The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-07-06
MONK"

keeper, and asked the general mar
ager for a job.
In appearance he was almos
!; hideous, his face being wider than
was broad, surmounted by pate
of woolly hair that came to the yer
; edge of his eyebrows; so close, i
fact, that the point of beginnin
could not be determined of either
A cayernous mouth, containing
rows of fangs that were continual,
in sight, opened beneath a nose O
startling flatness.
A short, chunky body, with lonl
arms and hands, that were seldom
still, completes the best description
can give of Monk"
The only thing that secured him
a place was the shortness of hands
for the general manager turned t.
me when the negro walked out
and said.
"Did you ever see such an evil
face on a human being?"
My reply was in the affirmative
Monk, however, much to my sur.
prise, proved to be one of the best
men we had, and everything went
on as usual: until about two months
after his appearance.
Then we began to be bothered
with petty thieving from the com
missary, which bafned the sharp
eyed clerk who held full sway in
that department.
/ should have mentioned before
that the scene Of this action was at
a large sawnill, where, as is the
case with all large manufacturers,
we sold goods to our employees.
The robberies, at first small and of
little consequences, soon began to
grow oftener and on larger scale.
Articles were marked and all such
plans worked, but to no purpose,
for the thief would leave the marked
goods and take something else.
Finally it got 80 boldly committed
that the general manager secured
the help of q detective and put him
at work on the case.
After a couple of weeks the de-
tective came into the Office and
went into the private room of the
general manager.
After a conference of a few mo-
ments they came out smiling.
"We've got him." chuckled my
employer, "and who do you think
it is?"
Monk" I replied, my first
thought being of the meanest look
ing negro on the place.
Correct" said the general man.
ager, "and what do you suppose he
did with the stuff he took2"
"That's more than I can tell"
"Well, the detective is to show
US tonight, and he says we will
not hurt Monk for it, if we are the
people he takes US to be-"
That night the general manager,
detective and myself were secreted
near the commissary, waiting for
Monk to show himself.
About 10 o'clock we saw his ugly |
form come sliding through one Of
The windows in company with two
sacks of -four and numerous other
bundles.
He stood still for short time
after getting to the ground, and
ooked carefully around then, as
as if satisfied he was unseen, he
his load and marched
silently off; with US in the rear.
He went about two miles through
he woods, and finally came to q
lalt before a small cabin.
Softly he crept to the door and
istened, as if to be sure no one
vas up. Then he took one of the
acks Of -four and laid it noiselessly
N the floor steps, and piled some
# the other packages on it. This
lone he went on with the rest of his
Dad. His actions were a perfect
nystery to me, and the detective
aid:
81 want you to stay here until
ay, to watch the person who takes
hat stuff away, while this gentle
IAN and / will follow him to the {
ther places"
l agreed, and began a lonely i
'atch.
The hours before day seemed I
ges, but when the first rays of the {
IN gilded the waving trees, was I
lert and at my post.
Just q few moments after the sun +
rose, the door was opened by a I
tile girl, who gave cry of delight,
, her eyes fell on the provisions, 9
nd called to some one in the house:
"Old Sanity has been here again. " n
In answer to her cry boy joined |
sr and the two lifted the -four and |
ackages and moved them into the v
ouse.
When they disappeared, I crept b
oser to the cabin and peered fl
rough a hole between the logs, +
Id this il what I saw:
In one corner of the little 10x13 c
om. on an old and torn mattress, Il
Y the form of 2 woman. covered a