Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-05-22
The DeiestabIe BOOts--A FoIice SER
geant's Story.
BY JAMES GRENwa

' And this is our museum. 90 lem.-sel the
good natured police sergeant i1 charge. ..d
so saving, he selected a key from .. bunch
and unlocked a door that ranged with the
oell-doors and looked like one of them The
interior disclosed showed the cupboard 90 Pc
Of considerable capacity. Ahxei r' The walls
were shelves and books, on and about which
were bestowed about as miscellaneous lot
of goods as one can well imagine. d" This is
where we keep our waits and -tryz, sand
the sergeant we have clear out every
month. and Judging from our stock ] should
think the dav can't be far of.
Articles of wearing apparel chiefly were
the waits and strays IN question There
were woman's shawls and maarIe-, i1 many
cases torn and ruined in the Draw. that
possibly cost the late proprietre-- Aer liberty,
and with the mud baked Lard and dry on
them: there were bonnets and hats with falls
and feathers attached and raraslls more or
less sound and fashionable. There was an
elaboratelv d. worked petticJat once white,
which. the sergeant informed me, one OF his
men had strangely enough discovered sus-
pended across the rail of "a street iamp-post.
Oruale attire the collection was scarcely az
lar-e and various, and was. indeed, mainly
confined % hats and coats. and travelling
shawl But besides these, there was an eX-
tensivc assortment Of baskets, ana carpet ana
leather bags. and walking sticks and umbrel-
las. besides several Just such bundles as
thief might drop in the heat OF the chase,
glad enough to escape on such easy terms.
But what chiefly attracted my attention was
a Iair Of great clumsy boots. utterly worn
oat. with heels aslant and with holes fretted
in their upper part, blue as bilherries with
mildey. against which the russet rust of the
battered nail heads showed to advantage.
.. These articles look as though they had
lain here considerable longer than three
months. - | remarked to the sergeant.
g.. Ave indeed. it must be higher fifteen
months than three when they were last
thrown in here he replied taking up one
If the ankle-iacks bv its moldv tongue and
REGARDING it with evident interest.
:. Why were they not turned out at the
last clearing ?''
Mr.. Seageant smiled They are uncom-
mon boote-rriyileged boots, sir, said he.
q. much question if the price Of the hand
e,mest rair that ever were made would buy
these old Jacks cut Of the hands Of the man
who sets such store by them.
e.. should like to he informed in what re-
srec+ +hev are valuable" | remarked.
.. Take them In YOUR hands. sir. and see
,r r,u can find tbem out for YOURSELF
'Rut could make nothing of them. except
that tbev were worn out rubbish. fit only to
N. thrown on n dunghill.
=, Then / will explain to You in what the
..--.rca or their value consists. sir. They
were once the property ola murderer
'. OF a murderer 3''
Of tie man whowas Hanged at, for
tbe murder of bis grandfather continued the
scrreant. stopping to recover the boot that in
nv monentary horror had dropped. D.. You
recollect the case, sir, dare say. About as
cruel murder as ever was done, think
that was. All through drink.
q. But why are they the more valuable for
the reason vou assign ?''
q. If YOU viii come and sit by the fire Il
tell Won how they came to be accounted
worth preserying." he obliginglY remark
ad
As uerbans vou NAV recolect, he be-
,an ..the moor wretch / alluded to was ap-
1reIepded in this precinct. and the way II
which he came TO leave his boots here wa:
simply this. From the time of his commit
ting the crime till he made his way to th'
city, he got no rest but tramped on and on
day and night, more miles than | should lik
to say. speaking from memory. He tramPe-
till his feet were blistered and swollen, anC
when he came into the Office INTO this Office, ont
night between II and II saying to me. IA