San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-02
The Daily Eight.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY, 2, 1889

TIE town wSc~Oerrorlzed-waS drawing it mild.
Business was almost at standstill, and
many citizens would not leave their homes
by day or evening. On the fifth day after
the fourth robbery the unknown rascal
showed his hand again. This time it was a
private house which was robbed. A widow
named Stafford, who kept money, jewelry
and valuable papers in the house, collected
everything with the intention of placing
them in the bank. The package was left on
a table in the sitting room, while she went
up stairs for something, and when she re-
turned, after an absence of only five or six
minutes, it was gone. There wasn't a soul in
the house. Not person had approached it,
and yet the package was gone.
There was another public meeting, and
money was subscribed to hire Boston de-
tective One came down and looked the
ground over and said he would soon lay
hands on the robber AS my aunt was the
first victim, he had considerable talk with
her, and | overheard most of it. 1t was
eight days between the fifth and the sixth
robbery, and then, oddly enough, it was the
detective who was robbed. He had a second
floor room at the hotel, and during the night
some one entered his window by way Of tho
kitchen roof and robbed him Of his gold watch
and purse the latter containing about $50
If the officer was furious, the townspeople
were ready to burn some one at the stake.
The detective had scarcely eaten his break
fast when he made the arrest of a young man
who had Just established writing school in
the town, and heard him say that he would
wager his reputation that he had the right
party at last.
do, s,,ba ~ 7 Asl,i
again. While skirting the sound, two miles
from town, it came or to rain, and | sought
shelter in deserted house near the beach,
but facing the highway. 1t was a small, one
story affair, with doors and windows gone,
and many leak. in the roof l sat down in
the large room for while, and then boys
curiosity led me to look into the bedroom
As entered something jumped at me with a
scream gave me a severe scratch across the
face, and went out Of the house with a rush.
l ran to the door in time to see Capt. Pro
basco's pet monkey, Mingo, going up the
road like flash | returned to the bedroom
to see what he had been up TO, and there in
heap on the floor, covered with an old horse
blanket, was every single article and dollar
carried off in the six robberies.
/ must explain about Mingo. Capt. Pro
basco was a seafaring man, generally max
ing voyages to the east. On his return from
India, four months previously, he had
brought the monkey with him. ] forget
what port the ship was lying in when ma
tive brought Mingo aboard as a present to
the captain. On the very firsC night the
captain lost a roll Of bills containing $50. 1t
so happened that one Of his crew deserted,
and the theft was laid TO the man. On the
next night his watch was taken, and this
time no one could be suspected. watch
was set, and 10! on the third night the
monkey was caught as he was making of
with a bag of dollars from a cabin locker
His master had presented him to the captain
that he might rob the cabin and bring him
the plumber. Capt. Probasco's first thought
was to kill the monkey. but he thought bet
ter of it and chained him up, hoping that
the native would come spying around to find
out what had happened. II he did he was
not seen, and when the ship sailed for home
Mingo was still a prisoner. He was so know
ing and kind tempered that the captain de-
cided to bring him home. Every one in the
town knew the beast, but, as the captain
had only told his story to a few, no one had
suspected the rascal Of the robberies He
had not stolen from the ProbascOs, because
they were his masters, and he had secreted
the things in the old house because he once
went there with the captain, and the latter
went picking about as in search Of some hid
den treasure
The rain continued to pour down steadily,
and as did not want to leave the house un-
til could take the stolen property with me
without damage, | waited for break. At
about o'clock in the afternoon, as | stood at
window looking out on the strip
of marsh between the house and the
beach, | caught sight of MingO COM
ing back He was wet and bedraggled and
forlorn, but the instinct of thievery was
stronger than his dislike Of the weather. He
had in his mouth large wallet, and he came
softly up to the house, listened for a while to
make sure that had gone, and then s.rang
into the bedroom window and deposited his
plunder with the rest. He did not stay long,
and when he had gone l found the wallet to
be the property of a man who owned a grst
mill in the town. 1t contained eco and many
papers. At O'Clock | bundled up the
plumber anG started for home. The seventh
mysterious robbery had almost set the town
crazy. Three arrests had been made. and
the Boston detective was making a speech in
the town hall.
= If ever a small boys appearance created
stir in a community mine was a climex. !
left the bundle at my aunt'5 and went over to
the hall to tell the news, and had no sooner
uttered it than was put under arrest and
denounced as a liar. However, had proofs
all the way round, and within an hour | was
u hero The detective had to let all his pris-
,ners go free, and he was compelled to pay
the writing master $50 or stand a suit, and of
all the people in the case he got the least
credit. When the monkeys guilt was clear