The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-27
THAT WATCH
AGAIN IN THE POSSESSION OF
DIR. SM00T, AND THE
THIEF IN JAIL.
A Full Account of the Detection and
Capture of the Bur-
glar at Waco.
The Watch Found Buried in the
Earth Under a Fence Cor
ner Near the City.

1 l. SJdJeu
yesterday, DR.. Smoot is again in pos
session of his watch, the chain and
charm. The doctor is exceedingly
happy, and the recovery is due to the
doctors shrewdness alone. THE
STATESMAN has before alluded to
the peculiar history of this valuable
time piece which is sure to bring any
thief to justice who touches, it. A
thousand years ago in the history of
the world when superstition was the
strongest element of the human mind
and men attributed the cause of all
strange happenings to supernatural
agency, this watch of the LEARNED di-
vine would have glvel rise, to tale
as wonderful as the story of Aladen
and his lamp. Indeed the most of the
marvels of ancient history had not
half the foundation for their basis as
the history of DR.. Shoots watch.
HAD OLD HERoDoTUs
been. relating its magic history he
would have said: In these wonderful
days there was man, very pious and
who faithfully served his God. He was
minister of the Presbyterian faith and
greatly beloved by those who gath
cred to listen to his preaching. His
goodness exceeded that of all men, and
so greatly beloved was he by his peo-
pie that the women of his congrega-
ton by and with the advise of their
husbands purchased for him most
valuable watch. The watch was of
fine gold and wrought with skillful
workmanship, but greater than all it
possessed supernatural powers. No
man could take the gift from its pos
SCISSOR without the most dire calamity
Detailing him. Sogreat was
ITS MAGIC INFLUENCE
that the watch would not only find
its way back to the good divine but
would bring the wicked man who
tried to dispossess its owner
of it to prison and slavery.
Several times did it do this. The first
time was wheniit was in the possession
of the goldsmith to be engraved, even
before il. had been presented to the good
man, but after it had been purchased
by the ladies for him. A thief saw it
in the show cases of the smith, and
its beauty greatly impressed him. He
resolved to make it his own. The fol-
lowing night he robbed the smith and
took the watch, but it brought the
thief to justice it gave
evidence that sent him to prison
and the wonderful watch went to the
good man. Several years afterwards,
and when its owner had
REMOVED TO ANOTHER LAND
a highway robber met him on the
street and forced him, under threats
of killing him, to surrender the magic
watch. The good man told him of
engraving upon 1t, which would bring
any man who stole it to justice, and
the robber, after looking at it, did not
dare take it, and returned it to its
owner. But the magic of the watch
was such that it sealed the fate of the
thief who had put his sacrilegious
hands upon it. Shortly after a pal
betrayed the man and the good preach
er and the wonderful watch came
into court to testify against him and
he was sent for many long years to
prison. Again a very bold bad mar
went, in the dead of the night, to the
residence of the pious doctor and re-
moving the fastenings from the win
dows of his house entered and
STOLE THE WONDERFUL WATCH.
He took it to distant city and buried
it in the earth but It's influence was
such that the owner was advised of
its whereabouts and he went to the
place where it was buried and recov-
cred it. The thief was arrested and
sent to prison. Such would have been
the account in the good old days of
the past and even now most people
will look upon the history of the
watch as wonder. When the doctor
discovered his loss he
WROTE TO ALL
the Presbyterian ministers in the state
requesting each to place the descrip-
ton in the possession of all the pawn
brokers and jewellers of the city in
which he resided. These men prompt
ly obeyed the doctors request, and
through this forethought on the part
of DIR. Smoot the willy thief was de-
tected and the watch recovered.
Among the others he wrote to Rev.
q. II. Dobb5, of Waco, and he placed
the description In all the pawn shops
and jewelry stores of that place. AT
Mr.. Van Halls the chain was found.
Mr.. Van ball had received it but
SHORT TIME BEFORE,
and he volunteered to go with gen.
tleman by the name of Ragland to try
and find the fellow who disposed of it.
They had long and tiresome hunt,
but just as they were about to give it
up as a bad job they ran on to him.
He was arrested and lodged in jail,
and DR.. Smoot telegIaphed for. He
went to Waco by the first train, TAX
ing Sheriff Hornsby with him. The
doctor visited the man in prison and
persuaded him to tell him where
THE WATCH WAS.
and he did SO saying it was buried
under fence corner about mile
from the city. Here not only DIR.
Shoots watch was found but Col.
Driskilrs as well. The thief was
brought to Austin and lodged in Jail
to await the action of the grand jury.
He was visited by STATESMAN rep
resentative in prison but he refused to
make any statement. He has all the
appearance of shrewed, bad crimi-
nal and such no doubt be is. He is a
white man about thirty-five years old
and louks as if he belonged to the
lowest grade of the gentry" He
may perhaps save his bacon by giving
Justice slice of that of his fellows
in crime.