The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-02-17
Gae Uribult.
WITH SUPPLEMENT.
sAEditorial and Local on Second and Third Pages
A DETECTIVE STORY.
Operations Of Sneak -Thieves"--How
Merchants are Robbed. -r1
From the New York Post1

-t Merchants are Robbed. -r-
lFrom the New York Post.l
Not very long ago lady, in widow
weeds, accom- panied by gentleman sai(
to be her brother, came to New York anC
engaged u house on Fourth street He
rich dress and rehnemen Of manner, com
bIaed with great personal attractions, ren
dered her naIghDors most desrous of Oh
tanning an Intreductioli to her, anu curl
uSIty was rite as 10 where size came iron
and who she was. Her brother, for be
really stood in that relationship to her.
was young uIan enjoying the command
of ready money to a considerable amount,
who easily made acquaintances among
others OF his oSn aye. His manners
we're very pleasing, aud his demeanoI
was poii shed, while hisat,lre, though eX-
tretneiy quiet and unpreteDding, was al
ways IN the best Possible taste So ia
! vorable was the impression which he Gre
| ated IN the minds OF his new friends, that
several of them invited him TO their own
| homes, aud IN i short time his circle OF
| intinatcs Increased to sGch degree that
| ne, IN his turn, was ena Dled 10 give recep-
lions in FourIh street.
| dis name was Vaughn. and his sister
| had been married to caontsi in the Con
federate arsny, who had been killed in ac-
| ton during the war. Young Vaughn
succeeded 20 4 handsome competency on
| the death If his father and Colonel
Wilson, who had also been a man of
property, had lett sufficient behind him
to support his widow in manner be-
coming his position. This tale was sup,
ported by the evidence OF two or three
other young laen, frequently to be met in
augha apartments, who were also
from the South. and was SO fully borne
cut by all the circumstances Of the period
aud their mode OF lie. that the brother
| and sister were tacltly permitted TO take
| their place II society as fashionable peo-
pie.
Among many others who visited Mrs
Wilson was Mr.. johnson and his fami-
~, who possessed large store on Broad
way 10 this gentleman the widow was
specially attentive, and vowed that her
purchases for the future should be made
from no other person than himself Day
after day She visited his store aud bought
largely. invariably paying ready money,
until his confidence in her was fully es-
tabiiShcd, and he to d her that he should
be most happy to give her. credit, if at
any time 1t might be more agreeable to
her. She replied that she was only
woman. and consequently knew nothing
/ of business, 50 she preferred 0 pay at
once, that she might know exactly how
! she was situated, but promised to avail
herself of his kind offer should she ever
feel the need of it One benefit there
was, however. which he could confer on
| her. Would he be so kind as to show her
| over his store She had never had an
| opportunity before Of becoming acquaint-
/ ed with the resources OF so large an estab-
! IlShment. Mr.. johnson, only too willing
/ TO be polite to so excellent customer,
! Immediately acceded TO her request, and
| laid his treasures bare before her, and ex
| hlbited some ot his most costly goods.
| She asked at what hour business was
! commenced. at what hour concluded
/ aud after thaniing him sincerely for his
couTteSies. took her leave. 1t was not
! long before the worthy merchant bad
! cause to regret this moment Of weakness,
and subsequent events proved to HIM how
/ easy it is for a good-lookiug woman to
/ cajole man, however wide awake he
may be.
''SN AK THIEVES.
New York at this time was infested bv
a gang of rogues VII had introduced a
new system CT sh0plifting, and had sue
| cessfuliy victimized many Of the larger
/ StOrekeeperS III the city. As their course
| of action was entirely fresh, new name
had t. be invented for them anG they
were christened sneak thieves by the
/ police, from the cunning way in which
/ they ehec,ed their depredations and the
| difficulty IN detecting them. Mr. John
sou, who but few days befnre had been
| boas:ing Of his immunity from theft was
much annoyed when on arriving one
morning at his store he was informed by
/ his managing man that some very valua
bic articles had been ahStracted during
the Gight or early in the morning. The
goods were safe enough when the store
was closed on the preceding evening, as
he had himself seen them, but were ulis-
sing when the clerks arrived in the morn
ing. Mr. johnson at once called In the
police, and an experienced detective was
sent 10 gather all the information on the
subject he could. On hearing the cir
cumstances of the case, this gentleman
at once recognized the agency Of a sneak
thief, and impaired his suspicious to the
proprletors of the store, wlthvhis reasons
tor them.
Il should ike to have few words
with your porter, he said.
Certainly; but hope you don sus
pect him, as he is an old favorite, and
has been In our employ for years "
Not In the least; but [ fancy he ear
help Us for all that. Did you ever hear
OF sneak thief. sir?'
No What are they ?"
''lf You viii send Tor the porter. and
stay here while | question him, you will
soon understand that.
he porter shortly entered the room
looking very much alarmed. He had
heard ut the robbery, and that pol ee
officer was clo>eted with Mr. johnson
and naturally feared that he had falier
under suspicion. The first words of the
dectivc, however, relieved him from al
apprehension on that score.
Now my man, | want to ask you
few QuStions, and you must answer mt
carefully. Don't be frightened, we know
that you have had nothing to DO with thi
robbery, but | fancy you can help me il
finding out who has
Very good, sir; but | don't know
how"
"Who closed the warehouse last night?
j did, sir. .
And you are certain that all was Sc
curely fastened p
Exactly the same as every othe
night"
And the fasteninss had not been tam
pered with in any way when you unllc
them this mornnng?'
No, SIR
well, now, who was the first person
$ to whom you spoke to-day?n
II think it was Mr.. -" fNam
ing one of the clerks.
| .tAh hut thinking WON'T do ND NJ,