MR ATWOOD AND A GORGEOUS BLONDE

Evening Star, Issue 22975, 4 June 1938, Page 21

MR ATWOOD AND A GORGEOUS BLONDE

Mr Harry A. Atwood, an able journeyman burglar for 20 of his 42 years, decided-on a Saturday night to reform and settle down, he told the police, says the ‘Chicago Tribune.’ His last alma mater, San Quentin, whence he was graduated on parole in 1935, had proved a terrible bore anyway. And the truth was that Mr Atwood had fallen in love. As Atwood tells his story, it came about in a tavern where he met a blonde, a very gorgeous blonde. While she was not at all the type to give her address and telephone number to acquaintances of the evening, it seemed she was somewhat smitten herself, and she gave Mr Atwood directions for finding her again. She told him she lived in room 1 694 at the Chacagoan Hotel, 65 West Madison street. Atwood gave the matter a -lot of thought overnight, and nest morning decided to go over and as'k the lady’s hand in wedlock. But as Mr Atwood reached the prescribed door a man came out. “Oh, Oh!” thought Mr Atwood, “ hoaxed again! This blonde has fooled me. She is married, and this is her husband. I’ll got out of here and never trust a blonde again.” Suiting action to thought, he fled. But the strange man vyas a little fleeter of foot, and he seized the reformed burglar. When the stranger turned him oyer to the police instead of shooting him down in his tracks. . Mt Atwood was much relieved, but ho was amazed no end to find the police booked him on a burglary charge instead of one of home wrecking. The only trouble with his story was that there was no blonde. The occupant of room 1.694 was a gentleman named Jack Tavlin. He had left his room door unlocked, so a friend. Jack Andrews, could make an early morning call. It was Andrews that Mr Atwood encountered. Andrews said Atwood was inside the room when he came in. And to prove it there were the trousers of Jack Tavlin. the right pocket turned inside out. and minus the eight dollars Tavlin had left there. It began to look as if Mr Atwood would reform all right, for a while anyway. There are no gorgeous blondes at Stateville prison.