Dick was sent up to headquarters to identify the men, which he had no
trouble in doing. The Carlin authorities were notified of their arrest,
and of the charge made against Bulger of assault and grand larceny, on
which the New York authorities proposed to hold him until the grand
jury returned an indictment against him. The Carlin authorities at once
started extradition proceedings in order to get the two men back to
stand trial for the robbery of Mr. Mason's house. In the end when the
papers were served on the New York police department, the indictment
against Bulger was pigeonholed for future use, and the men were
delivered to representatives of the Carlin police. They were tried for
the burglary almost immediately, and Dick appeared as a witness against
them. They were convicted, Bulger, on account of his record, getting
ten years, while Parker, as it was his first offence, was let off with
five years. Dick was given a vacation of two weeks at the time, as he
had received a pressing invitation to stay with the Mason family.
He would have got a week's vacation, anyway, as it was the month of
August. The Masons treated him as an honored guest, and he spent most
of his time in the company of Madge Mason, who was a very pretty and
companionable girl.
As an evidence of his appreciation of Dick's services, Mr. Mason deeded
to Mrs. Darling, in trust for Dick, a five-acre piece of ground, worth
about $250, which had come to him some years before as part of a deal
he made, and which he had no use for. Dick visited the place, which
was fenced in and was rented as a pasture to a farmer whose property
adjoined it. Mr. Mason told Dick that some day he might be able to sell
it to a small farmer for twice its present value. At any rate, he could
easily hold it as long as he chose, for the taxes on it were light, and
it could be kept rented at a profit over all expenses.
The boy was delighted to come into possession of a piece of real
estate. His ambition had always been to own property when he grew
up. He thanked Mr. Mason for his gift, and took the deed home with
him when he returned to New York. He handed it to his mother, as the
property stood in her name, and was so recorded at Carlin, but the deed
contained the trust clause which practically settled the ownership of
the ground on her son. The trial of Jack Hurley came on about the time
Dick got back to the city. The woman, who proved to be no relation
of the thief, had been found and held in the House of Detention for
Witnesses, as she agreed to appear against the man in consideration of
the charge as a confederate being withdrawn. The result of the trial
was that Hurley got three years up the river. After the conviction
of the rascal, Mr. Bacon presented Dick with $100. With that sum he
started a bank account in his own name.
"You'll be wealthy some day, Dick," said his eldest sister, Gertie.
"How?" he asked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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