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About The Columbian (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1891-1897 | View This Issue
The Columbian (Columbia Falls, Mont.), 18 June 1891, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn85053046/1891-06-18/ed-1/seq-3/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
7 • DID HE Do RIGHT? ( W. il i t a r r d a t t t s t c a . t s h e o c t o i g itc i il t 's a : 1 1: i v i i t a e t u l o ‘ have gone mad. Strouger minds in a parallel saint tion Ivould have collapsed. But a weaker personality cling more strongl:,1 to hope. Only weak individuals wilds in the act of drowning catch at straws AS the bookkeeper gradually felt himeelf growing faint from want of air ; his revivel hope led him to delib- erately crash his list into t ho wissd- work with which the interior of the sa fe was fitted, in :sseret sire f 0110 drawer being built above m- other. As may have been conjectured, the noise that smote the bookkeeper's ear was that of a drill. Although keenly distinguished front the inside, the sound was practically smothered on the outside of the vault. At one end of the drill was a cavity growing larger in one of the steel pan- els. At, this other end vas a heavy. warty fist, part of the anatomy of Pete, the industrious mechanic. Pete held the drill while his friend Jerry pounded it. Pretty soon the two burglars be- came aware that a terrible commo- tion was going on within the safe. It nearly drove them into fits. They were certainly very much startimis Jerry was for throwing up the job, but his companion rejected the pro- posal with scorn as savoring of super- stitious. Pete had a large family to support, he argued. He spoke frankly to his friend and eolaborer. The burden of his remarks were in these words: \You make me tired with your ghosts and things, and I don't want any more darn fooling—see? Do blamed job is most rrong,h any- way.\ Pete and Jerry went back to work. At the first crack of the drill, Jerry said: \Pete there's a matt or something in that safe.\ Both men grew as pale as ghosts at the more suggestion. Pete in- trepidly applied his ear, first td the A Bookkeeper Pats Ditty Before Grat- itude in lIi List of Virtues. Two Rant Worhintt if Not lionefa. Mechanics Made to Saner Hy lib Action. • Jerry and Pete were i , .-o industrious mechanics. They lived in a - Fourth ward tenement, and earth had a Cm* of children to support, besides their wives,who, albeit, were not unac- quainted with a noble art frequently practiced by charwomen. Jerry and Pete were hard workers; they worked far into the night, and occasionally the thin mists of dawn had begun to break on the narrow city pavements before their labors would cease. Nobody would say that theirs was not a hard earned pil- low. Sometimes they did not toil in vain. It depended largely upon the police. It was a chilly night, in Noveeiber that this horny handed pair planned the burglary of a certain safe in the establishment of a certain furniture concern in the West Side. On the evening in question the bookkeeper had had a wrangle with his ac- counts. \I can't make head or tail to this,\ he said to the senior member of the firm, \but I know everything is all right. Au error of several hundred dollars has been carried over from each daily footing, but where the er- ror begins or ends I haven't found out.\ The fact was the monthly sales had been extraordinarily large,and a page of the balance had been mislaid. The head bookkeeper spent an hour in again casting up both the entries of himself and his subordinates actor the establishment closed its doors for the day. Then ho went home for supper, determined to locate the deficit if he didn't get a wink of sleep that night. Bookkeepers, it must he remem- bered, have singularly sensitive or- ganisms, susceptible to the slightest atom of anything which reflects upon their probity or skill. At half past eight he returned and commenced anew his critical calcula- tions. He worked precisely two hours, at the end of which time he suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed: \Great Scott! Why haven't I look- ed through the safe for a missing sheet? Ten to one Weeks forgot to number them!\ He turned over the pages of the balance in his hand and, sure enough the numerical mark of designation in the upper left hand corner was want- ing. In all likelihood one page, or perhaps two, had slipped into some remote corner of the safe. The safe was a large one, partially receding into the wall, and contain- ing all the papers, documents, and _ several days' receipts in cash and .. _ , .. drafts of the firm. The bookkeeper in his efforts to unearth the lost page of the cash balance, was obliged to intrude his entire body into the safe. Fearful lest the candle he held should at- tract attention from the street, show- ing out as it did in glaring relief against the black recess of the safe, before entering he drew the door slightly ajar. As he stepped in the tail of his coat probably caught on an angle of the huge rivited hinges of the lock. The massive gate svising to as if it had weighed no mete than a single pound and the bookkeeper was a prisoner. i He heard a pesonant click, that was all, and hi l candle was blown out. 1 There is notbjfig especially remark- able abotlie incident—tragic as it, pri fel ce • t y must have been to the un- f mB a ue r t v nt e l : 1 1 1 : t a he e t i esn reflection wretchimprisoned inside. would ittsafesMany hardly soothe soothe the agony of that horrible mo- , The bookkeeper at the outset lost his presence of mind. He fought like a caged demon, after first exert- ing almost superhuman strength against the four sides of the iron tomb. Then his body gave out, and without for an instant losing con- sciousness he found himself sitting in a partially upright posture unable to stir hand or foot. At that instant, when hours seemed to have elapsed, the drum of his ear, now abnormally sensitive, was almost split into fragments. A frightful monotonous clangor rent the interior of the safe. The bo.)1.1i1,; . .o,r lock and then to the drill hole. \Hey in thi.ler he shouted, not so loud however, as to be heard out on the sidewalk. There came the faint responsive, faint indeed; \For God's sake, give me air! I'm locked in here. Try and burst open the safe. The two burglars did not stop to talk, but went at once to work as if their own lives depended on the re- sult of their labors instead of the un- fortunate bookkeeper's. In less than three minutes they had a hole some- what smaller than the business end of ii culler button knocked into the safe. Then they stopped to rest, and the man inside, who had come EO near to death, breathed. It was now that the burglars be - aware of their predicament. In all probability this was a mcmber of the firm or an employe. This fact knocked the success of the night's adventure sky high, unless, when they let the man out they gagged and bound hint into silyncL‘. Bet this course would have an ugly look. It might mean murder in the end, whereas if they did not let him out the chances were that he would fall back exhausted before morning, and they would still be mur- derers and responsible for his taking off. These were highly comforting re- flections, but there was still one more powerful. What it was remains to be seen. \Hey in there!\ cried rote, \what's the combination of your safe?\ \3-15-73 came back in an al- most sepulchral tone. It was evidently hard woek to draw breath through the hole. In exactly fifteen seconds the lock gave forth the same resonant click it had given a half hour previously. Thanks to the advent of the burglars, it opened as lightly and airily as it had closed just thirty minutes before on the Un- happy accountant. The latter gasped once or twice, and without any assistance stepped out into the free air. Now conies the interesting part. He was very pale, and his dress was much torn and disordered when he stepped to the floor, but the pal- lor gave place to a red flush at per- ceiving the two burglars. They stood stock still, as if they had seen a ghost. Without any kind of speech or warning or any attempt at bravado, the bookkeeper walked straight to his desk and rang a call for the po- lice. Almost simultaneously, so quick and quiet was the action, he opened a drawer, took out a pistol, and cov- ered the two burglars with a fatal pereision. As he did so he trtteres1 these words: \Gentlemen I would be the basest of men if I did not feel profoundly grateful for what you have just done. I shall always regard you as any man should regard those who have saved his life with peril to them- selves. Anything you wish of me I shall make an effort to perform. I have aecunm rated a little money, and with it I shall see that the best coun- sel is engaged for your defense. If you are convicted, why- -----\ Here the offieerF, &uttered, having broken in the door wi!h ii ora0t. Y. lleroht. • mtmil Gale, Demersville, Montana. Has Just Received: Carload of Furniture, 6 6 'I Mattresses, Springs and Cots. N. Dakota Hard Wheat Flour. Nails, Groceries, Sash and Doors. And a Full Assortment of Crockery, Glass- ware, Dry Goods, House Lining, Hardware Building Material, Etc. ;-•,:•• Call and see its. We will not only meet any prices in the Valley, but will go them one better. AL. HIGGINS, Head Salesman. E. G -ALE, Jr. John E. ('liTord. Pres. 1/. L. Clinton, Vice Pre,:. 0 NOrtherri. Oyu. F. Stannard. Ser'y and Treas. lloWt L. CILiten, Atturney. A niq rb LJk) ILL cAa Company INCORPORATED CAPITAL, $5,000.00. Complete Set of Abstracts of Title to all lands in Missoula County North of Flathead Lake including townsites of Demersville, Kalispell, Col- umbia Falls and Ashley, from daily reports of County Clerk and Recorder's office. MAPS, PLATS, AND ABSTRACTS OF UNITED STATES LAND ENTRIES KEPT TO DATE. Information concerning entering lands under the United States Laud Laws cheerfully furnished. Will be ready to meet all demands within sixty days. DEMERSVILLE, OFFICM, • MONTANA. C ei Domeraville, Montana. HUNT & HARWOOD, : : PROPRIETORS. THE LEADING HOTEL OF THE FLATHEAD COUNTRY. Well Furnished Rooms --Excellent Table. Bar and Billiards. ALL BOATS AND STAGES LAM) IN FRONT OF TUE ROUSE. RAMSDELL BROS. & CO. 3 Now have a Full Stock of BOots and Shoes, Gents' Furnishing Goods, Notions Groceries, Farmers' and Miners' Supplies, Etc., at Reasonable Prices. COLUMBIA FALLS is now the Head of Navi- gation, and Every Boat Brings us a Load of Mer- chandise without the Ne- cessity of Freighting to this Point. People in Vicinity will do Well to Inspect Stock and Prices. coLumaei% FALLS, MONTANA. GALEN H. WFIEELER, U. S. DC.PUTY AN D Milleral Surma, FRIVATE SURVEYI MADE. OFFICE & RESIDPNCE, COLUMBIA FALLS. • A. H. BURCH, D EN TA SU R GE 0 N Ur STAIRS P.O. BUILDING. Columbia Falls, - • • Montana. J. K. Miller, LAW AND REAL ESTATE. OFFICE: NUCLEUS AVENUE. Columbia Falls, : Montan:), Blodgett & Lewis, _ATTORNEYS Fire and Life Insurance Written. RANCHES BOUGHT AND SOLD. COLUMBIA FALLS, MONT. R. L. CLINTON, Attorney at Law. LAND AND MINING PRACTICE A SPECLILTY. ONE DOOR EAST POSTOFFICE. DorrAersvine, : Montana. Lake Blaine SAW MILL - T. H. McDON.ALD, CHAS. SEEK and JAMES SEEK, Proprietors. - ()— Ten Miles Southeast of COLUMBIA FALLS --sr-- Are now ready to furnish all kinds of lumber in any quantity up to 40,000 feet per day. Address, MeDONALD, SEEK & SON, Egan, Mont, D. J. HEYFRON, Ravalli, - Mont. Forwa rd i ng TRANSIVATION liE Rail charges advanced and goods delivered to the boat laud- ing at foot of Lake. Quick Time and Safe Arrival Guaranteed. Address orders, D. J. HEYFRON, Ravalli, Mont. F. C. HOMELY. W. II. SMITH. WINDSOR HOUSE. Recently Opened. New Fur- niture, New House. -- GOMM & SMITH, Props. The House is new and offers the best accommodations in the city to the traveling public. • HICKMAN & LINDSLY, V ,L • ,1 RETAIL DRUGGISTS ATLI Dealer3 in WALL PAPER, PAINTS, BRUSHES STP.TIONZRY, PERFUMES, FANCY GOODS. SPECIAL ATTENTION GIVEN TO PRE- SCRIPTION WORK. No. 16. W. Main St. MISSOULA. DEAN & COWEL, Contract ors anc.:1 Plans and specifieations furnished on short notice and at reasonable rates. GIVE US A CALL. Geo. R. McMahon, Undertaker amd. Mmloaaxner. Itodie: Liken (-halve of eiel Shipped. Orders through the Valley will re- ceive prompt Attention. Columbia Fails cemetery one mile west on McMahon's Ranch. FEED. KENNETT, J. H. T. RYMAN, President. Vice Pres • G. A \You., Cashier. The Weston Molltglla National Bank. Jr Missoula, Montana,' CAPITAL STOCK, $75,000. SURPLUS & PROFITS, $15,000. IV al be g in the daily delivery of .A.loout May 15. Deliveries made in any Quantities Desired. Orders left at Tim COLUMBIAN Office will receive prompt attention. Nucleus Avenue ,•\,-, m E A If w-4 .7, MARKET. A Full Supply of CHOICE : 3 MEATS Constantly on Hand. COLUMBIA FALLS, - - MONTANA. EVANS & BARNETT. The - Sento- Salon, : — Choice Winee, Liquors and Cigars. Open Day and Night. NUCL.US AVENUE. COLUMBIA FALLS, - - MONT. A - ENCT: CO:.CMBIA
