The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-02-07
A New WAY to detect a Thief.

iHHuWcEdDle dTc Tie aueCuOtSS tndt arc
related Of him. AS he was once journey
ing in Massachusetts, near his naive
town. he stopped rather late one night at
an iun in the village Of --. In the
bar room were about 90 different persons
who has be entered, call out for him to
discover the thief One of the company,
it appeared, had; few moments before a
watch was taken from his pocket, and he
knew the offender must be in the room
with them.
Come Mr.. Almanac maker, yon know
the signs Of the times, the hidden things
of the season; tell US who is the thief"
"Fasten all the doors Of the room. and
le, no one leave it, and here, landlord. 90
and bring your wife's great brass kettle"
''Whe--ew! Want to know! My stars!
My wife's-whe--ew?" quoth Boni-
face
"WhY, you wouldn't be more struck if
| told you to so TO pot!''
| Boniface did rs he was com manded.-|
The great brass kettle was placed in the
middle of the floor. its bottom up--as
black. sooty and smoky as chimney
back. The landlord got behind lis bar.
and looked on with eyes as big as sau-
GERS.
"You don't want any hot water nor
nothln' to take off the bristles on critter
do you, squire?" said the landlord. the
preparations looking too much like hog
killing. 'The old woman's gone to bed,
and the wells dry"
''Now go into the barn ard bring the
i biggest cockerel you We got"
i s'Whew! You won't bile him will
you! lies a tough one: l can sware
that he didn't steal the watch. The old
/, rooster knows when it is time to crow
Without looking at the watch"
s'Go along. or won't detect the thief.
) Boniface wentinto the barn, and soon
returned with tremendous fat rooster
cackling away like mad.
| "Now put h'm under the kettle, and
blow the light out."
r The old rooster was thrust under the
inverted kettle, and the lamp blown out
Now gentlemen, don't suppose the
, thief is in The company, but il he is, tht
old rooster will GROW when the offender
touches the bottom of the kettle with his
, hands. Walk round in circle; and the
: cock will make known the. stealer
The innocent need rot be afraid, you
; know"
The company to humor him, and car
~ out the joke walked around the kettle
in the dark for three or four minutes.
"All done gentlemen?"
cali done!'' was the cry. Where
your growing! We heard no cock-a
/ doodle doo.' -
: .Bring us light
r A light was brought, as ordered.
5 ''Now hold up your hands good folks. .
: They were. OF course, black, from com
, ing in contact with the SCOT Of the kettle
"All up?',
cali up" was the response.
!, "All? Don't know! Here's one fellow
5 who hasn't held up his hand
) All ha! my old boy, let's take peep a
, your paws
:. They were examined, and were no
|, black, like those Of The company.
t you'll find your watch about him.
; Search = ses.ss
!, And so it proved. This fellow not be
, ing aware, any more than the rest, of the
! trap.
} The Household ssGood Nisht.''
: "Goop NIeHT!'' A loud, clear voice
= from the stairs said that it was Tommy's
f"Dood nightn' murmurs little some
: thing from the irundle- -bed-a little some
j thing we call Jenny. that filed large
+ place in the centre of one or two pretty
large hearts. Good night" lisps lit
tie fellow in plaid rifle dress. who was
: christened Willie about six years ago.
"Now lay me down to sleep.
; pray the Lord my soul to keep;
Ii should die before w-a-k-e"-
and the small bundle in the trundle-bed
has dr.pped off to sleep. but the broken
. prayer may go up sooner than many lor 6
petitions that set out a great while before
/ it.
And SO it was '.good night" all around
= the homestead; and very sweet music j
made too in the twilight. and very pleas
ant melody it makes now. as We think o
: it, forit was not yesterday, nor the day
before. but a long time ago--so long tha
: Tommy is Thomas Somebody Esq. ane
: has forgotten that he ever was a boy, ane
d wore what the richest of US can never
e wear but once, if we try--ths first pair o
It boots. a.sss.
c And SO it was good night all aroune
II the house; and the children bad gone
through the ivory gate, always ieft lit
tie ajar ior them--through into the land
: of dreams.
$ ~A Virginia postmaster has been en-