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# LOCKS DON'T BOTHER HIM.
A Thief to Whom Levers and Combinations Are No More Than Latchstrings.
One night last October John P. Campbell, editor of The Clay Center (Kan.) Dispatch, was awakened by hearing some one stumble in his room. He sprang to his feet, revolver in hand, and confronted the intruder, inquiring his business. The man very coolly said:
"I was just passing the house, and, being out of money, thought I would come in and see if I could find some. As I was going away with this little bundle which I had gathered I tripped on this rug and awakened you. I am very sorry indeed that I disturbed your rest,"
"Well, you are a cool one!" ejaculated Campbell. "I guess you had better stand where you are for a few minutes, until I dress and I will take you down to the sheriff."
"You are very kind, indeed, to go to so much trouble for a stranger. I will be very glad to make the sheriff's acquaintance," politely responded the burglar.
Campbell escorted his prisoner to the jail, where he turned him over to Sheriff James Sterling, telling him that the man was probably insane. He was placed in a cell, and next morning he was taken before Justice J. W. Miller, where he gave the name of Henry Carton. He waived exanrination and was returned to jail, in default of $1,000 bail, to await the action of the grand jury at the January term of the circuit court.
The jail at Clay Center is a two story brick and stone building, with latest improvements in steel cells and grating, and is considered the strongest in the state. About noon on the day of the commitment, Carton sent for Attorney F. P. Harkness to come to the jail to talk about the case and define the line of defense. When Harkness went to the cell Carton had not a word to say about the case, but confined his conversation to scientific and literary subjects. He appeared to be an exceedingly well read man, and surprised Harkness by his erudition. After consuming an hour in this talk Mr. Harkness became impatient and asked Carton to speak of his case. "You play billiards, don't you?" was the surprising reply.
"Yes; why."
"Well, I will meet you at that billiard hall across the way at 8 o'clock this evening, and while we play we can talk about my case."
"But the sheriff won't let you go out to play billiards. You must remember you are in jail."
"That's all right. You meet me there at 8 o'clock this evening," answered Carton.
Harkness was convinced that his client was insane, but his manner was so earnest and cool that when evening came on he could not resist the temptation to go to the billiard hall. Promptly at 8 o'clock the door opened and in walked Carton, whose entrance created no surprise to any one except Harkness, for there were only a few in town that were aware of a new prisoner being in jail, and none had seen him. He went directly up to Harkness, and the two men began a game of billiards. While the game was in progress Sheriff Sterling entered the place. He did not recognize his prisoner, but Harkness, who was now completely nonplused, called to him and said: "Look here, Sterling, is it your usual custom to allow your prisoners to be out playing billiards at this hour of the night?"
"What do you mean?" asked the sheriff.
"Why, I mean that this man Carton was committed to jail this morning to await the action of the grand jury, and now he is here playing billiards in the evening."
Sterling turned pale from the shock and fear that there had been a jail break.
"Don't get excited, old fellow," said Carton. "I only wanted to get a little fresh air, but if you object I will go back now."
The sheriff, the lawyer and the burglar crossed the street to the jail, where every door was found closed and locked, even the cell door being fast. To all inquiries as to how he got out Carton made no reply. He was replaced in the cell, and bidding his companions good night prepared for bed.
Three or four days afterward Carton asked the sheriff if he could not take a walk around the town to get a little fresh air. Sterling laughed and told him that it was against the rules. Carton did not appear to Le disappointed, but next morning when Sterling came from his apartments to the jail entrance he was astounded to see Carton quietly sitting on the steps smoking a cigar. On seeing the sheriff he arose and saluted him, telling him that he needed fresh air so badly that he concluded to take a walk before breakfast. He was locked up again by the sheriff, who was thoroughly alarmed at the fact that this man could at will pass through the walls, apparently, of the strongest jail in the state. Carton told him to give himself no uneasiness, as he liked his quarters too well to leave them until winter was over.
It now became a thing of frequent occurrence for the sheriff to find his prisoner sitting on the jail steps, and though he placed a watch on the man he could never find how the escape was made.
During the latter part of November the lock on the vault of the Farmers and Merchants' bank became deranged, and the officials were compelled to undergo a temporary suspension until they could get some one to open the lock. All the locksmiths in the town and the bank lock experts of Kansas City tried their skill on the refractory door in vain, and the bankers were going to send to New York for an expert, when Carton told the sheriff to offer his services, as he thought he could open the vault. He had given Sterling such good reason to believe in his power that the sheriff had no hesitancy in telling the bankers that he had a man who could open their safe for them. Carton was escorted to the bank, and in the presence of the sheriff and bank officials went to work. In half an hour he swung the door open, and then examined the lock and adjusted the part which had given the trouble. After receiving the thanks of the bankers he was taken back to his cell.
When the district court convened the judge found a very large docket, and the result was that Carton's case had to be postponed until the August term. All spring and summer Carton took his regular nightly excursions, and the matter became so common that the sheriff began to lose his fear of an escape. Last Thursday, however, Carton's cell door was open, and the prisoner was not sitting on the jail steps. On a stand in the cell was note to Sterling, thanking him for his kindness and stating that pressing business further west necessitated his hasty departure.
This was startling, but when Mr. John A. Moss, cashier of the Farmers and Merchants' bank, opened his desk that morning he found a note from Carton stating that he had taken $200 from the safe in the vault to pay his traveling expenses, and that he considered this as a fair payment for his services in fixing the vault, for which he had never received pay.
Moss rushed to the vault, and in the safe on a pile of money found a receipt for $200, signed "Henry Carton." An examination showed that this was all that was taken from the thousands of dollars that were at hand. Not a clew has been found that would lead to the discovery of the man, and Sheriff Sterling
