Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-09-06
EXPERT THIEVING.
HOW PRIVATE HOUSES ARE WORKED
BY INGENIOUS CROOKS.

Cies Just Dei1Vereu-A Ouutilnk IN |
Connection With Lost Articles.
During the cold weather of the early
part of the year an eastern lady visiting
at a we'll known house in the heart Of
the city ordered from prominent fur
rier costly wrap of Russian sable. AL
terations in the garment were necessary,
and as they would require time and the
lady was about returning east she re-
uuested her hostess to receive the wrap |
and forward it to her. The long box was
delivered on the promised day, and the
sable wrap was just being packed for ex-
pressage when the front door bell again
pealed sharply, and message, purport-
ing to come from the furrier, was
brought.
1t was to the effect that an alteration,
particularly directed, had been over
looked. The furrier requested the return
of the garment and the mistake would
be rectifed that same afternoon. The
huge box was about to be intrusted to the
messenger when fortuitous impulse
came to its guardian. She returned word
to the messenger that she declined to take
the responsibility of permitting anything
so valuable to be taken away without
written order, but would herself call at
the furrier's the following morning.
That call confirmed suspicious. The
furrier had authorized no one to recover
the wrap. 1t was easy to draw conclu-
sions.
Again, and yet more recently, a lady
resident of West Walnut street found on
her return home one mild afternoon that
valuable jewel watch had fallen from
its chatelaine and left no traces behind.
That evening her husband hastened to
have the loss advertised in the morning
papers. At breakfast the "Lost and
Found" columns were carefully read.
The valuable chatelaine watch was de-
scribed in the "Lost" lines, and to the
joy Of husband and wife another sad. !"
was found detailing the discovery Of a
lady's jeweled watch on the street in the
same vicinity. Mr.. and Mrs. Smith, as
they may be called, were still discussing
breakfast and the lost watch when a
man was announced.
"About lost WATCH" 80 ran his mes
sage, picked up the previous evening
on the pavement below"
"My watch, I'm confident" she ex-
claimed, springing from her chair.
$50 you said few moments ago, when
you read the Found advertisement" re;
monstrated her husband. But she hur.
ried through the doorway, the caution
"Be careful what you say" ringing in
her ears.
"You lost watch; found one," sc
began the man. Describe yours, please.
Mrs. Smith did SO, while the stranger
kept his left hand closed, seemingly, ovel
the lost trinket.
"Your watch number II that l mus
have" continued the man as she finished
a brief but clear description. Quite i'm
pressed by his concise, businesslike man
ner, she consulted card on which sh
had methodically jotted down her treas
ure's number. The man repeated tn
figures slowly after her.
after all, this doesn't appear to b
your watch" he said ceolly, exhibiting
cheap timepiece of rolled gold.
Grumbling over the wasted moments
she quickly donned her street suit an
hastened to the neighboring house fro1
It where the "Found" notice had issued
h She was met on the threshold by tn
d neighbor herself, whose excited greetin
q was:
$50 glad we were the fortunate finder
Of your beautiful watch. Bridget saw
shining on the pavement as she was ligh
ing the vestibule lamp. When you
brother called 20 minutes or so ago, W
were as pleased to give him the watch g
he was to get it. Of course we were carr
full to have it described, which he di
NJ accurately, giving the exact number
10 etc.
Mrs. Smith is still minus her prett
Is Jewel, but she has learned a costly lie
son.
y The audacity of these house thieves
a. often really amusing. They will go
rs any extent and take the greatest risk
accomplish their ends. One more exam
a pie like the aforementioned, true on
ID In a commodious down town residence
re valuable ornament in the library is
bust Of Andrew Jackson, cut in sol
,r marble by master hand. The house
IN u head, now in the "great majority 1ank
in was a man noted for his wide sympathi
ID and generous views. 1t did not excl
much comment at his house when, o.
al day, a couple of men called and stat
te @ that the colonel had directed them
1t carry the jackson bust to his Office, n
es far distant, where it was to figure In
early political demonstration.
~ ~ The ladies of the family were not
he home, but an old Irish woman, Who HI
. for years been a fixture in the kitche
Il. caught sight of the bust as it was bel
'TIe carried out of the door. She was {
he tached to the family she had served
long, their interests were hers, and s
X managed to gain upon the two men, W
Of were hurrying down the street, b,
er dened with the heavy marble.
n "You take that figger right back to t
er er house" commanded the aproned CAPITA
ed "Take it back, or I'll call a perlee'
man. Eff the colonel wanted that f
ger, he'd a-written fur it. You ke1
it back"
ing The men saw that the dumpy, call
er- gowned maid meant business. Tt
ion did "kerry" the bust back. else the co
mel would have mourned valuable
epf I nament, for he had not authorized
her removal. Philadelphia Times.