The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-12-12
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| MINiPPR0PRIA4IFE HIGHARI
De Quincy, observed the BOstcr
AdceTtjSer, wrote long ago OF mur
der considered as one of the fine arts
sad the G ,ihe:ic side OF certain
o.her breaches Of the dCc1lOgue has
been sburdsnily illustrated in mod
erD fiction; bat Is was reserved for q
man whose true name is shrOudeG in
unmerited GbscuFity to show what .
field burglary presents for the dis
play OF a refCed order Of genius.
The story deserves repeating IS q
story, and will be recognized by
many under the sligh! disguise of al
tered names. Some ten or twelve
years ago, in town just so far from
Boston That it likes to consider itself
suburban, and one we will call c.,
there cane to live man who proved
himself q most exemplary citizen,
a1d whom we will call Mr.. Herrick.
He was a mechanic and worked daily
at his trade in large factory with
-t5&dy and conscientious industry.
He w5s perfectly upright in his deal
lEgs, had no vices and went regular
| y to church. He had the conf ience
OF his employers, the respect of his
fellow wOykmeu, and by virtue of a
cOu1tenaRce fresh 10 color and singu
larly gul!eless and engaging in ex
preston, and 8 certain homely but
ready courtesy, the warm regard OF
eli The feTnsle population, high and
low Like most meritOrious Ioen, he
was mod ST, and allowed accident to
discover the fsct that besides his
skill in his proper Eandicrait be had
4 kind OF mechanical cleyerness, es
pecia!ly about locke, keys, and fas-
ICnings of all kihGs-which LAST he
himself attributed to his having
ToEI1ed Tor while with lOcksmith
in his earlier youth. The result was
that people whose rsstenings, wbeth
er OF doors, windows, trunks, desks, or
81 ies, were out Of order, fell into the
habit of employing HeIIick TO mend
them, sad be aid it promptly, cheap
; ", and extremely vel, IN ali these
respects favorably distinguishing
himself from the ordinary lock Link-
er. And then he was such a plea, ant,
Trustworthy fellow to have about.
/ ISaOpkeepers showed him with a wink
the secret OF their safe, and old
l2jicg living in lonely mansions adj
niIted him TO their most sacred cup
boards or brought forth By their
brass handles and set before him
their Oid-fashiored WTiiing-desks
And SIS no deity Clipped and fitted,
they cCnversed with him ahout the
GIcEross IN the neIehhGrhOod, the
INTEREST in the church, and even
lLeir beloved "old times" in which
he took an uncommon interest, and
'clt ali the ester about the quaint
treasures which they guarded 70 ner-
vOCs,y after the irsecreis were shared
with this respectable man. B OF
this man, the community where he
re lived and 80 dCseryedly throve
wSs in sOme respects unworthy l.
wss a community outwardly Puritan
icai, not TO say aus,ere, end iss influ-
Eiial people were chiefly Of n strict
order, both Of isiih aud practice, bat
! certain small vices e5ouu6ed Among
these wss a peculiar mysterious order
| %; city thieviag. Things vanished
out Of the most private places, lesv
/ 10 no trace OF disturbance among
he remaining contents OF the hiding
pisCcs which knew rhcm 10 more
Not Oaly dii the opera glass disap-
pea from the hall table, snd the
prize pitcher from the tidehOard, but
/ tie locke; ani the g)ii-set rainis-
tuTe fCrsook the secI ct drawer, the
antique porrings- lett the top shelf
| O: The china closet, sEd the single
trina aet was missing from among the
treasures Of the carefully locked and
seemingly inyiolste caskft Not a
week, hardly = dsy passed, but some
even. Of this kind OccGrre within
the precincts Of C, and there
were certain houses where the yIsi-
tsjinn wss so ot,en repeated that
I they became marked, and honest HI
hernia considered il as muc', as ! cT
character wes worth TO take ser
vice in them. The criminal or clint
n Is eri2ving glorious impuni'y, the
crime naturally .gread and DrospsIei, |
ani ~ last assumed proportions ~
ac'ua! dignity. Sgch q Huub,r 81 !
rce..I rCbbafieS were traced 10 c. !
that suspicion fell heAvily upon The
two men-a father and SOD, o! pr
v.cu-ly irreprcachsble lie wto
shared lLe duties and Responsibilities |
/ OF the l9ca. Office. No;hirg wa
ever proved Or even formally al
lIpaed sgsinst them, bat political i'll
I fIencc was STought 10 the ait Ii
Jr!yate pre- tjddice, and they were hp:h
1 removed snI virtually disgracei.
| Tne 8exs victim was sn expressmsn
vbo drove q brisk trade between
! c. snd the metropolis, and otcu-
pied that proud OsiiIDn ia the fec
I tirrs and Interests % the a2nin unity
which q ze2loUs COMMON carrier m
51irrbsn town now attsins. BE ard
. b. 10 ie9an 10 be whispered ths;
/ --ctages Intrustfd 10 im, espcci.Ev
/ i they remained in the express ~
/ Gee over night. were sometimes tam
. peTa3 With. Weddi g gifts received
5v The bride e!,c. With a heautit.l
blush, and opebei with eager fiopcrs
we're ioard TO consist Of a nea, boy
/ q morocco case, and Is, = O; rca,
/ tissue psper. A fashions lie yourg
.tdy came TO C. on a vi-it. Her
immense trunk took an Iad. pendsDs
ne'Cur. ss trunks occasionally do
Tie CXpTs ssR;en traced anil r>t.tuiei
ard duly eIOsItei IL with It's oxrer
-atTslS aEd fssteui=14 all Ii.,h'-
bat whcH it was opened H. contents
we're tHuEd TO have been su; ;,cted 10
a thorough review ani most oi-ciimi-
aatiHg sci eciinn. The Iezvy silks
aad the fresh gloves we're gone. TIE
ace had bseu unsITingiy distinguish
ii from false aud cashmere IRON
Psisiey. Tie txpressDan protested
is inn.cerc". paii his legal forfeit,
nd -.ns.i-ei undcr a c.Gul This
Isle a things I-s'ed i"r about three
.yoars. uheH there appesred in C.
, one autumn evening tao s'-aHgers
.Ls rI-i.s=et hu=I.ess "i import
. ....-e vi 70 Nr. ii-.sIcss. They csi'ed
: a; bis lodging sHi "sre-dIrec''d ."
F, i,a ma. ufac-nry where, - ~as h'S
: ,rGu,.riCus wont, he WIS working
: .omewhst over hours. a something
unusual and significant in the bearing