The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-08-10
HOW GOT
A DETECTIVES STORY.

"Tom," said the chief, "there has been a
rather mysterious robbery at ~Barrowtown,
and it's likely to give the locals some
trouble. 50 | wish you to 90 down as soon
as possible"
This order | received one hot day IN Au-
gust, on the day after the robbery had taken
place. OF course | did not let much time
pass before / was at the station and fairly
started. Once there, B]arrowtown is a quaint,
picturesque little town, like many another in
goodly England. 1t seemed almost too dull
to be able to boast the doubtful honor of hay
ing had a full-grown robbery. Still, | like
the quiet little town, for it was there | gained
my first promotion.
| was met at the station by the local inspec-
tor, Il stout, pompous, eNcltable little man,
vino looked doubtful Us to the prudence Of
the Scotland Yard authorities in sending
down such an ordinary-looking mortal as
myself.
SON" he remarked at last, $50 it's You,
young man. is it? | don't think We are like
ly to trouble you much this time. The fact
is-ahem-we have caught the cuiprlt our
selves
| merely bowed, and expressed a visa to
see the prisoner, and We both set ont for the
county Jail, perhaps il mile or so away.
Well, it certainly seemed rs plain as day t"
me that the unhappy wretch on whom III
, spector Mn-grnlge mad laid his fell grasp
could easily have proved an alibi had not That
worthy officer continually interrupted him
with:
Better keep al that for your examination,
! my good fellow. or it'll all be brought up
against YOU my man, You know.
] told him seriously, as soon rs | could. in
private, that the man he had arrested was no
more guilty thai | was; but he simply smiled
incrcdulUusiy, and asked who else could be
the cllprit. as this was The only really abaA-
doned character of the town, and it was
plainly the work Of some one who knew the
place. .'Besjdes," he added, SIT isn't very
likely that any one could beat me on my w
ground, where l know everybody, you know ;
and if he didn't do it, who did," with
which really unanswerable argument he ac-
cumpanied me to the scene of the robbery,
where we were shown over the premises by
the mistress of the house.
When | saw the Ground-tioOr window by
which access had been gained to the house. L
quite agreed with the worthy " local that Il
was the work of Il new hand " and that
from the fact that his footprints, wherever we
could trace them showed no hesitation, but
rather Il thorough acquaintance with the
grounds the cuiplit, whoever he was, must
have had some opportunity of visiting the
scene of operations and probably lived some
where in the neighboriood.
1t seemed that the thief had entered tie
house Nv ii window in the rear, and carried
OF a small box Of vdluableS from the room
of the master of the house. who hal been
staying 1T Il friends On that night. lioth
, these facts, showed an intimate knowledge OF
the premises on the part of The culprit, and
strengthened our former belief. We were
informed that the lost casket-aM ordinary
tin cash-hox--had been almost filled with
various articles of ~jewelry, and therefore the
loss was rather heavy. OF course the knoWl-
edge that there would be "A good reward for
the recovery of The missing property did no,
abate my zeal. Still, in spite of my eager,
ness to discover the culprit, | could make but