The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-22
Lysun Cote Arrested
for Burglary Of J.
H.Brooks' House.
He WAS TAKEN At WARE, SUNDAY
Inspectors Stone and 0'Day
Work a la Sherlock
Holmes.

Lysun Cote is a prisoner at police
headquarters on Waldo street He is
charged with breaking and entering
the farmhouse of John H. Brooks on
Grove street, about one mile from Chad
wick square. His apprehension is the,
result of clever reasoning out of con-
illusions from suspicious Circumstance
es, by Inspectors w. j. E. Stone and
Patrick O'Day.
Brooks house was entered between 8
and o'clock on the morning of Sunday
July 30. Brooks had Is New York
boarders at his house, and the thief
evidently anticipated rich haul.
Cote was arrested in Ware yesterday
by Inspector Stone, and brought to this
city and locked up in a cell, shortly
before o'clock last night.
The story of the crime and the ar
rest of Cote is full of interest and
proves that there is more truth than
fiction in stories like those of Conan
Doyle's famous creation, Sherlock
Holmes 1t shows that clever head
work is the most important essential
of a successful detective, and that
chance plays but an unimportant part
in the detail of his work.
When Chief of Police James NJ. Dren-
nan and Captain Matthews were in
formed of the burglary on the morning
of its preparation, they put Inspectors
Stone and O'Day to work on the case.
The inspectors rode out to the farm
house and Immediately began their m
vestigations. That entrance was eff
fected through a cellar window was one
of the first valuable clues discovered
In + 1o Of tllo h1Ir fcon
ed by the inspectors, tended to prove
that he was not without knowledge of
the premises.
Two women occupying different
rooms, told of suddenly awakening on
the morning of the crime and becom-
ing Mortified at finding man in their
rooms. Neither gave the alarm, and,
frightened almost to death, pretended
to be asleep. AS they afterwards Elk
planned it to the inspectors, they fear
ed for their lives. They felt that an
cutlery might be followed by bullet
in their brains, as they had read Of
burglars doing before. One of them in
telling the story, and describing her
sensations, said that she felt as If the
blood in her veins had suddenly been
changed to icy water from the north
pole.
Every room in the house, including
the cellar, had been ransacked, save the
sleeping apartments of the Brooks fam
lily. Here was where headwork came
in.
An ordinary police officer, unframed
in detective work, would probably over
look this point, but not so the inspect
ors.
"Why were the Brooks rooms avoid
ed?" they asked themselves.
But one answer framed itself in their
minds-it was because the thief, who
ever he was, knew the family and
be determined then was who is the
thief?"
Logically reasoned out, the inspectors
could come to but one decision-that
the thief was either present employe
or someone who had been recently ir
the employ of Farmer Brooks.
They learned that Cote had been dis
charged a short time before the bur-
glary, and concluded that he was the
man they should hunt down What
strengthened the suspicion that Cote
might possibly be the thief was the fact
that he was not to be found in his ole
haunts on Mechanic street, and that he
already possessed a police record.
While the investigation was going on
| it came time for Inspector O'Day tt
leave on his annual vacation, and In.
spector Stone was left in charge of the
case. 1t had a fascination for the in.
spector, and he kept doggedly at it, un-
discouraged by apparent set-backs.
Not having a picture of Cote avail
able, he drew up as minute description
of the missing man as the capabilities
of the English language would allow
| Circulars bearing this description were
sent out broadcast throughout New
York and New England. For some
| time not a word was heard, and In.
| spector Stone was making up his mind
that the bird had flown too far, but
| Sunday word came from Maurice Fitz.
gerald, chief of police of Ware, that he
had in custody man charged with
| drunkenness, who answered the de-
scription of Cote as deftly as the magic
slipper Slid onto the foot Of Cinderella
| Inspector Stone was convinced that his
man was found at last, and he started
| for Ware.
There is no police court in Ware, and
the prisoner, who proved to be Cote
was taken to Northampton for hear
| ing. On learning the circumstances, the
judge placed the drunkenness charge on
| file, and Cote was handed over to In
spector Stone.
With the inspector was son OF
Brooks, who also positively identified
| the prisoner. Not word, however
! that could be construed into a confess
sion, escaped the lips of Cote. He was
as silent as dumb-bell on all matters
| pertaining to the burglary and to his
movements since leaving Worcester.
| Inspector Stone says that the burglar
was in his stocking feet when he COM
mitted the crime, and in the central dis
trict court today Cote will have an OPP
| portunity at a preliminary hearing to
prove his innocence, if innocent he is.
The most valuable things taken were
rings of ar aggregate value of several
| hundred dollars.