Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-07-17
SelfCOnvicted.

OLD Jacob Britzer kept the village store
IN Bucksport. Like all country store
keepers, Jacob kept for sale dry and
moist goods Of every description, and
both village and suburban gossips made
his place the center and Underground.
Occasionally Jacob missed certain articles
from his shelves and counters, which he
knew had not been sold, and he could
only imagine they had been stolen. Thus
things continued for more than a year,
and BritZer, with all his careful watching.
was unable to detect the thief. There
were several whom he deemed capable of
the deed, but he could not fix the crime
upon any of them.
At length, one Monday morning, Jacob
Brltzer entered the store, and upon NOV
ing the heavy wooden shutters from the
front windows he discovered that the
large glass-top showcase near the main
entrance had been robbed of nearly all
its contents. At least three hundred dol
lars worth of goods had been stolen-a
large amount for the country storekeeper
to lose. Jacob had locked up his store
on Saturday night, and had not visited it
since until now, nor had the KEYS been
out of his keeping. For brief space he
was thunderstruck-then for another brief
space collected his thoughts and reflected.
His course of action was resolved upon.
His first decided movement was to lock
the door by which he had entered, and
draw the curtains over the windows.
Next he replenished the showcase from a
fresh stock which he CHANGED to have on
hand, making it look so nearly as it
looked on Saturday evening that not even
his clerk was likely to detect any changes
Thus the matter, so far as he and his
store was concerned, was locked in his
own breast, and so he meant to keep it.
Having ascertained that the thief had
gained entrance by a rear cellar window,
and having so covered his tracks that his
clerk would not observe them, he opened
his store and prepared for business Half
an hour later the clerk came, and detected
nothing out of the way (The clerk, we
may remark, was Jacobs own SON.
The day passed-custOmers came and
went as usual-the gOssips chartered over
their beer and cheese, while old Jacob
was attentive and affable, never betraying
by word or sign that anything had hap
pened amiss. In the evening Peter Hawks
came in. This Peter Hawks was farmer
owning quite place near the outskirts of
the village, who had of late been leading
life rather aimless and thriftless. 1t had
been Peters custom to spend good part
of the day in the store, but on this Mon
day he had not put in his appearance UNI
til after tea; and even when he did come
he failed to talk with his usual volubility,
but remained for the most part silent,
watching what others had to say.
At length the hour grew late and one
Peter was left alone with Jacob and his
SON. The solitary customer arose from
his chair, and after little nervous hesita-
ton he approached the storekeeper with:
"Ah, Jacob, that was quite loss you
met with. Have you any idee who did
it,"
who did what?" asked Jacob, drop
ping the piece of cloth which he was fold
ing, and looking up.
''Who robbed yer showcase last night?"
yes" answered Jacob with stern
promptness- know exactly who did it."
"Eh, who:"
"You did it,"
"Me." gasped Peter, quiveringly,
"Ay-you did 1t. | k7aoao you did it !;
and thus the secret is entirely between
you and me. You are the only living
man besides myself who knows that
have been robbed at alli'
And then Jacob went on to explain to
his customer how he had managed to de-
tect the thief. Peter Hawks was forced to
own up; and in consideration of his re-
turning the goods last stolen and paying
Tor those stolen on previous occasions,
ana also promising to steal no more, he
was let OFT. But he did not remain long
In Bucksport Having settled with Jacob
Brltzer, he sold his farm and removed to
parts where the story of his shortcomings
was not known