Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1855-11-09
A New Way to Detect a Thief.

A New Way to Detect Thief.
The father OF the great American
statesman was a very hSmorouS and jo-
cose parsonage, and innumerabIe are the
anecdotes that are told of him. As he
was once journeying in Massac chuse,,s
not far from his native town, he stopped
rather late one night at an inn in the vii.
lage Of, In the bar-room were about
twenty different persons. who, as he en-
tered called out for him to discover a
thief. One of the company, it appeared,
had few minutes before had watch
taken from his pocket, and he knew the
offender must be i1 the room with him.
"Come, Mr.. Almanac-maker, you know
the signs Of the times, the hidden things
OF the seasons, tell who is the thief"
"Fasten all the doors of the room and
let no one leave it; and, here, landlord
20 and bring your wiie's great brass kat-
/ te."
"Whe-ew want to know ma
stars! my wife fe's-whew-c 2" quot h
l'oniface.
why, you wouldn't be more struck up
if ! told you to go to pot ~
Boniface did as commanded; the great
brass kettle was placed in the middle Of
the floor, its bottom up-as black, soo.y,
and smoky as chimney back. The
landlord got into his bar, and looked on
with eyes as big as saucers.
"You don't want any hot water nor
nothin', to take off the bristles on a crit.
ter do you, Squire !" said the landlord
the preparation looking little too much
like hog-kllling. "The old woman's
gone to bed and tie wells dry"
"Now go into your barn and bring the
bigges, cockerel you've got"
"W hew you won't bile him, will you 2
he's tough one. can swear, Squire,
he didn't steal the watch. The old
rooster knows when it Is time to crow,
without looking at watch"
"Go along, or won't detect the
thief"
Boniface went to the barn and soon
returned with tremendous fat rooster.
cackllng all the wav like mad.
"Now put him under the kettle, and
blow out the light"
The old rooster was thrust under the
inverted kettle, and the lamp blown
out.
"Now, gentlemen, don't 'spose the
thief is in the company, but il he is, the
old rooster will crow when the offender
touches the bottom of the kettle with his
hands. Walk round in circle, and the
cock will make known the watch steaer
The innocent need not be afraid, YOU
know"
The company, then, TO humor him
and carry out the joke, walked round the
kettle in the dark three or four min
utes
"All done. gentlemen 7"
"All done 70 was the where's
your Growing! We heard no cockadoo.
dledoo."
Bring us light"
A light was brought as ordered.
"Now hold up your hands, good folks
They were of course black, from coming
in contact with the SCOT OF the kettle.
GAN up"
"All up" was the response.
"A-l!-don't know! here's one
fellow who hasn't held up his hand"
"Ah, ah, my old boy, let's take a peer
a, your paws"
They were examined, and were not
black like those Of the rest of the corn.
pany.
"You'll find your watch about him
search"
And so it proved. This fellow, moi
being aware, any more than the rest, o
the trap that was set for the discovery eI
the thief, had Kept aloof from the kettle
lest when he touched it, the growing o.
the rooster should proclaim him the thief
As the hands Of all the others were black
ened, the whiteness of his own showec
of course that he had no, dared .oucl
| the old brass kettle, and that he was thu
offender. lie jumped oct of the fryin:
pan into the fire, and was lodged in al
uncomfortable place as ei,her-io wit
the Jail.
The Passamaquoddy Indians had theft
annual election on the 18th inst, and e.
lected Governor John Frarsis repre- sen
I