The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-29
A HORSE ON THE POLICE
How They Ran Down a Mysteri-
Gus Smoke.
~UNRAVElING A PUZZLE
Keen-Scented Sleuths Surprise a Well
Known Man About Town by Ac-
cusing Him OF Running a
Counter.eiter's Den.

If there had been a counterfeiting
plant there and a gang Of counterfe,ters
operating it, some Of the heads of the
police department would have effected
a very important capture a few nights
ago, and one which would have reflected
a great deal of credit on their ability as
detectives, but there was not. and they
got a large-sized horse on themselves
which they ave been making strenu-
Gus efforts to keep quiet ever since. and
Inundated one Of the weIl-known fami-
lies of the city by making a very coarse
blunder which they found considerable
difficulty in explaining To the satIsfac-
ton of the parties whose feelings were
injured.
The credit for the discovery was due
one Of the sleuths Of the force. who. for
several nights, observed the very sus-
plclous circumstance of smoke coming
out or the chimney of the residence Of
a very well-known family living i'm
North Main street. at "A rather late hour
at night. The circumstance was GER
tainly very suspicious, and it grew more
so the more the sleuth pondered over
the reason for IL. Just what he was
suspicious of he was unable TO decide
for a long time. His mental machine.
when called upon, would not work out
a satisfactory explanation, but smoke
curling up out of a chimney was a thing
calculated TO arouse the suspicious of
any well regulated sleuth and should
not be overlooked by any policeman lay
ing any claim whatever to having a
Keen scent, and the sleuth, with a de-
termination characteristic of Butte po-
licemen. stood nightly and watched the
smoke curl ~heavenward. his mind bent
on solving this s%trangest Of all strange
mysteries. while a number of burglaries
were committed in the BACKGROUND.
At last the faithful officers patience
and perseverance were rewarded. The
gray dawn OF one August morning came
atter a night of sleepless vigil during
which the sleuth sat the whole night
through comfortably ensconced on a
porch hard by, watching the curling
smoke N displaying rare fortitude by
never leaving his seat. The morning
brought The untiring sleuth an insplra-
ton. That smoke meant nothing else
than that there was a counterfeiting
gang operating in the house whose chim- ,
ney emitted the smoke. There could be
doubt about il and the sIeuth chided
for having been so dull of COM
.prehension "a not to have known il at
a glance. Heaving a sigh Of relief. ne
'NBBtN us manu- bl MS knee with pm-
phasis and calculated, Eureka and
Immediately for headquarters.
Ihere ne communicated his discovery to
his superior officers. who commended
him for his zeal and penetrative capa-
city and forthwith a raid was planned.
A warrant was necessary to Cllthe the
oflcers with the proper authority. as no
one had taken the trouble to ascertain
who lived in the house. 1t is a custo-
1nIGE1uhf with n,y#t. [
never TO ascertain a name. II was de-
a warrant for any old man would
do. and j. Horton, the alleged burglar
VINO recently slipped through the hands
or the police, was made to serve. \
complaint against j.. Horton was lodged
the county attorney n a warrant
July procured-if they could not catch
norton they could at least get out a
for him-and that night. when 7
counterfeiting gang was working
ull swing and the smoke curling more
gracefully than ever, armed with the
warrant n several braces Of six-sh0ot-
the sleuth hounds of the law
swooped down upon the counterfeiting
What was their surprise on having
the front door of the house opened to
mem IN response TO a ring. 10 see one OF
men in town standing
before them In his night shirt. rubbing
the livers from his eyes. They were no
more surprised than he was. however.
when their mission was stated and he
vas just as ind gnant as he was sur
orised. Mentally he called the whole
idiots, but on inquiring why his
place had been suspected and being in
he took them to the kitchen
ind enlightened them on the cause OF
he mysterious smoke by showing them
y" chinese cook had been banking up
MS fire in the range so he would NOT
to build IL in the morning. You
Gould have bought the whole lot Of off,
for a very cheap price just then,
II is needless to say that this story
vas not CLEANED from them.