose and sniffed it; tlicn he Ucked it. and it tasted even moro savory than it smelled. Bendigo bolted it, and seeing no more morsels lying about, turned to regain his kennel. Cut ere lie could reach it, liis limbs stiffened, and he rolled over -without a groan- stone ili'iul A íew minutes later a marvdous centerbit was running its way silently, but uurely, througli Mr. Timpany's iron sliutters, just Avhere a circular hole had been made without a sound in the wlndow pane, by mean oí a glazier's diamond 1 a piece oí paete-covered brown paper. Beíore long the liad been quietly replaced, and Joe Eenshaw was seated in the breakfast room, aronnd which iiis bull"s eye flash was moving. The dtee oí light reBted a moment on a small cabinet, the lock of which Mr. Kenshaw leisurely proeeeded to neatly pick. ■'Trademen's bilis,"' he grunted, "all recelpted ; wot a spendthrift the chap must be, throwing away his money in paying accounts. Borne íolks aiever knows the wally o' money. He earns his easicr than I does." Then, in his lisr shois maklng not the slightest sound, he erept into a room which served Mr. Timpany for a kind of hoine office. ■'This is lietter," chuckled th burglar, eepytag a eafe In the corner and. once again; the ceuterbit wa called into operation. But it was a lough job. and file and crowbar had to be brought inte play. and Mr. Renshaw's brow wa moist bef ore the door slïowed tli slightest signe of yleldlng. 'If I liad the mam as made thie here," he growled, "he'd never makt no more. The idea o' folks 'a ving awkward fui-nitnre like this in theii houses ! It's only out of aggerava tion to give people unnecessarj trouble over their work." I3nt at last the hlnges gare way to the brutal but silent attacks uf the jiiniiiy where the file had bitten anc gnawed, and Joe, qulckly forclng the inner drawers, turned his bull's eyé on the contente. ' YVelI,'" he sai:l. and then lie swore. "Arter all nothiu' but a pile o' dirty parchment not worth a crown," ;uid lie angrily turned over the bunol i'.iM'ds which represented leus of thousands oí pounda But as the lasf flrawer slid open a chuckle escaped him. There lay a bundle of crlsp bank oí England notes whlch Mr. Ttmpany liad received oa the completion oí a conyeyanclng matter after office hours, 011 behalf jf liis dient, too late to pay into the bank. Stuffing the notes iuto his pocket, he gathered up his tooïs and prepared to depaxt. ïo his great joy he khv upon the table a bottle of port wine and- a tumbler. "Oh, alnït he kind," lie soliloquized, "to perwtde refreshment as wel] as amusement? He might have left it in a tureen - au' really I don't like drinkin' port out of a tumbler. Keckon he's too thirsty for wine glasses, au' mops it up here on the qt." Taking up the bottle, Mr. Benshaw placed it to his lips, and drank and drank- until he had drained it to the dregs. Replacing the bottle on the table, he picked up his toole. He was a bit tired after his exertions, though he had not feJt it so unmistakably as Ulllï, He slid into a chalr to rest íor a moment. He feit quite sleepy. If there had been move than half a bottle of port he would have fancied he %vas drunk. "This wout do." he muttered. ''I must 'g-et tack to the pony trap. Wasser marrer, so sleep-eep-eepy ! Ahoo !" eund lie yawned loudly. essayed to ride, but could not, For a moment he feit a thiill of fright, but it died away in a deep and drowning slumtier. Ilis arms Bank apon tlve table and lus liead between them, There. five hours later, Mr. Timpaaiy, trótting down in nis dressinggowoi, found liim. Fot a moment he started, Uien lie s:üd,- "My frlend's ti man of his word - S thought he was - though I began to give him np. io the glass bottles on the wall. the buil dog, electric bi'lltJ, and the iron shutters all failed me. But my imii idea, the drugged bottle of wine, whlch I left in this roojii ever sLiu-c ihis gentleman's last seutence oxpired, lias done its work admirably." Then Mr. Tiinpany trotted up staira for tliat patent alarm whistlc. and woko up all the sleepers in that looality, except the burglar, who Klept on lor several hours more, and awoke to find himself seated on a hard deal board in a pólice (station cell. He is now commencing a term of twelve yoars' penal servitude, and his constant reflection is ihat it is "all throuuh doing businees with yers.'

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier