Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1880-01-22
FAIRLY CAUGHT.

EA4hAL OAUUAAAs
My employmentis is that of carver in
stone. Many years ago, soon after
had learned my business, the firm in
whose employ l was undertook the erec.
ton of a gentleman's mansion, and
was sent to execute the ornamental
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 market-toWn whose name
| need not give. AS my work would
keep me from home several weeks, a
goodlodging was most desirable thing
but although l tried to get accommoda-
ton in private house, l failed, and
was forced to lodge in the village inn,
the Lord Admiral.
Amongst those who were in the habit
of frequenting the aforesaid hOstelry
was man of singular habits and odd
temper. His home was about mile
from the village, on the side of a lane
leading to q couple of FARMS His
house, like himself, was a queer one.
Originally it had been built for the stor-
age of corn, the produce of fields at a
distance from the homestead Some
how it had ceased to be needed for that
purpose; so its owner turned it into a
dwelling house, and as such it was now
occupied by the aforesaid strange man.
1t was divided into three apartments on
the ground-foOr, one of which, a very
large one, was set apart and used as a
kind of museum, its occupant being a
suffer 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 i'll temper and loose
habits, and for some time had borne a
dubious character. When people were
asked why he was suspected, they could
not give a satisfactory reply. HE
lives, . they would say, without doing
work equal to his expenditure, which
looks bad" AS [ got to know him, l
found that he had an unamiable tenn
per; was mOrose, sour, and at times
passionate. He was also fond of dis
play, given to betting, and, like all such,
led loose, uneven life, Oftener lOiter-
ing about than an 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 aC-
uuainted, he invited me to look over
his collection of birds and quadrupeds.
was pleased with what l saw. He had,
indeed, good collection, and, as well
as l could Judge, had done his work
well. He had also a good assortment
of butterflies and moths; and in acOrner,
close to the ceiling, had what he called
a butterfly breeding box, which he said
belonged to his son, young man of
my own age, also given to bird-stufing
amusements.
But | was most taken up with two
animals which differed from the rest.
One was beautiful dog, and the other
q JalSuS 7gGt&r0-a lamb with the rudi-
ments of fifth leg, and some other alb
normal characteristic which have for
gotten. The old man said he had
stuffed both for their original owners,
who had somehow failed to take them
away. They were placed at one end of
the room, one in each corner, away
from the window, and close to the wall,
where, except in strong daylight, they
could not be easily seen. The connec-
ton of these particulars with my story
will be seen in the sequel.
l had been in the village about six
weeks, when the neighborhood was
aroused and alarmed one morning by
the report of the robbery of jewel
er's in the market town already re-
ferred to, that had been effected during
the preceding night. Much valuable
property had been taken. This rob-
berry had been effected in such way as
led to the belief that gang of praCti-
cal thieves had done it. The prevail
ING question was: "Do the robbers live
among us, or have they come from a
distanceP' This query was still going
from mouth to mouth when we were
startled, astounded indeed, by the re-
port of second robbery of the same
premises, and on the night following
by the breaking into and purloining of
a provision warehouse in our own vii
lage. Were l writing fiction, would
not have made the robbers pay so soon
a second visit to the jewelers., as such
an act would have been deemed pre-
posterous; but am relating what real
" occurred, and so am forced to say
what l have said.
The ieWeler had been so taken up by
efforts to find out the thieves and re-
gain his first loss that he had not placed
additional guard over what was left;
besides he was sure. he said that
thieves would not think of revisiting
him for a long time. As for the pro
vision dealer, he said in my hearing
that he had no fear of his place being
entered, as be believed robbers would
not care to touch property so bulky and
of such inferior value as his. But he
had reckoned without his host; for he
had lost a fine ham, large lot Of tea,
deal Of spices, few boxes Of cigars,