The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-12-06
A STORY OF DETECTION,

My employment is that of q carver il
stone. Many gears ago, soon after IhaC
learnt my business, the firm in who's,
employ | was undertook the erection O
sgentleman' mansion, and | was sent t.
execute the ornamental work. The vii
lage near to which the mansion was bull
was on tie shore OF an estuary in the
bay OF Morecame, not far from market
town whose name | need not give. A!
my work would keep me from home
several weeks, a good lodging was mos
desirable thing; but although l tried to
get accommodated in a private house,
failed, and was forced to lodge in the
village inn, the Lord Admiral
Among those who were in the habit oil
frequentlng the aforesaid hosiery, was
a man of 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. His house, like
himself, was queer one. Originally il
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 thst purpose; so it.
owner turned it into a dwelling house
and as such, 1t WAS now occupied by the
aforesaid strange man. X was divided
into three apartments on the ground
floor, one of which, very large one, was
set apart and used as kind of museum
it's occupant being a stuffer Of birds and
small quadrupeds. When he had no
work of this sort for other persons, be
worked for stock, and this large room
room was his warehouse.
He was man of ill temper and loose
habits, and for some time had borne q
dubious character. When people were
asked why he was suspected, they could
not give 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 uuamiable temper; was
morose, sour, and at times passionate.
He was also fond of display, given to
betting, and, like all such, led loose,
uneven life, oftener lettering about than
at work. So did not wonder that well
meaning people did not like him.
He mostly came on wet nights to the
Lord Admiral. As we became &C
quainted, he invited me to look over his
collection of birds and quadrupeds.
was pleased with what SAW. He had
indeed, good collection; and, as well as
/ could Judge, had done his work we'll
He had also good assortment of butter
flies and moths; and in corner, close tC
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 stutfing
sn,usements.
But | Was most taken up with two
animals which differed from the rest
One was beautiful dog, and the other q
ltls,Is na'u, q "a lamb with the rudiments
of a fifth leg, and some other character
istics which l 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
st one end of the room, one in each
corner, away from the window and Gloss
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.
/ had been in the village about six
weeks, when the neigh borhcod was
aroused and alarmed one morning by the
report of the robbery of q jewelers. shoI
in the market town already referred to
that had been effected during tbs pre-
ceding night. Much valuable property
had been taken. This robbery had beer
effected in such way as led to the belle
that gang of praeticed thieves hao
done it. The prevailing question was
Do the robbers live among Us, or have
they come from distanceT The query
was still goi from mouth to mouth
when We were startled, sstounded, in
deed, by the report of a second robber!
OF the same premises, and on the night
following, by the breaking into anG
purloining of provision warehouse il
our village. Were | writing fiction,
would not have made the robbers pay 81
soon second visit to the jewelers., q
such an act would have been deemed
preposterous; but am reiterating whs
really occurred, and 50 am forced TO So,
what | have said.
The ieweler had been 80 taken up witt
efforts to find out the thieves and regain
his first loss, tina: he had not placed sd
ditionsI guard o-er what was left; be
sides, he was sure, he said, that thieve
would not think of revisiting him for
long time. AS for the provision dealer
ne said in ny hearing that he had n
lear OF his place being entered, as b
believed robbers would not care TO touc
property 80 bulky and of such iutsrio
value as his.