The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-04-06
THE LOST CHAIRS.
A Case In which Woman Showed De-
Anrhirr ANNIE n.,.A NHroal.nnaa

AprOpOS OF ueteCIlV0 StOr1eB,
said Chicago woman who holds
an enviable position, II have often
wondered why women are not prom
inent as successful detectives, and l
asked my husband, who is crimi-
nal lawyer, why they were not bet
ter known in that line of work. :"
"What did he say2"
"He recalled to my mind a small
piece of detective work that l had
done myself-which had entirely
escaped my memory. was in that
case my own detective bureau, ON
ployer and agent. And l never was
30 sorry for anything in my life, al
though tracked the criminal to his
lair-that is detective lingo, is 1t
not-and then, womanlike, assisted
him to escape punishment.
ut was some years ago-you see
my hair is white now-and my hus-
band and 1 boarded in very select
West Side neighborhood. 1t was be-
foro the fire, and we had the good
fortune to be very pleasantly sit
uated. We had both army and navy
people with us, and Generals Grant
and Sheridan frequently called ON
the son of a Galena officer who was
one of our boarders. A son of Brig
ham Young was also one of our
family, and French countess of
charming manners and distinguish
ed antecedents was highly priced.
We were happy family when our
landlady, an excellent woman, was
pacific. Butt if any of us fell into dis
grace with her we had better never
have been born.
lone night when it was extreme
ly warm several of us sat on sofa
cushions ON the side coping of the
stone steps trying to catch breath
of air. Our landlady had ideas
about boarders who sat on the steps,
SO none Of us dared to sit, but lean
ed and reclined, until it was sug-
gested that chairs at the top of the
fight of steps would not be objec-
tionable. Then we sent our male at
tendants to bring out the parlor
chairs-chairs of penance, composed
of horsehair, from which we inva-
riably and persistently slipped, but
which were as the apple of her eye
to the good woman with whom we
homed.
1--WE dragged several of them back
to their retreat, but our two, being
left on my hands, refused obstinate
ly to bulge, and left them for the
manservant to bring in when he
closed tho double doors for the
night. But in the morning those
two chairs were gone-carried off
In the night by thieves, Thomas
having failed to bring them in.
II had not then acquired the art
of looking innocent and unconscious
when asked about missing objects.
I was young and verdant, and at
the first interrogation broke down
and confessed.
"'I wouldn't have taken $50 for
them, said the boarding house wild
ow. And she told the truth. She
wouldn't have taken $40 for them
from any one in his right mind.
Then I started in on my detective
trail
IT cannot SEQ now how ! expected
to find those chairs, for did not
ask the police to help mo, and knew
nothing of pawnbrokerspnd their
customers, but reasoned to myself
in this way-that it must have been
some ono who lived near, for tho
chairs were too conspicuous to car
ry far and too heavy, so I confined
my inquiries to places within six or
eight blocks in every direction, and
then I struck clew.
II learned that a new family had
moved into n shabby house on
side street, and that they possessed
n distinguished name, that of a then
popular actress, and with this insult
ficient knowledge l raped at the
door. A woman with the saddest
face ever saw opened it.
care you giving lessons in dra
matte elocutionl' asked.
"'Oh, no, she said. I wish in
deed that l could. If were able to
do tbat would not be living here.
IT wished myself at home, but
felt 80 sorry for the woman that
must have showed it in my face, for
she asked me to walk in, and as /
entered her parlor the first things l
saw were the two lost chairs.
II never knew how l got through
that interview. The poor woman
told me all her troubles. Her hus-
band was gambler, and out of luck.
promised TO help her-a promise
/ went away with her
sad, pleading eyes following me.
Before Iwould tell the owner of the
chairs where they had been found
l oXacted promise that there
should be no arrests. My husband
the affair, and the family
were assisted to locate in new
but it took me long
time to feel that my life was not in
Danger from that piece of amateur
detective work My husband says