Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-01
A STORY OF DETECTION.

Nv employment is that OF a carver IN
stone. Many years ago, soon after L had
learned my business, the firm in whose en-
ulov I was undertook the erection of a
1entIemans mansion, and l 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
Borocambe, not far from a market town
whose name l need not give. AS my work
would keep me from home several weeks,
a good lodging was most desirable thing !;
but although tried to get accommodation
In private house, failed, and was forced
to lodge il the village inn, the " Lord Adj
miral."
Among those who were In the habit of
freouenting the aforesaid hostelry was a
man of singular habits and odd temper.
His home was about mile from the vii
lage, on the side of lane leading to a
couple of FARMS His house, like himself,
was a queer one Originally it had been
built for the storage of corn, the produce
of fields at distance from the farmstead.
Somehow 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 floor, one of which, very large
one-was set apart and used as kind of
Museum, its occupant being suffer of
birds and small quadrupeds. When he
had no work of this sort for other people,
he worked for stock, and this large room
was his warehouse.
He was a 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 satisfactory reply. ''He lives, ="
they would say, without doing work
equal to his expenditure, which looks bad. !"
As l got to know him 1 found that he
had an unamiable temper; was morose, sour
and at times passionate. Hewas also fond
of display, given to betting, and, like all
such, led loose, uneven life, oftener
lettering about than at 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 acquaint-
ed he invited me to look over his collection
of birds and quadrupeds. l 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 made
a good assortment of butterflies and moths,
and in a corner, close to the ceiling, had
what he called butterfly breeding box,
which he said belonged to his son, young
man of my own age, also given to bird
stufing amusement.
But was most taken up with two ami
mails which differed from the rest. One
was beautiful dog, and the other lusus
L -. of
fifth leg, and some other abnormal charac-
istic which | have forgotten. The old man
said he had stuffed both for their original
owners, who had somehow failed to take
them away. They were placed in 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 connection
OF these particulars with my story will be
seen in the sequel.
had been in the village about six weeks
when the neighborhood was aroused and
alarmed one morning by the report of the
robbery of jewelers. shop in the market
town already referred to, that had been
effected during the preceding night. Much
valuable property had been taken. This
robbery had been effected in such a way
as led to the belief that gang of practical
thieves had done it. The prevailing ques-
tion was, "Do the robbers live among us,
or have they come from distance?'
This query was still going from mouth
TO mouth when we were startled, astounded
indeed, by the report of a second robbery
of the same premises, and, on the night
following, by the breaking into and pur
Joining of a provision warehouse in our own
village. Were | 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 preposterous !;
but 1 am relating what really occurred,
and 80 am forced to say what have said.
The jeweler had been SO taken up by
efforts to find out the thieves and regain
his first loss, that he had not placed addi-
tional guard over what was lett besides,
he was sure, he said, that thieves would
not think of revisiting him for long time.
As for the provision dealer he said in my
hearing that he had no fear of his place
being entered, as he believed robbers would
not care to touch property so bulky and of
such inferior value as his. But he reck-
oned without his host, for he had lost a
fine ham, a large lot of tea, deal of spices,
a few boxes of cigars, and, indeed, por-
ten of most of what he dealt in. The ex-
citement and alarm occasioned were great
and widespread.
Two patches of detectives-one from
Lancaster and one from Kendal-came to
our village to see what they could find out
They were not short of questions, mind,
but they took care what sort of questions
they answered. 1t was easy to see that
one of their aims was to make it appear
that they believed the robbers came from a
distance, in order to put the thieves off
their guard for their own opinion was the
opposite of this.
No event, however serious, can keep
hold CT peoples minds beyond certain
time and these roboeries were beginning
to give place to some other subject, when
the next act in the drama began to be
played. 1t was on Friday afternoon, about
a month after the robberies. The day was
wet and wild, and as my work was the
outdoor carving of stones which had been
placed in position in the rough, was un-
able TO 90 on with it, and SO had to return
to my quarters. had got my dinner, and
had Just called for a pint of ale with nv
pipe, when an elderly, addressed man
came in, and sitting down on bench be-
side me, said in broad Lancashire accent,
"I'll sup wi tina, if tina doesn't care :" on
which ne lifted my mug to his lips and
drank freely. l had not gotten over my
surprise when he, wiping his mouth with
his hand, gave me history of the past day
or two. The account was this He had
been gentleman's gardener near Lancas-
ter, over twenty years; had capital
place, but had not had sense enough to
keep it, for he had gone on the loose for q
fortnight, which was more than his master
would put up WITH SO he was discharged.
"This wor day afore yesterday" he said,
San I've drank for vary vexation ever
sin, trampin' as drank; an SO here am
WI dry math, an wi out 'openny i my
pocket. Doesta think" he concluded,
$ aw con raise penny or tippence amang
tn company ?"
gave him trihe others did the same
so, having thus raised the wind, he
called for bread and cheese, and ale, and
made good meal.
During the time the gardener had been
talking to me, the landlord had been within