The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-01-19
SELECT STORY.
THE LITTLE DETECTIVE.

one OF our great rivers. The money
taken was chiefly gold, large deposit
of which had just been made. In those
days the bank safes and vaults were
less secure than now, and the combina.
ton lock was unknown Neither were
burglars so skillful rs 10 these davs
but there were some who very neatly
mastered all the locks of the bank in
question, one dark night, and quietly
removed its piles of gold
The whole detective force of the city
was on the alert next day, and the eyes
of Argus watched the levee, the rail
way stations, the streets and by-ways.
Over forty thousand dollars had been
stolen, and reward of eight thousand
dollars was already offered for the cap
ture of the robbers and the recovery OF
the money.
There was member of the detective
force, named Donnelly, who had long
been target for the ralley of his fel.
lows. One reason was that he was
very short in stature, his Height being
FIVE feet five and his weight one hun.
dred and sixteen, and another was that
he had never accomplished anything Of
Importance. He had been kept down,
probably to mistaken notion of his
real worth, and had been generally as
signed to duty in petty larceny,where a
stolen coat or cloak was to be looked
up among the pawn-brokers or dealers
i'll secondhand clothing.
Donnelly, too, was excitable, as O
detective ought not TO be, and on this
occasion he entered the chiefs office
and nervously said
81 know where the geld is !"
"Where 2 asked the chief smiling
while several officers present winked al
each other.
81 saw them take it on board boa,
at the levee."
"IIow do you knows Did you see
the coin itself p
"No; they didn't have it loose in 9
wheebarrow, like COAL, replied Don
nelly, little stung. "I'm not joking
sir, and mean what say saw the
gold taken on board the Water Lily.
"Pretty name, anyhow" suggested
one of the detectives.
"How was it taken aboard? ?" asked
the chief more gravely.
SIN three carpet-bags."
"Well, how do you know the golC
was in them?"
"They were very heavy, for one
thing"
| U\Vall7"
Sand they were carried by two well
dressed white men. One carried two
and he could hardly walk with them
while the other carried the third. They
must have been valuable,or they woulc
have been intrusted to the darkeys.'
"When does the Water Lily leave
asked the chief, somewhat interested.
"She steams up the river for NJ, a,
four o'clock. She has but small
cargo
"Well, Mr. Neff, you and Mr.. Will
son, go with him and look at those car
pet bags" said the chief, addressing
two of the detectives.
The three left, and in half an houl
Neff and Wilson returned in q high
state Of mirth.
"Well, did you find them 2" asked
the chief
"Yes, lying carelessly in a stateroom
and the doors wide open. We examin
ed them and found that they weighed
about three pounds each. The question
is, whether they contain four shirts ant
nine handkerchiefs, or five boots anC
seven collars"
"Where's Donnelly?' asked the chic
very much amused.
"We left him at the levee. He wa
ashamed to come back, no doubt"
"Really you fellows plague him to-
much
eyes" replied Neff we'll destro,
his usefulness if we keep on"
But little Donrelly was not satisfied
He called at the bank which had beer
robbed, and at his suggestion the Off
GERS procured search warrant, anC
that afternoon every nook and corne
of the "Water Lily" capable of con
cealing a dime, was searched, but NJ
trace of the stolen money was found
The captain was indignant and tn,
passengers grumbled at being detained
half an hour. The officers of the banl
and the law officers who had executed
the search warrant humbly apologized
The chief talked of removing Donnell,
from the force. ,...,
"The "Water Lily" steamed up the
river at half-past four, with half
dozen cabin passengers and one decl
passenger. The latter was a ragged
dirty faced boy, of apparently seven
teen. lie wanted to 90 to M, an(
had barely enough money to take
deck passage,
The black columns of smonr AMI tn,
white wreaths of steam rolled up int,
the sky; the green shores glided by ol
either side, and new pictures OF natur,
unfold far up the river at every curve
the passengers lounged and smoked
day faded, night came on, and tn,
lonely pilot watched the hilltops anc
the stars and the solitary deck pas
senger, after gazing on the rushin!
water and the picturesque shores till al
were swallowed up in darkness, becam
drowsy, went and crawled INTO bum
and snored.
AT midnight the "Water Lily" round
ed to tie up al her destination. Stear
was blown off and several passenger
went ashore, but not those who carrie
the three carpetbags. Most of tn
crew also went ashore, as though the
belonged there, and things were 500
quiet on the water Lily Hour
went by; the fires under the boiler
died out, and the iron grew cold.
Meanwhile the deck passenger la
snoring; and with dull ears and close
eyes, how was he to hear the stealth
tread of feet on the boiler deck, or st
a the light that, about three o'clock in th
morning, came family back among tn
p rude sleeping-bunks' 1t was at thi
hour that three men moved quietl
about the deck, one of them carrying
lantern.
"We cant be too careful. Bette
make sure, said one, in low tone.
swell, let's go back aud look" re
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