Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-01-21

watch, on certain night, and young
moon threw just sufficient light here and
there to make everything more uncer.
tam than usual, when Lowcliffe, finding
| himself little cramped from standing
SO long In one position. prepared to make
one OF the guarded shifts he was forced
70 indulge in during the evening; but
just as he commenced carefully to draw
one leg behind the other he stopped,
rolled his eyes eagerly round, and then
renamed so motionless he scarcely
breathed. With step almost noiseless-
out not quite SO for such listeners ears
"a man glided round the angle cf a
counter close by, and, standing close by
LoWclifie, paused, stopped, looked round
the floor in every direction, then sat
upon an adjacent pedestal, and, leaning
against the legs of q Hercules, listened.
Ii the process of perspiration were not
wholly silent one Lowcliffe would have
been betrayed, for the cold beads came
upon his forehead as he saw how near
he was to a discovery. The man was
sitting on the very next pedestal, block
which almost touched his own. There
he waited quietly for a while, not very
long, but long enough to assure himself
that no patrol was coming that way :;
then he rose, and in few steps was at
the nearest counter, and had tried key
In the lock; one or two attempts failed,
but at last door opened, and his head
and shoulders were lost TO sight; he re-
appeared with . small box, which he
placed on the ground before him, and
then tried one or two keys Again the
lock yielded, the lid was thrown back
and few articles were rapidly trans
ferred to the mans pocket
Some object, however, seemed un-
known TO him, and he held 1t up against
the dim light, endeavoring to make out
what it was. To his horror, one of the
statues sprang from its pedestal toward
him. 1t was instantaneous, but the flash
was enough; the figure all in white
moved and leaped upon him; then, with .
fearful yell, which rang from end to end
of the building, the thief fell in fit upon
the floor. Alarmed by the scream, two
or three officers were speedily at the
spot, and, turning on their lanterns, were
nearly as much astonished in their turn
to see white-sheeted figure standing by
the side of a man in commissions
When their momentary surprise ceased
upon their discovering who the sheeted
figure was, they proceeded to unfasten
the PROSTATE mans scarf and collar,
sprinkled him with water and lifted him
from the ground; his struggles ceased,
and few long breaths announced that
he was " coming to"
Il don't know him." said one of the
constables.
do, though" exclaimed Lowcliffe.
Well of all the parties as I could
have supposed, never could have sup
posed HIM. Why, it's that blessed Gliss-
er-from the stall next to old Baselton
a fellow that looks as if butter wouldn't
melt in his mouth"
Where am = Who are you 2" said
the miserable culprit.
Oh, we're particular friends of
yours" returned the officer.
But saw saw one of those things
move" said the man, looking timidly
round with dreadful shudder. Low.
cliffe had stripped off his white raiment
by this time, and SO did not shock the
wretched Glisser's eyes
I'VE will tell you all about that in the
moaning" said the constable. What
you have got to do is 10 come along with
u.s."
Ii was so--he had 10 "come along;n
and directly the exhibitors and their
staff mustered in the building the intel
| ligence flew like wild-fire that Mr. GIisser
was In custody for breaking into the
stalls at night.
It was a shock to large circle of his
acquaintance and admirers, who could
hardly believe it; and when, on his lodg.
| ings being searched, the bulk of all the
articles missing from the counters was
| found, the thing seemed more incredible
still. Mr.. Baselton was especially aston.
| ished, because he had made quite q con-
| fidant of the young man and had the NOR
| LITIGATION of remembering how he him
self had revealed TO Mr.. Glisser the
| various plans for detecting the thief
and that, If it had not been for Lowcliie
| insisting on the ruse OF attributing the
piliering to the afternoon instead of the
| night, he probably would have put the
young man on his guard against the
scheme which had proved successful.
He recovered his watch and other arti-
Giles, paid his hundred pounds cheerfully,
and gained reputation with the " force"
for the extreme readiness with which he
put his name down TO their subscriptions
for deserving objects.
Mr. Glisser's proved q very bad case
and he was lost to sight for some years
after the date of the Exhibition of 1862.
Chambers Journal.