He had seen workers come and go. He was a very regimented individual who rarely strayed away from his daily routine. Everyone knew him as the trusted elder of the organization. Many trusted his judgment and sought his advice.



He had grown up during some of the darker economic times. He knew the value of a dollar. Although he could afford better, he lived off the very minimum.

He lived in a small one bedroom house with very few modern extras. He had never owned a television. He used the radio as his main form of entertainment. He just preferred the audio to all the modern video age.

Rumor had it that Fred had been saving his money since he began working in the mill. It was strong rumor that he kept his money somewhere in his house because he feared banks. He never really talked about it much, but everyone at the mill knew that he had no wife or children and spent very little money.

He was still very happy and seemed to be content with his work and friends from around town. The rumor of his money caught the ears of two petty thieves who also worked in the mill.

While most of the other people were good hardworking and decent. They were the exception to the rule. These two were vagrants who the mill owners had given a chance to prove themselves. They knew Fred, but Fred kept his distance.

He always felt they were up to no good. He believed that the mill owners would come to their senses one day and get rid of them. The vagrants heard the rumors about Fred and his money on a daily basis.

Soon they could not resist their old ways anymore. They had to know if the stories about Fred were true. They decided to rob Fred of his savings. They figured they would leave work early one day, break into Freds house, take his money and quickly make their way out of town.

One day when the lunch whistle blew they left for Freds house. They had no intention of ever returning to the mill. The two arrived at Freds house. They crawled into a side window.

Little did they know that Fred was in the house sound asleep. He had taken off for the day because of illness. They moved through the house searching for Freds hidden treasure. The racket startled Fred. He came out to see what was going on.

He saw the two and immediately recognized them. He said, what are you doing here? They panicked and grabbed Fred. Counting on nobody being home, neither had any weapons.

Fred struggled to get free but they were too powerful. They demanded to know where he kept the money. He said what money? They did not like his answer, so they proceeded to rough him up. They questioned him and beat him for several minutes.

They were frustrated and were about to hit him again, when they heard a car pull up. It was one of the mill owners. He made it a habit to check on Fred when he did not show for work.

At that moment, the crooks panicked and ran out the back door. The mill owner saw them running and rushed into the house were he found Fred lying on the floor all bruised up. He drove Fred to the Hospital.

The mill owner called the Sheriff and reported the crime. The two criminals were shortly apprehended on a road outside of town. Fred agrees that he was caught off guard and is thankful that things were not worst.

It turns out that he had over $300,000.00 hidden beneath some bricks in his front room floor. After several hours of trying, the mill owner and the Sheriff convinced a reluctant Fred to put his money in the bank for safe keeping.

Keeping large amounts of cash around the house can be dangerous. Be aware of who is listening to your conversations and always be prepared to defend yourself if necessary.