Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-04-12

THE LITTLE DEFECTIVE.

Not far from the year 1850, bold
bank robbery took place in asouthern
city, located ON the shores Of one of
our great rivers. The money taken
Yves chiefly gold, large deposit of
which had jpst been made. In those
days the bank safes and vaults were
less secure than now, and the oombi-
nation lock WAS unkno Rn. Neither
were the burglars 30 skIllful as in these
days; but there were some who very
neatly mastered all the locks of the
bank in question one dark night, and
quietly removed ito piles Of gold.
The whole detective force Of the city
was on the alert next day. and the eyes
of the Argus watched the levee, The
railroad stations, the streets and by
WAYS, Over forty thousand dollars had
been stolen and reward of eight thou
sand dollars was already offered for
the capture Of the robbers and the
recovery of the money.
There was a member of the detective
force, named Donnelly who had long
been n target for the raillery of his
fellows. One reason was that he was
very short in stature, his height being
five feet and his weight one hundred
and sixteen and another was that he
never accomplished anything of inn
portance. He had been kept down."
probably to n mistaken notion of his
real worth, and had generally been
assigned to duty in petty larceny where
stolen coat or cloak was to be looked
up among the pawn-brokers and
dealers in secondhand clothing.
Donnelly too, WAS excitable, as a de
tective ought not to be, and on this
occasion he entered the chiefs Office
nervously and said;
81 know where the gold is
"WhereY asked the chic, smiling
while several officers winked at each
other.
81 saw them take it on board a boat
at the levee."
"How do you know2 Did you see the
coin itself2'
"No; they didn't have it loose in s
wheelbarrow, 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.
Glow was it taken aboard?' asked
the chief more gravely.
"In three carpet bags"
"Well, how do you know that golt
was in them?'
"They were carried by two well-dross
ed white men. One carried two and III
could hardly walk with them; whil
the other carried the third. They mus
have been valuable, or they would hay,
been intrusted to the darkeys."
when does the Water Lily leave2
asked the chief, somewhat interested.
"She steams up the river for NJ
at four o'clock. She has but smal
cargo"
"Wel, Mr.. Nef. you and Mr.. Wi
hanson go with him aud look at thos
carpet bags" said the chief, addressin
two of the detectives
The three left and in half an hou
NtH and Williamson returned in
high state of mirth.
well, did you find them?' asked tn
chief.
Eyes, lying in a stateroom and ia
doors wide open. We examined then
and found that they weighed about tire
pouEds each. The question is whethe
they contain four shirts and nine hand
kerchicts, or five BOOTS and seven co
lars"
where's Donnelly," asked the chic
very much amused.
Eve left him at the levee. He wa
ashamed to come back, no doubt"
"ReaHy, you fellows plague him to,
much.
Eyes" replied Nef, "wen destro
his usefulness If we keep on"
But little Donnelly was not satisfied
He called at the bank which had bee,
robbed, and at his suggestion the off
GERS procured search warrant, AM
that afternoon every nook and corne
of the "WAer Lily" capable of cor
cealing a dime, was searched, but n
trace of the stolen money was found
The captain was indignant, and Tia
passengers grumbled at being detaine
half an hour. The officers Of the ban
and the law officers who had execute