Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-12-04
A STORY OF DETECTION.

stone. Many years ago, soon after Ihad
learnt my business, the firm in whose
employ was undertook the erection of
agentleman'' mansion, and was sent to
execute the ornamental work. The vii
lage near to which themansion was built
was on tire shore OF an estuary in the
bay of Morecame, not far from market
town whose name | need not give. As
my work would keep me from home
several weeks, a good lodging was most
desirable thing; but although tried to
get accommodated in private house,
failed, and was forced to lodge in the
village inn, the Lord Admiral.
Among those who were in the habit of
trequenting the aforesaid hosiery, was
man CT singular habits and odd tenn
per. His home was about mile from
the village, on the side of lane leading
to a couple of farms. Bis house. like
himself, was queer one. Originally it
had been built for the storage of corn,
the produce of fields at distance from
the homestead. Somehow, it had ceased
to be needed for that purpose; so its
owner turned it into a dwelling house.
and as such, it was now occupied by the
aforesaid strange man. Ii was divided
into three apartments on the ground
floor, one Of which, very large one, was
set apart and used as kind of museum,
its occupant being a stuffer of birds and
small guadrupeds. When he had no
work of this sort for other persons, he
worked for stock, and this large room
room was his warehouse.
He was man OF i'll temper and loose
habits, and for some time had borne
dubious character. When people were
asked why he was suspected, they could
not 6 i've satisfactory reply. "He
lives,' they said, without doing work
equal to his expenditures, which looks
bad" As got to know him, found
that he had an unamiaole TEN per; was
morose, sour, and at times passionate.
DO WAS also fond of display, given to
betting, and, like all such, led loose,
uneven Lie. oftener lettering about than
at work. So did not wonder that well
meaning people did not like him.
He mostly came Oh wet nights to the
Lord Admiral. As we became &C.
quainted, he invited me to look over his
collection Of birds and quadrupeds. II
was pleased with what saw, He had.
indeed, good collection; end, as we'll as
l could judge, had done his work we'll.
he had also good assortment Of butter
tiies and moths; and in corner, close to
the ceiling, he had what he called 8 |
butterfly breeding box, which, he said,
belonged to his son, young man of my
own age, also given to bird stuffing
amusements.
But was most taken up with two
animals which differed from the rest.
One was-a beautiful dog, and the other q
lusus 'safu1e-a lamb with the rudiments
of 4 fifth leg, and some other character.
istics which I have forgotten. The old
man said he had stuffed. both for their
original owners, who had somehow failed
to take them away. They were placed
at one end of the room, one in each
corner, away from the window and close
to the wall, where, except in strong daY.'
light, they could not be easily SEEN. The
connection OF these particulars with my
story will be seen in the sequel.
l had been in the village about six
weeks, when the neighborhood was
aroused and alarmed one morning BY the
report Of the robbery of jeweler's shop
in the market town already referred to,
that had been effected during tho. pre-.
ceding night. Much valuable property
had been taken. This robbery had been
effected in such way as led to the belief
that q gang Of practiced thieves had
done it. The prevailing question was,
"Do the robbers live among us, or have
they come from distance?' The query
was still goi"g. from mouth to mouth
when we were startled, astounded, in.
deed, by the report of q second robbery
of the same premises, and on the night
following, by. the breaking into and
purloining of provision warehouse in
orr village. Were I writing fiction, L
would not have made the robbers pay. 10
soon second visit to the jewelers., as
such an act would have been deemed
preposterous; butI am reiterating what
really occurred, and 50 am forced to say
what i have said. e. { 4,l4 .->.-... ~74s., 10
Tho jeweler had been 20 taken up with
efforts to find out the, thieves, and regain
his FIRST loss, that he had not placed ad-
ditional guard over what was left: be-
sides, he was sure, he said, that thieves
would notsthink of revisiting him for q I
long time. As for the provision dealer.
he said in my hearing that. he had. mol
fear OF his place being entered, % hel
believed robbers would not care Is touch
property 20 bulky and ;ef, such inferiora
But he Lad reckoned without his host,
tors be had lost 6neshsm, q large lot Oh;
tea,,< deal Of spices = few: boxes 81 69
cigars, and indeed 4. portion Of most Of
what he dealt in. The excitement andI
alata socsaaoped BY there mbberies !
efegreat aud widespread. 1855. I,
Two patches Of Detectives, one from
Lancasters and the sother from Kendall,
came to- our village to see what they
con ls, md ol,t. They were not short Of
questions; minds abut they took care
What sort Of questions they answered. It Il
vas easy to see that one Of their aims /.
Has 70 make 1t aPpearth.t they believed Z
5 = 4