Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-03-04

lie had had all the advantages OF a street
education and not much education of any
other sort, indeed But he had quick
eye, was full of tact, and might, | fancied
develop into a detective of the ferret
order.
The service required was explained tc
him; and to stimulate his zeal, 5000 were
promis ed in addition to his expenses, il
he detected the incendiary and procured
his conviction. He was advised to 90 to
Greenwold'as a laborer, with his bundle
and if possible, hire out in the employ Of
the Browns, or failing that, to get work on
farm near at hand.
He was hidden to report by letter to a
given address every week. We wrote to
the selectmen of the town, counselling pa
tience and silence; but not soul in
Greenwood was made aware that was
other than what he seemed to them.
We communicated with our junior
every week, but more for the purpose OF
keeping him steadily at his work than
anything else. The reader may be able
to imagine Ret going about the place with
has lce-cream and peanuts; and it is easy
to imagine that Sum Brown came in for
some close watching, both by night and
day.
Then for nearly a month his reports
were simply monotonous; but he did not
! get disheartened or disguised, nor did he
lose his head and run into wild theories.
When he had nothing to report, he said
SO. Our chief grew hopeful "Ret will
catch those Greenwood tire-bugs," he pre-
dicted
Two weeks more passed, then one day
| was sent for to come to the city office in
haste. A telegram had come from Ret
1t said: "Come to Larchville station by
first train. VIII meet you"
Larchville was ten miles from Green
void. When, in my former character of
a fruit-tree agent, | stepped off the train
Ut Larchville the following evening, about
the first person I saw was Ret, whistling
on the platform. But l saw that his eyes
snapped. We walked away together, and
when at a safe distance from other ears,
he said,-
"Ketched i'm, cap'n.'
Whom" | inquired.
"That Sum Blown"
"Sure?"
''Well, think so. You see, cap'n,"
Ret continued, GIVE mistfusted him
ever since [ saw his Old-fashioned clocks
with wooden wheels didn't quite know
why at first, but | mistrusted sumthin',
an so | watched. The TACT is, cap'n, [
watched that chap days, nights too, till
after one ev'ry morning, to see that he
didn't leave his house without nay KNOWN
it,
Last Wednesday night, about 'leven,
he slipped out his back door with sum-
thin under his arm. 1t was cloudy and
dark, but followed him, and didn't lose
sight OF i'm, though | kept back where
he didn't see me. | saw i'm cross the
bridge, an then be went up the river
road, on the other side of the stream, fer
two miles or more, up ter that upper barn
OF Anse Marshall's, the one that stands
off from his buildin's on the interval. [
saw i'm go round that barn an saw i'm
crawl under the back end, where it sets
up off the ground five or six foot. |
thought he had a light under there, but |
amt sure, fer | was some distance off,
In the alders. After he had been under
there a while, he crawled out an went
home.
wal, when l was sure that he went
L hSlAb DclOh oll SOG Tie
barn, an | lay on some straw there till it
got light little. Then l began to hunt
round, an by-an'-by, way back in one
corner, under lot OF straw an stuff, |
found somethin' which l reckon you'd |
like ter have look at, cap'n.
$50 L crawled out an come straight |
over here to Larchville and telegraphed.
Then l went back to watch Sum Brown;
an found that he had gone to Boston to |
be gone four days, about wool, his brother |
Steve said"
We could not procure team at Larch-
vile, and were compelled to walk to
Greenwood after dark last night. Toward
we reached the Marshall barn
and by the light of little lantern which
had taken along inmy Dag, Ret brought
out from under a rubbish heap, back in
one corner, an old soap-box, within which
was clock-work arrangement of wooden
wheels and pendulum.
With the exception of a few wires and
4 handspring the whole was of wood. A
arge wooden hammer was drawn back.
set, evidently, at the end of certain fixed
ime, to strike against the butt end of a
arge PHOSPHORUS match which was
pound alongside of file at such an angle
hat the stroke would be certain to strike
ire. Piled up beneath the point of the
match were other matches, a sponge
oaked in kerosene, and as much as a
'ound OF pitch. The contrivance spoke
or itself.
''You see, cap'n," said Ret, grinning
Xultantly, "he's cunnin' chap. He
made his clock of wood so that it'll burn
Ip, an leave no tell-tale wheels behind
n the ashes. An he sets it so it will run
Or a day or two, while he goes off on
so if anybody accuses i'm, he
an prove a lalljby."
"a what?' '
ga lulliby, or an alliby; some kim of a
y. You know, cap'n, wot l mean.''
Certainly, Ret" [ said. ''But what r
ext? Have you any plan for catching
i'm with this machine in his hands?
hats what you need to do to make GER
Tin thing of it."
eyes, " replied Ret. chat is, unless !
ou can tell me sumthin' better.''
"Let me hear your scheme," | said.
oval, you see, when | found his clock
)in' here the other night, l jest stopped
jest as it's now, so it won't 90 off. =.
ow, when Sum Brown comes back an =
es the barn isn't burnt, he'll think
lat it didn't strike fire, an so will come S
und next night to know the reason.
e must be on hand to catch him while .
e's under here a-lookin' at it,
l could think of no better or simpler Z
an. Ret put the mischievous clock
refully back in the place where he had
und it.
Brown did not return till the second
~ after. We watched his house that
ght, but he did not leave it either on =