Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-06-18
A New Way to Detect a Thief.

The father of the great American States
man was humorous and jccose parsonage.
and innumerable are the anecdotes related
of him. As he twas journeying in Massa-
chusetts, not far from his native town, he
stopped rather late one night in the village
Oh. In the bar.room was about twenty
different persons, who, as he entered.called
out for him to discover the thief. One OF
the company, it appeared, a few minutes
before, had a watch taken from his pocket
and he knew the offender must be in the
room with them.
'COme, Mr.. Almanac maker, you know
the signs Of the time, the hidden things of
the season. tell who is the thief =,
'Fasten all the doors of the room ard let
no one leave it; and here landlord go and
bring your wifes great brass kettle.'
fWhe-ew. want to Know. my stars! my
wife's whe-ewr quoth Boniface.
'Why you wouldn't be more struck if
told you to 60 to pot.
Boniface did as commanded; 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 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 critter, do you,
Squirer said the landlord, the preparation
looking little too much like hog killing.
sThe old woman'sgone to bed and the well
is dry
'Now 60 into the barn and bring the big
gest cockerel you've got.'
when! 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's time to crow, without looking at
a watch.
go along, or won't detect the thief
Boniface went to the barn and soon re-
turned with tremulous fat rooster, ,cackling
all the way like mad.
Now put him under the kettle and blow
the light OUT
The old rooster was thrust under the in
verted kettle and the light put out
Now gentlemen, don't spese the thief
is in the company; but if he is, the old roos-
ter 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 stealer. The innocent
need not be afraid, you know
The company then, to humor him, and
carry out the Joke, walked around 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 cockadoodledoo
Bring US light
A light was brought as ordered.
sNow hold up your hands, good folks
They were of course black, from Coming in
contact with the SCOT of the kettle
AlLup.' /
'AlIup,' vas the response
ALL don't know! here's one fellow
who hasn't held up his hands,
sAh, ha, my old boy, lets take peep at
your paws
They were examined, and they were not
black like those of the rest of the company.
you'll find your W atch about him-search.
And so it proved. This fellow not being
aware, any more than the rest. of the trap
that was set for the discovery of the thief,
had kept aloof from the kettle, lest when he
touched it the Growing of the rooster should
proclaim him as the thief. As the hands of
all the others were blackened,the whiteness
of his own showed Of course that he had not
dared to touch the old brass kettle, and that
he wassthe offender. He jumped out of the
frying pan into the fire, and was lodged in
as uncomfortable place as either--to wit
the Jail.