Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-08-18
ascending tho steps, my husband

Sa0
Gamma, I shall have to let you 90
in alone. l have an attack Of neu.
ralgia and shall be obliged to 20 home
for awhile. will come for you later
in the evening"
1 was anxious to remain with him,
but he would not let me. I was con-
stantly looking toward the door to
see Harry enter. 1t was very late
when he came and there was an air
of suppressed excitement about him
that aroused my curiosity.
AS soon as we were walking toward
home he told me how he had spent
the evening. Ever since u twilight
encounter with Mary, Harry had sus-
pcctcd that all vas not right. Our
invitation out was the first real ex.
cuse we had to leave the house i'm
her charge, and he welcomed it as
giving him an opportunity to prove
If Mary was the thief he suspcctcd
her To he. His attack of neuralgia
was feigncd, and, after leaving me.
he hast ly returned to our home.
The house vas dark except for IL
bright light in the Kitchen. Mary
sat near an open window sewing and
looking SO r and sincere that
Harry fc'tcuitc ashamed as the Quietly
stole behind a lilac bush, where he
could command IL good wow of the
Kitchen and its occupant. lie waited
nearly an hour without seeing any.
thing suspicious. and was about nov.
ing away from his hiding place when
the town clock struck nine. This
seemed to be u signal for Mary to
fold up her work, and he heard her
say (she had Il way OF talking to her.
self:)
ut is time to begin proceedings. or
the folks may be home sooner than L
expect"
She took Il bunch of keys from her
pocket, lighted candle aud vanished
through the door lead ng to the din
ing room. Harry moved around to
the front of the house and saw IL
light in n front bedroom upstairs.
1t disappeared for a moment and
again shone out from the third-story
window, the where the chest
OF silver was kept.
AS my husband heard her descend
ing the staircase he returned to his
post 10y the Kitchen window, lust in
time to see Mary appear with her
hands full of silverware and his
winter overcoat and my sealskin
Jacket over her arm. She disappeared
down the cellar stairs. My husband
by STOPPING could look into this win
dow and saw her open the furnace
door and place the silver carefully in
side, with the overcoat and Jacket
neatly folded on top When she re.
turned to the attic for more booty,
Harry, knowing she would he gone
for some time, went to tho station
house and secured the service of the
only constable the place afforded. To-
gether they returned to the house
and saw Mary depositing the second
load of silver in the cellar. The
constable wished to arrest Mary at
once but Harry restrained him saying:
"We will see the play out"
AS the clock struck eleven she re-
appeared in the Kitchen and locked
the outside door. She then put u
short ladder she had brought from the
cellar outside the pantry window,
leaving it open, probably meaning to
show this was the way the burglars
had entered. Then she threw the
furniture about as if there had been
a terrific struggle. From the cup
board under the sink, she took out
ropes and a gag. Tying her ankles
securely, she adjusted the gag be-
tween her teeth, then slipped her
wrists into the loops she had made in
the ropes, dextero.. sly Tightening
them by pulling them with her
thumbs, and threw herself on the
floor as il flung down bv cruel hands.
My husband and the constable cx-
citedly watched her proceedings.
They now entered the kitchen
through the pantry window. Mary
turned her beseeching eyes to them,
as she had done the first time, when
she had SD excited our compassion.
She must have been surprised to hear
Harry say:
"At your old tricks, are you, Nary.
You have bound yourself very Sc
curely. We will carry you at once
to Jail"
The gag was in her mouth SO she
could not scream out. and quickly
they lifted and took her to a place of
security. Returning to the house,
they broke open her trunks, which
were filled with her belongings. The
constable said the family were we'll
known IN the town as a s'bad lot" 1t
seems, instead of all being dead, as
she so pathctically told ME. there
were five brothers all very much alive
and giving the constable constant
trouble to keep them in order. They
lived in a little house on the lonely
road where we had seen Mary handing
a bundle to one of her brothers.
When this house was searched, many
other things of ours were discovered,
though our silver had been melted
and disposed of. The place was
thoroughly cleaned out by the police
and the family left the town to begin
operations elsewhere.
We .ould not appear against Mary,
! and before the trial Came IN Harry