Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-01
on encounteripp the naturalist. "Ihave

on encountering the naturalist. have
come to take away few more parcels of
your cheap provisions"
1 saw the old gardener was detected 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 the chair he cried out
81 am not the thief; the thieves are
there" pointing to the door, and nearing,
I could see, his son and his confederates,
though they were not present.
We went into the museum. The first
thing the old gardeners | shall still call
him-did was to take hold of Bruce"
while he desired one of his comrades to lay
hold of Wonder" On moving them
noise of loose metal was heard. A mo-
ment's examination sufhced to reveal the
secret. In an off side of each animal, in
the soft part, an orifice had been made by
cutting the skin in such way as to enable
the operator to replace it with little care.
A part of the stufhng had been removed,
leaving a vacancy just like throstle's
nest. This was filled with jewelry-
watches, guards, earrings and finger rings.
A further examination of the museum
revealed other and as singular hiding
places for example, game cock was
found put out of sight; on taking hold OF
it noise of clinking metal was heard. On
lifting up the feathers over the crop
small hole was seen, out of which rolled,
when the bird was shaken, a number OF
trinkets.
Nearly all the proceeds of the two rob-
berries of the jeweler were recovered, one
watch and few guards only being absent.
And some of the property of the provision
dealer was also found slowed in the breed
ing box, though most of it had been used
or sold. l scarcely need say that the par.
Gel 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, entire
ly on speculation. While making
survey of the neighborhood few days
before he began to play his part,
he had observed the backward state of the
landlords garden, and believing that he
would readily catch at chance of getting
it finished off in cheap way, and being
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 then, and
so, could he lodge there without being
known or suspected, he might come at all
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 dis.
tant town and were old hands-was like
wise convicted and punished, but the
fourth, for some forgotten reason, got off.
My friend came in for the good reward
offered in this case, and for the part which
l bad taken in the affair, the jeweler gave
me gold pencil holder, which | treasure
as memento Il Chambers Journal.