The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-04-25
A GERMAN DETECTIVES STORY.

/ was standing in our office. behind
my desk. when our chief entered the
/ room with a letter in his hand and ad-
/ dressed me with an invitation to under
take the unTaveling of a mystery which
had baf1ied the local police at r
consented and departed for the scene of
the crime which had been committed
much limited. however, as to the time
/ was allowed for spending on the case.
Two hundred and fifty-live thousand
marks had been stolen from the widow
/ OF aWeIl-cOnnectedm man named FTiedOw
Her villa stood outside the gates of a
small town, and the lost property con-
sisted chiefly in coupons and such value
together with a little coin. Her habit
was to keep all papers of importance. as
well as money, in a chest Of drawers be-
side her bed. Her sleeping room was
situated on the first floor and had but
one window, which looked out upon the
yard. Her confident ial friends had often
advised Frau Friedow to keep her gold
at least in some safer place but she had
always resisted such counsel. and put no
faith in banks or bankers. As to the
safe. she had averTed that if robbers did
ever modest her. unless her tTusty dog
and her faithful Frederick. who was her
factOtum and the only male person upon
her little property. could not protect
her. an iron box would avail little be
yond, perhaps. delaying the thieves in
laying hold OF what they wanted
On the night of the 9TH OF May the
poor lady was suddenly awakened about
twelve o'clock. Her room was illumi-
mated. Before her bed stood a small.
thin man, with a lantern in his left hand
and Il hatchet in his right
IN. .4 =
ened TO knock out her brains if she so
much as yentUred 10 utter a sound
The unfortunate frau was already voice
less from alarm. This speech could
scarcely make her more quiet. but she
could use her eyes. and did so for the
next few seconds while her visitors re-
manned with her. She saw that the
speaker wore black hose. a blue blouse
and a mask and that two more men
were busy in the background breaking
open her chest of drawers. In the far
theSt back division. covered over by
stockings yarn and flax. lay a round tin
case, in which She kept her movable
treasures. She was just recovering her
self sufficiently to begin thinking about
riSking her life by calling for help. when
the Smothered yelling of dog was heard
without. The thieves had found what
they wanted, however. and sprang with
II TO the window. one sash of which was
open. They threw themselves upon a
ladder without ami descended to the
ground. while the third man still kept
guard beside the bed. Frau Friedow
cried for Help, help :" with al her
might.
You may scream as long as You like,
now. he mUttered. turning away and
following the others from the room.
Frederick appeared at this instant,
having been awakened by the noise
lie found the ladder still in It's place. and
going below. was just in time to save the
life of the houSe-dOg. which had been
almost choked by cord twisted round
his neck fastening him to his kennel
The nlan-SeTVant reused up the neigh
bOrS, but all pursuit then OF later. by
friends privately or by the police pub
licly. had been in vain. Not the least
clue had hitherto been obtained as to
the identity of the hOuSe-breakerS.
This was how the matter stood when
| arrived at r When I had pri-
vately communicated with the magis-
trateS. my second visit was naturally
paid to Frau FriedOw. / sought everv-
where for any special indications which
might put me on the right track. but
what l found was desperately little
Like those who had gone before me. [
concluded that the robbery had. at any
rate. been accomplished by persons well
acquainted with the locality. rs entrance
to the premises had been made by
small door in the ward. of the very ex-
istence of which many of the neighbors
We're unaware. The ladder made use of
had been dragged out Of anook in which
it had long lain concealed. 4 pane of
glass had been smashed in the window
of the bedroom to enable one of the as
SailantS to slip back the bolt. 4 few
footprints had been traced. hut there
was nothing remarkable about their ap-
pCardnce. and they had been lost 1T once
upon the high road or street upon which
the little courtyard opened.
One thing seemed alone certain amid
the maze of peTpleXity: the hoUsemeak-
erS must be sought from among neigh
bOTS, servants. friends or relations .-
Now the neighbor theory, upon investi-
cation. seemed utterly futile. and one
glance at old Frederick was enough 10
make one dismiss all thoughts connected
with the second term in the list.
There remained the friends and reIa-
tions in the habit of visiting ut the villa.
The widow had not the faintcSt susPi-
ciOn of foul play in any of these : never
thelesS- | made her describe and closely
particulariZe them all To me. I took up
half a dozen imaginary scents: | ran
hithCr and thitheT. | telegraphed in
various directions. I worked. in fact.
in the sweat of my brow: but. alas the
result was simply nothing. nothing.
nothing. | never before had been so ut
terly puzzled and hOpeleSSly at fault.
On the fourth day Of my residence at
r | went again TO the villa. where
the widow greeted me with eyes full OF
expectation. Frau Friedow.' | said.
lit seems to me hardly possible that YOU
are utterly without suspicion in every
quarter There must surely be some
one or other on whom yOuT mind has
fixed. il il We're but for 4 second. Con-
fess it is so. and cOnnde in me.
i assure you l have not even a shad-
owy thought such as you describe, she
replied in a much disappointed tone.
And has nothing more struck YOU
about those men you saw in your room
than YOU have already mentioned ? One
remembers things on due consideration
which have been often overlooked be
fore. Did yOU notice no peculiarly
about any of the ScOundrelS in the
voice. for instance the way OF standing.
the hands of him who held the axe ?
. Had he on ring Did he look rough.
/ like the others -
/ There was one little thing | may not
have told before" " she replied slowly
1T WAS scarce worth telling When
the two fellows ran off down the ladder
with my little case, the window slapped
down as they disappeared. The third
man pushed it up again to go after them.
/ but in so doing | think he must have