Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-12-29

celebrated as q detective, but Of whom I
had not heard for years, and, if he were
still alive, to submit the matter to his
Judgment. The directory gave me his
address, and in an hour I was with him.
B. was interested, but he had retir-
ed from business rheumatism was the
only thing he detected, and that to his
sorrow. He, however, would recon-
mend me to a gentleman who, if he
would take the job, could unravel it, IL
il were to be unraveled by human skill,
and he gave me a letter to the Doctor,
or Robert BIaisdell NJ. D., ashe strange
~ directed the envelope. Before 7 went
to bed that night found Blaisdell, and
not only engaged him, bat, as ] could
see, interested him, and he agreed to
meet me the next morning at the Office,
and so conduct himself that there would
he no suspicion of his business.
He was there promptly, and opened
matters in the hearing of the clerks by
talking coffee, and proposing to sell a
cargo of Rio to arrive. He never ap-
peared to look at any of my people, but
with his pencil, as he was supposed to
be computing quantity and price, asked
several quetiOns, and in a few moments
communicated to me his belief that the
clerks We're all right That was a re-
lief. I opened the drawer freely handl-
ing the money, and giving him every
opportunity to see its working. He was
bothered. I saw that by his face. He
asked me if the clerks could be sent out,
and we could be alone for half an hour
Yes, at lunch-time, in an hour, all would
go but Mr.. Conway, and would, con-
trive an eFrand for him. Blaisdeli went
away, and returned at that time, and
we were alone,
This thing is done by somebody out
side of your clerks, sir, but by whom or
how puzzles me. Let me examine that
drawer said Blaisdell. Have you any
mice about {?
There had been q stray one seen once
in a while.
Because you know such things have
been as mice using the soft paper of bank
notes to make their nests No, he con-
tinued, alter close examination Of the
drawer-'nO mice,i and he drew the
to the opening. cit seems to 90 chOck
up against the wall, and to fit too close
for even a mouse to get in"
I examined, and found he was right;
but in moment [ saw his face Tighten
up, though I could not see at what
Again he peered into the depth that the
drawer was taken from, and slipped it
back quietly to its place. Then he got
up absently, took a survey Of the room,
looked out Of the window, and saying.
Z will be back in a few minutes, walk
ed into the streets, and, returning in
less than five, said:
You had better go on to-day the same
as usual, and, after business hours, /
shall want 10 come in here, with friend
Of mine, and be entirely alone with him
for couple of hours
This, Of course, agreed to, and went
on using my drawer the rest Of the day,
but all came right. At five o'clock I
myself admitted BlaisdelI and his friend,
who looked to me like a lOcksmith, and
left them. The next morning, at ten
o'clock, Blaisdell handed me the key of
my drawer, which I had left with him
the night before, and, opening the draw
er, said, pointing to a piece of white pa
PEI, pasted in the bottom
You will please not disturb or touch
that, but lay your money carefully up
on it. I shall be in and out here every
half hour or 50, to see how the thing
comes out
How the thing comes out, rather puz-
Zled me, but, as l was in the Doctors
hands, 1 Obeyed orders and said moth
ing.
BlaisdeiI came in and out, and talked
coffee closely and knowingly, and had
some trouble, once or twice, to persuade
myself that l was only going through
the motions, and not really buying a,
cargo of Rio of him. All was quiet. and
my accounts right, Blaisdell declining
to lunch with me, saying, in an off-hand
way, that he would foot up his freight
accounts, in my absence, if I would per-
NIT him TO sit at my desk.
In half an hour I was back, and the
moment I entered I saw q peculiar eX-
preston on Blaisdell's face, an express
sion of intense listening. He did not
get up from my chair, but put his fing-
er on his lip. The Office was perfectly
silent, with the exception of the scratch /
ing of COnWay's pen-he always would
use quills-when, suddenly, there was a
sharp noise and a struggling within m
desk. Blaisdell jumped to his feet, ex-
citedly, and called:
"The key! Quick! quick ! By George, |
we've got him :"
Ihanded him the key in an instant,
completely astOunded as was old Con- |
way, for he tumbled right off his stool, /
was not so easy to open it, for it took /
our combined strength. The first sight |
that met my eye, when that was done, |
was human hand, which Blaisdell /
seized with a grip like a vice, and in an |
instant had handcuff on it. I saw at /
q glance it was q hand without thumb, |
and, at the same time, heard Blaisdell |
say;
"Why, it's Thumby! I thought he
was up the river"
I was so daZed that / could hardly un. /
1erstand the thing, and stood looking /
like an idiot, while BlaisCiell took up a /
heavy poker, clasped the other hand-cuff |
on it, and, placing it across the drawer,
said conpOsedly:
''Thereis your man, sir--Thumby /
Dick, one of the most accomplished bur-
glars in this country. Shall we go round
and see him ~
We went round and saw him, and, the
laid eyes on his face 1 recOg-
1ized him as a man who had been sew
eral times to see me in reference to al
schooner with fruit we expected from
5he West Indies, protesting that he
wished to buy all the pineappIes, This
vas the greeting between the Doctor
Ind Thumby Dick:
tThis was a will-put-up job, Dick"
iays the Doctor; "but it's played"
off III known you was on it, Doc, I'd
ay struck the heap, and gone"
"Yes," ," scratching his chin, "but you
lidn't want to kill the goose that laid
he glOden eggs, ell ?'
"Come, take us out Of this, Doc; Pve
rot nothing to say"
And so Mr.. Thumby Dick was taken
'ut, and Accommodated with bracelets on
ne same side Of the house, and told us
he whole story. He had noticed the ,
money drawer when he first came to
ee me, his intention at that time being
o tap the safe some pleasant evening.
lie knew the next building well, it was
small drinking place in front, with a J
ack room, and offices up stairs. This
ack room he managed to hire, and with I
he nice eve of q merchaniC-fOr the job
hOwed skiIl-thrOugh the wall he went, !
light behind my desk. Atnight he had I
removed the rear OEmy mon I
y-drawer, and refitted it with four Il
'ooden pegs (which was Blaisdelps first $
lue, as he was examining the drawer, E
nd so could nOisClessly help himself j
uring the day, for, even though might ;
pen the drawer when he was in the 4
IT, could not haye detected him un- b
.ss bent down and looked back to see u
no rear part out. Blaisdell and his q
lend, the lOCksmlth looking man, W
ad skillfully fitted q spring trap at the W
OttOm Of the driver, under the white q
lper, so that the crowding Of the hand, q