Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-02-20

'-A'romancer'
"That is immateriaI Suppose that !
should plan robbery In order TO decide
this wager. As necessity would not urge
me either as to time or place, should
choose my opportunity. let rs say, when
but one person guarded the treasure.
That one should chloroform and also
tie. Next. should help myself to the
designated plunder. Suppose that as !
were about to depart a sleeping. uncal-
culated for pet dog should jump out and
bark furiously? ! reach for IL, and it
snaps at me. biting my hand / grapple
1t by the throat and strangle it, but in
its death throes it bites my vest, and a
button falls to the ground and rolls
away. The dog is at last silenced. Your
ordinary burglar by this time would be
so unnerved that he would hasten of,
not even realizing that he had been bit
ten, that blood had flowed, or that the
button was lost Mr.. Barnes is sent to
the house the next day. The lady sus-
poets her coachman, and Mr.. Barnes
consents to his arrest, not because he
thinks him guilty, but because, as the
mistress thinks so, he may be, and then
more especially, his arrest will lull the
fear of the real culprit. Mr.. Barnes
would observe blood ON the ground, ON
the dogs mouth, and he would find the
button. From the button he would find
Mr.. Thief, with his hand bitten, and
there you are. "
"But how should you avoid all that?"
"In the first place, were really wise,
I should not have telltale buttons about
me at such time. But let us suppose
that the time had not been of my own
choosing; then the buttons might have
been with me. Assured as Ishould have
been that the only person in the house
lay chloroformed and tied, should not
have lost my nerve, as did the other in
dividual. Neither should have allowed
myself to be bitten, though if the acci-
dent had occurred should have stopped
to wash up the stain from the carpet
while fresh, and also from the dog
mouth. I should have discovered the
loss Of the button, searched for and re-
covered it, united the victim and opened
the windows, that the odor of chloroform
could pass off during the night. In fact,
in the morning the only evidence Of
crime would have been the strangled
dog and the absence of the pelf. /"
ut is easy enough to explain your &C.
tionsunder supposititious circumstances.
But doubt If in Pettingill's shoes you
would have been able to retain your
presence of mind, and recover the lost
button which led to his final arrest. /"
"It is possible that you are right, for
had been Pettingill / should have been
coerced by necessities as he was. Yet
think should not have planned such q
robbery, choosing my own time as he
did, and then have taken with me such
button. But from Mr.. Barnes stand
point, as said before, very little of the
artistic was needed. The button was
constructed of a curious old coin. Mr..
Barnes went the rounds of the dealers
and found the very man who had sold
Pettingill the coin. The rest was routine
work"
| "Well, you are conceited, but l don't
mind making thousand out of your
egotism. Now / am sleepy, however, SC
good night.
"Good night, old man. Dream of q
way to earn an extra thousand, for
shall win. +"
| For Mr.. Barnes himself sleep was
now more impossible than ever. He was
attracted to this new case, for so he
counted it, and was determined to traI
the individual who wagered against his
acumen. 1t was long step toward sue.
cess to know as much as he had over.
heard He would not lose sight of his
man during the allotted month. He en-.
| joyed the prospect of allowing him te
commit his crime and then quietly tax
ing him in the act Carefully and noise
lessly he dressed himself and slipped
out of his berth. Then he crept into one
| opposite, SO that he could have his eye
on No. s, and settled down for an all
night vigil.
"It would not surprise me If that keer
devil were to commit his crime this very
night. I hope SO, for otherwise I shall
have no sleep till he does.
fro BE CONTINUED