Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-04-25
A CATS PAW.

In tho basement OF the police court
building at Woolford there is II room
containing Il collection of curious OBJ
jCCtS, non" OF which perhaps would
appeal to the tastes of an antiQuary
or a collector Of bric-a braC, but of
which every separate specimen has
som" moro or less remarkable his
tor attached 10 il. | know the his
tory of most of the remarkable OBJ
lCCtS collected together in our police
museum, which to my mind is ono
of the most interesting show places
TO he found i'll the town. The lino
set of burglars tools arranged ON
the table under the window belonged
to Il noted swell mOhSman who was
other officer. The revolver hanging
against tho ClOcl, over tho FIREPLACE
and looking. harmless enough in its
present position Is the very weapon
with which n famous criminal shot
and killed an unfortunate constable
who was Cndoavoring to apprchrnd
him. The knife which hangs near
it--Dut this is not n catalogue of our
collection, and l must proceed with
my story
l have said that each of the vari-
Gus objects preserved III our museum
has some history attached to it
Some of these histories arc common
place and ordinary, but others are
moro interesting than many startling
pieces of fiction. They serve To show
tho wonderful resource and ingcnu-
ity OF the hahitual criminal, and
none more SO than that which at
tachCS to the littlu brown book which
stands on the chimney pirCC between
two pairs of dilapilatcd handCutfs
No ono who notices II III u casual
way would sec anything remarkable
about it. 1t is, to all outward APP
pcaranCc, an ordinary copy of the
"Pilgrim'S Progress, small enough
III size to be carried about III tho
pocket and apparently possessing no
value in any way. Nevertheless the
possession of that pocket edition of
BunyaA : immortal work was once
worth Il largo amount of money, and
tho lucky chance which threw it into
my hands not only brought me n
handsome prcuniarY reward, but Sc
cured mo my promotion to the rank
of inspector.
Ten years ago the town of Wool
ford was thrown into COmmOtiOn one
fine morning by news of n Skillfully
planned burglary. 1t WAS the early
part of November, and the newly
elected mayor of Woolford had cole
bratCd his accession to civic power
by giving n grand ball nj his private
residence just outside the town. He
was an exceedingly wealthy man,
and his wife was tho fortunate DOS
SCISSOR of n worry tinc set of diamonds
1t was popularity understood that
these wcrc worth at least $40. 600
ana popular opinion III this respect
was not far wrong. On the morn
ing after the ball, however, the may
Dress discovered that her diamonds
were missing. Instead of locking
them up whom she retired crest, she
had carclcssly left them lying on her
dressing table. When she awokr, the
diamonds had disappeared.
Then followed Il fine to do. Three
or four of us supposed to DC the ClcV-
crest and sharpcSt officers in the
fOrco were put III charge of the mat
ter and told to do our best. Our
best, however, resulted III ignomini-
Gus defeat. We followed tho old
mCthOd-SuSpcctrd the servants, OK.
aminCd their rooms and boxes,
watched their movements and final
ly confessed that they must all be
completely cNOnrratrd We invent
cd plausible theories and could put
none of them into practice. In the
end We concluded that the diamonds
had been stolen by an experienced
burglar, who must have boon very
we'll acquainted with the house, and
who had succeeded in doing his
work in the most accomplished fash
ion. After that there was no more
to be done. The mayor offered a
worry handsome reward for the reCOv.
cry Oh lue jewels, ana many q man :
mouth watCrrd as horCad tho amount
promised. But rs there was not
oven "lCw To the thief T. pros
poet of claiming the reward seemed
far away to every policeman.