Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-01-15
FAIRLY CAUGHT.

My employment is that of Il carver
in stone. Many years ago, soon after
l had learned my business, the firm
in whose employ was undertook the
erection of gentleman's mansion,
and | was sent % execute the orna-
mental work. The village near to
which the mansion was built was on
the shore of an estuary of the Bay of
Morecambe, not far from a market
town whose name | need not give.
AS my work would keep me from
home for several weeks, good lodg-
ing was a most desirable thing, but
although [ tried to get accommod.-
ton in private house, failed, and
was forced to lodge in the village inn,
the Lord Admiral.
Among those who were in the habit
of frequenting the aforesaid hostelry
was man of singular habits ard odd
temper. His home was about mile
from the village, on tie side of lane
leading to couple of farms. His
house, like himself, was a queer one.
Originally 1t had been built for the
storage of corn, the produce of fields
at a distance from the farmstead
Somehow it had ceased to be needed
for that purpose; so its owner turned
it into dwelling house, and as such
it was now occupied by the aforesaid
strange man. 1t was divided into
three apartments on the ground-hoor,
one Of which, a very large one, was
set apart and used as n kind OF mus
cum, its occupant being a stutier OF
birds and small quadrupeds. When
he had no work of this sort for other
persons, he worked for stock, and this
large room was his warehouse.
He was man of ill-temper and
loose habits, and for sometime had
borne a dubious character. When
people were asked why he was sus-
pecteu, they could give satisfactory
reply. ole lives they would say,
''without doing work equal to his ex-
! penditure, which looks bad" AS ]
got to know him, found that he had
an unamiable 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, oltener lettering about
than at work. SO | did not wonder
that well meaning people did not lik,
him.
He mostly came on wet nights tt
the Lord Admiral. As we becam,
acquainted, he invited me To lool
over his collection of birds and quad
rupeds. l was pleased with what
saw. He had good collection, and
as we'll as l could judge, had dom
his work well. He had also a goot
assortment of butterflies and moths
and, in a corner, close to the ceiling
had what he called butterfly breed
ing box, which he said belonged t.
his son, n young man of my own age
also given to bird-stufiing amuse
ments.
But L was most taken up with tw'
animals which differed from the rest
One was beautiful dog, and til
other lusus a,aturde--a lamb wit
the rudiments of fifth leg, and som
other abnormal characteristic which
have forgotten. The old man said h
had stuffed both for their origins
owners, who had somehow failed t
take them away. They we're place
at one end of the room, one in eac
corner, away from the window, an
close to the wall, where, except i
stong daylight, they could not b
easily seen. The connection of thes
particulars with my story will be see
in the sequel.
l had been in the village about ST
weeks, when the neighborhood wa
aroused and alarmed one morning b
the report Of the robbery of a jeweler
shop in the market-town already re
ferred to, that had been effected dul
ing the preceding night. Much val,
able property had been taken. Thi
robbery had been effected in way s
! led to the belief that gang of prat
\ ticed thieves had done it. The pr,
vailing question was, "Do the robbel
live among us, or have they com
from a distance?' This query VIZ
still going from mouth to mouth whe
we were startled, astounded indee.
by the report of a second robbery I
the same premises, and on the nigl
following by the breaking into an
purlolnlng of provision warehou'
in our village. Were l writing fl
ton, would not have made the rol
bers 80 soon a second visit to Il
jewelers., as such an act would ha,
been deemed preposterous. but l a
relating what really occurred, and
am forced to say what have said.
r The jeweler had been so taken l
) by efforts to find out the thieves al
regain his first loss that he had n
placed additional guard over VIII
was left; besides, he was sure,
said, that thieves would not think
revisiting him for long time. 4
> for the provision dealer, he said
my hearing that he had no fear of b
place being entered. as he believe
robbers would not care to touch pro
erty so bulky and of such inferior vs