The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-01-04
A New Way to Detect q Thief.

The father of great American states
man was very numerous and jocose per-
sonagc, and innumemble are the anecdotes
related Of him. AS he was once journeying
in Massachusetts,, he stopped rather late one
night at the inn in the village Of.
In the bar room were about twenty different
persons, who, as he entered, called out to
him to discover thief. One of the COM
pany, it appeared, had, few moments be-
fore, watch taken from his pocket, and he
knew the offender must be in the room with
them.
Come, Mr.. Almanac-makcr, you know
the signs of the times, the hidden things of
the season, tell who is the thief"
Fasten all the doors of the room, and
let no one leave it; and here landlord, 60
and bring your wife's brass kettle"
Whe-ew! want to know My stars !
NY wifc's s. whe e-ew?" quoth
Bonniface.
"Why, you wouldn't be more struck up
If told you to 60 to pot" "
Boniface did rs commanded. The great
brass kettle was placed in the middle Of the
floor, its bottom up-as black, story, and
smoky as chimeny-back. The landlord got
behind his bar and looked on with eyes Us
big as sauccrs.
"You don't want any hot water nor moth
in to take OF the bristles on o critter, do
you Squire? ?" said the landlord, the prep
Grafton looking little like hog-killing. The
old woman's gone to bed, and the wells
dry"
"Now 60 into your barn and bring the
biggest cockercl you've got"
"Whew You won't bile him, will you ?
He's tough one. | can swear, Squire, he
didn't steal the watch. The old rooster
knows when it is time to crow, without look
ing at watch"
f" Go along or won't detect the thief"
Bonifacc went to the barn, and soon re-
turned with tremendous fat rooster, cack-
ling all the way like mad.
I" Now put him under the kettle and
blow the light out"
The old rooster was thurst into the inyert.
cd kettle, and the lamp blown out.
Snow gentlemen, don't suppose the
thief is in the company, but If he is, the
old rooster will crow when the offender
touches the bottom Of the kettle with his
hands. Walk round in a circle, and the
cock will make known the watch stealer-
The innocent need not DO afraid, you know" :"
The company, to humor him, and to car
ry out the joke, walked round the kettle in
the dark for three or four minutes.
"All done, gentlemen?
"All done!" was the cry. " Where's
your growing? We heard no cockadoodle-
doo."
| bring us iiSnt.
A light was brought, as ordered.
"Now hold up your hands, good folks"
They were, of course, black, from CON-
ing in contact with the SCOT Of the kettle.
"All up?"
"All up" was the response.
"All. Don't know Here's one fellow
who hasn't held up his hand"
"Ah ha f! my old boy, let's take peep
at your paws"
They wero examined and not black like
those of the company.
"You1l find the watch somewhere abou,
him. Search"
And so it proved. This fellow, not being
aware, any more than the rest, of the traT
that was set for the discovery of the thief
had kept aloof from the kettle, lest when h.
touched 1t, the growing Of the rooster should
proclaim him rs the thief. As the hands Of
all the Others were blackened, the whitenes
Of his own showed, Of course, that he dared
not touch tho old brass kettle, and that he
was the offender. He jumped out of the
frying-pan into the fire, and ives lodged In
rs uncomfortable place rs either, to wit
ajail'