The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-01-29
sc IS 90 - WELLINGTON, THURSDAY,

On Friday night he came to me in
the kitchen, in q corner of which I was
reading, and asked me to take a short
walk with him. got up and went.
The night was fine, but dark. We
walked in the direction of the museum.
He asked me if I could keep q secret
for a day or two. Replying in the
affirmative, he said he had astrong
suspicion that the old naturalist or his
son was no better than he should be;
that he was sure he or they knew more
folks; and that he believed IL he had o
few shillings which he could call his
own, he could come at the truth, and
concluded by asking me 10 lend him q
sovereign for q few days. agreed, for
had begun to feel an unaccountable
curiosity growing within me.
We had not walked far before we
met the naturalist's son, apparently by
/ appointment; for my companion told
him that had promised him loan,
and that therefore he would be at his
fathers house the next day and make q
purchase. We parted and came home.
| About the middle of Saturday after
noon he set OF, and in less than an
hour he-came back, bearing tolerably
sized parcel. Giving me a signal as he
passed me, joined him in the back
yard. He said: I'm on the track of
the thieves, 1 believe. Last night but
one, on reaching the house, and while
looking over the museum, the old man
said that his son was rather short Of
money, but having exchanged q frame
of moths and q few birds for q lot of
provisions, If would buy some of the
latter might sell them at q profit, or
they would keep me IN eatables for a
while, and the sale would relieve his
son. agreed to buy if I could raise
the money. Now I am not without
cash, but 1t would not have done to say
50; hence 1 agreed to ask you for q
loan. Well, I've got lot of things to-
day dirt cheap. which I really believe
belong to one of the late robberies.
go hence tomorrow on the sly. but on
Monday you may look for my return:"
Giving me playful dig in the side, he
left me. His absence during the night
and the day after surprised the land
lord, but said nothing.
was all impatience until Monday
came. It came at last. was busy at
my carving, when heard q well-known
voice hail me from below. On looking
down from my stage, whom should l
see in the road beneath, smiling all the
face over, but my old friend the gar
dener in q policeman's uniform! The
truth flashed through me in moment.
went down. Grasping NV hand, he
said, "The secrets out, you see! Come
along with me and see the upshot."
was about to witness q de,souenent
had not looked for. Up the road
were couple of policemen. My old
companion was the chief, being a
sergeant of police. He led the way to
the museum, and was first to enter.
"Good-morning, old FRIEND" he
said, on encountering the naturalist.
"Pve come to take away few more
parcels Of your cheap provisions"
saw that the old gardener was de-
tected in the speaker, and that the
game was seen to be up. The old mans
son rushed to the door and scrambled
off, only, however, to fall into the
clutches of one of the officers who were
on the watch. The old man was utterly
helpless, and almost beside himself.
Sinking into his chair, he cried out,
50 I'm not the thief; the thieves are
there" pointing to the door, and mean
ing, l could see, his son and his con-
federates, though they were not pres
ent.
We went into the museum. The
first thing the old gardeners shall
Z" Bruce" while he desired one of his
comrades to lay hold of Wonder"
On moving them, q noise of loose
metal was heard. A moments examina-
ton sufficed to reveal the secret. In
the off side of each animal, in the soft
part, an oridce had been made by
cutting the skin in such a way
as to enable the operator to re-
place it with little care. A part of
the stufing had been removed, leaving
vacancy Just like q throstle's nest.
This was filed with jewelry-watches,
guards, earrings, and 6nger-rings. A
further examination of the museum re-
vealed other and as singular hiding
places: for example, a game-cock was
found put out of sight; on taking hold
of it, q noise of blinking metal was
heard; on lifting up the feathers over
the crop, q small hole was seen, out of
which rolled, when the bird was
shaken, number of trinkets.
Nearly all the proceeds of the two
robberies of the jeweler were recov-
cred. one watch and q few guards only
being absent And some Of the prop
eIty of the provision dealer was also
found slowed in the breeding-box,
though most of it had been used or sold.
1 scarcely need say that the parcel sold
to the gardener was part of it, and
had to do with the detection. My friend
the sergeant informed me that he had
been induced to assume the character
which he had so well enacted, entirely
n
vey of the neighborhood, q few days
had observed the backward state of the
landlords garden; and believing that
he would readily catch at q chance of
getting it finished of in a cheep way,
and being q good hand at gardening,
he had hit upon the scheme which had
answered so well. He had believed
that the robbers were not far from the
locality of the public-house, and might
come there now and again, and so,
could he lodge there without being
known or suspected, he might come at
all that he desired. And as he had
hoped, so did it come to pass.
The naturalist, who, it came out, had
long been a receiver of stolen property,
and his son, whose first burglaries
these were, got each five years. penal
servitude; one of the other men-who
came from a distant town, and were
old hands-was likewise convicted and
punished; but the fourth, for some for
gotten reason, got of. My friend came
in for the good reward offered in this
case; and for the part which I had
taken in the affair the jeweler gave me
gold pencilholder, which 1 treasure
as a memento.
HONESTY THE BEST PoLICY."-
Country practitioner (surprised at the
visit of a notorious quack and pill-ven-
der): Well! What brings you herep''
Quack (evidently suffering from dis