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Worse Than Jail

Worse Than Jail image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
September
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A slender little man with his hat pulled over his eyes and his hands buried in his trousers' pockets hovered uneasily about the door of the Southern pólice station yesterday. His dejected countenance and nervous manner attracted the sergeant's atte-ntion. "Want to see any one?" inquired the officer. "No one in particular," and the little man glanced uneasily up and down the street. "Well, what are you hanging aroum' here for ?" "I tbought mabbe you could give me some information." "Well, what is it?" "Is it a crime to crawl in through a window and steal a watch?" "Weïl, I should süy so. That's burglary." The little man's worst fears were confirmed. "What is it - the state prison?" "That's what. Was it in the day or night?" inquired the acute pólice officer. "Night." "That's burglary in the first degree." "That's tough, but I guess 111 have to stand it," and the little man wiped the cold perspiration off his face. "Have you been burgling?" "What kind of beds do burglars get in here?" '"A blanket or two on the floor." "Don't they get anything better when they surrender themselves and confess?" "Yes; they might get another blanket." "Well, take me in. It's tough, but I guess I'll have to stand if." "You don't mean to say that you have cemmitte''. bnrglary?" "Yes; give me two blankets and lock me up. "Teil me about it." "Well, it was this way. I was strapped and the old lady wouldn't give me a cent out of the stocking that she keeps hid, and she said she'd break my neck if I soaked anything. After she got asleep last night I slipped outside, pried open the back window, erawled in and stole my watch and chain. Then I took it down on Third street, and soaked it for $3. Give me good, thick blankets will ou, sergeant?" "But a man has a right to break into his own house and steal his own watch." "He has?" and the little man jumped up in the air and cracked his heels together. "That takes a load off my mind," and he seized the officer's hand. "But your wife was up here and reported it awnile ago, and I'll have to teil her the truth." "Lock me up, sergeant. I'll take only one blanket if you'll lock me up, now." The last seefl of the little man he was on his way to the wharf to drown himself.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register