The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-11
SHERLOCK HOLMES.
he Set a Camera to Catch Thief and
Failed,
(waterville Mail. }

An incident hitherto kept rather quiet
has now come to be more widely known,
| illustrative of the fact that no matter
how much modern science deos for the
detection of the criminal class it still re-
| qnires skill, patience and Intelligence to
catch a crook. The up-to date thief is
better educated than those who followed
his profession fifty years ago and by keep.
ing abreast of the times occasionally saves
himself from some cleyerly arranged snare
set for his detection.
1t seems that those in charge of the
Fairfield Maine Central station a few
months ago became aware that some I'M
known parties were engaged in appropri-
ating TO their own use articles that did
not belong to them. A careful watch was
kept but to no avail. Things disappeared
| just the same. Various snares were laid
| in order to find out who the guilty party
might be. It was no use. What at frs t
was only an annoyance became serious
matter not the least troublesome feature
of which was the impenetrabIe mystery
| in which the case seemed to be shrouded
| A few personal friends were told of the
matter and their advice solicited A sort
of league was formed to discover the
thief Their efforts were as devoid of sue
cess as the previous ones.
The matter babe fair to become more of
mystery than ever. At last, however,
one member of the league who was inter-
ested in amateur photography, hit upon
a scheme that promised great things and
it was with the greatest enthusiasm that
he confided it to his o-nfederates
The idea was to set camera in such a
position that if the thief tapped the till
again an ingenious arrangement should
snap the camera and to deyelope the plate
would be the only thing necessary to show
up the guilty party. Presto, changed the
thing was sure.
The thief could not come too quickly to
suit the impatient amateur detectives.
Sherlock Holmes with his coolly calcu-
lated deductions aud absolutely certain
methods would be left in the shade and
Fairfield would be the headquarters of a
detective agency just as soon as a stock
company could be formed. Modern
scientific methods were.lauded to the skies
and the originator of the scheme was the
hero of the hour, henoeforth to be known
as s.Young Sleuth.''
The camera was arranged and day after
day passed without result until one day
on returning from dinner the first thing
noticed-for they had got in the habit Of
looking at the desk Immediately on enter
ing the office-was that the desk had been
forced open.
Victory! Oh happiness complete! 1t is
impo BILE to desert be the sensations that
surged through their being for the few
moments that lapsed before looking at the
camera, then-lown went those hopes
that had reached SO high an elevation.
Down o the depths of despair.
Before the thief had touched the desk
he had noticed the camera. it's position,
etc., and had carefully placed an old hat
over the single eye that was eager to catch
his countenance. As if in mockery Of
their efforts he left the hat over the
camera and departed.
His identity is yet unknown and that
detective agency will not be started just
yet.