Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1889-01-11

OF n robbery which had boon committe,
in the neighboring town OF -,
month or moro before.
Mr.. Hammond, wealthy gentleman
VINO owned fine place on the bank o
the - river, had been robbed OF sev
eral thousand dollars worth OF jewel
ry, silverware and other things, among
which was n very fine collection o
precious stones, both cut and uncut
No trace OF tho stolen articles had
been found; nor had any clew TO the
identity OF the burglars been discov'
cred.
Finding by comparing dates, that
the robbery was committed the night
before left home, jumped at n con-
clusion; the men in the woods, whom |
had seen making the strange burial OF
n trunk, were the robbers, and were
burying their plundcr on the day fol-
lowing the robbery.
had spoken to no one Of what saw
that day; in fact, did not remember
thinking OF that scene again, until
heard of Mr.. Hammond's loss.
Thinking 1t duty to inform Mr.
Hammond OF what had seen, drove
over to - the next day, and called at
his house; although personally we were
unknown to each other.
was ushered into the parlor by the
servant, who took my card to his mas
ter, and | waited some time for his ap-
pearance While thinking over what l
should say by way of introduction to
the story | had come to tell, / was
startled by seeing before me, in the
doorway, one of the very men | had
seen bury the trunk! 1t was the tall,
well-dressed one.
Before / had recovered from the
shock of surprise caused by the sight of
him, he advanced with the case of II
well-brcd host and welcomed me, call
ing my name, and putting the matter
beyond doubt that this was Mr.. Ham,
mond himself.
"a am very sorry to have kept you
waiting so long, Mr.. Brainard," said he,
seating himself near me, "but have
been busy with some men who have
been out hunting for my missing gar
dener, who disappeared so mysteriously
the day before yesterday. You may
have heard about it?"
There was no doubt that this was Mr..
Hammond, the owner of the house; but
what should / say to him? Tell him
that had seen him in the woods that
day helping to bury the treasure of
which he had been robbed? No; that
was too absurd"
Not being able now to speak OF the
motive for my call, ! decided to answer
his last words, and trust to the drift OF
the conversation to help me. So ans
wered rather awkwardly:
mo, / had not heard of your gar
dener's disappearance; but l heard
last night for the first time, of the rob-
berry that occurred here about month
ago."
Yes; that was as mysterious and in
explicable as the disappearance of the
gardener; but the latter occurrence has
so engrossed my attention for the past
two days as to put the former almost
out OF my mind"
What sort of looking man was
your gardenerP" l asked, not knowing
what to say, but wishing to say some
thing.
"a rather striking-looking man on
account OF his powerful physique. He
was not tall man, being trihe under
the average height, in fact; but from
his hips up he was one OF the stongest-
looking men l ever saw. Here, can
show you, much better than l can de-
scribe, how he looks
Rising, Mr.. Hammond walked to the
corner OF his room, and returned with
a photograph of his house. The gar
dener had been taken in the view, and
there he stood-the very man whom
saw in the woods, burying the trunk.
l could not mistake that figure and face.
A small head surmounted the shoul-
ders. The face was plainly distinguish
able in the picture and could, without
difficulty, indentify it us the one had
seen through my telescope.
Mr.. Hammond probably noticed my
critical examination of the picture, for
he broke the silence which lasted dur
ing my long scrutiny by asking:
"Did you ever happen to see him, Mr..
Brainard?"
YES" said /. "and under circum-
stances so peculiar that to tell you
about it was the sole object of this
call"
"Indeed!"
al did not know until now," con-
tinued, THAT he was your gardener, or
that he had disappeared; but the day
after the robbery at your house l saw
this man." tapping the photograph
with my finger as l spoke, with an
other man, in piece of woods not far
from here, carrying trunk containing
something heavy, and l saw this man
dig hole and bury the trunk"
"Another man, do you say? What
sort of looking man" asked Mr.. Ham
mond, quickly.
"By no means so striking in his indi-
viduality," l replied. "He was taller
than the gardener, / should say"
"And his face; did you see thatP
Could you recognize him?"
NO" said !, answering the last
question only, II did not tell you, that
l saw the whole affair with my tele-
scope from my observatory in -. |
had been studying sun spots, and by the
merest chance, was looking around
the country with my terrestial eye
piece, when i happened upon this scene
in the woods"
1t may have been my Imagination
which made me think Mr.. Hammond
breathed more easily.
"What you have told me does much
to clenr up The mystery both OF the rob-
berry and the disappearance OF the gar
dener. Strange, that we should rot
have though of the relations these two
events might bear to each other! But