Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-06-08

The London newspapers soon took
up the matter, and reporters and jour
naiists came down by the score; but
smart as some of them undoubtedly
are, they could throw no more light on
the mystery than the local police had
done. But one reporter, smarter than
the rest, by dint of diligent inquiry dis
covered that in every house where ar
ticles had been stolen the window of the
particular room from which they had
been distracted was open at the time
possibly to allow little air to struggle
in and temper the suffocating heat.
This opened up fresh field for the
cries, one being that the old, old dodge
OF a fishing rod, with line and hook
attached, was utilized, to fish for and
hook the jewelry through the open win
dow. But that wouldn't hold water at
all, for how could a man stand near a
house and angle unobserved with his
rod and hook? Or, even admitting the
possibility of that, how could he locate
the position of articles in Il room some
ten feet or IL feet above him? No, that
idea was soon ridiculed, and had to GO.
Then another theory propounded was
that some organ grinder and his mon
key were the culprits: that the man had
gone into the grounds ostensibly to
grind music. and while so doing his
monkey had climbed up and got
through the open window, and so stolen
tne valuables which he had been pre-
viously taught to recognize.
For a time this theory was strongly
favored, and organ grinders with mon
keys were carefully escorted by the pO-
lice out of the district, as soon as they
made their appearance. But in spite
of all this the robberies still went on,
as regularly as ever. People talked of
ghosts, Mahatmaism and all that sort
of thing, as people will when almost
panic stricken.
''You may suggest: why didn't they
keep all the windows closed?' Well,
they did, at least sufficiently to prevent
the ingress of man or beast, but to
close them entirely meant suffocation
during the terrific heat-wave then ener-
waiting the population.
But it was all of no avail, and at
last, in desperation, the local police
sent to our department at The Yard
and begged assistance. My chief called
IlG lhIO HIS OliICt OtlG lJAolhCA
the matter, saying:
"'Now, Westwood, am going to put
you on this case, to see what sort of
stuff you are made of. Do your best to
unearth the mystery. If you succeed
il will be the making of YOU
Il knew that we'll enough, but how
was l to succeed where so many others
had failed? 1t really seemed as though
ghosts had something to do with the
matter, however such an idea might be
ridiculed, for the whole affair looked
uncanny. Yet / determined to do my
very best to solve the mystery, so blk
ing down to Henley-where most of the
robberies were occurring just them
took apartments for a few days, and
spent the greater part of my time in
cycling up and down, here and there,
dressed III boating flannels and looking
very unprofessional, but keeping my
eyes and ears well open, nevertheless.
at was a wearisome, disheartening
occupation. / left TO stone upturned in
my endeavor to find the culpTit, but all
to no purpose; he was as busy as ever
at his nefarious employment. l cycled
through every road and street in the
district, in the hope of seeing some
thing unusual which might be con-
strued into a 'clew,' but nothing more
extraordinary could / find than
young fellow, clad in boating fiannels,
like myself, riding highly-geared.
road-racing bicycle, with a basket
about a foot square attached to the
front of the handlebar.
''Now. a basket like that on a road
racing bicycle was bit strange, and
very homogeneous in relation to the
'get-up' of the rider; but what was still
more peculiar was that / met this
young fellow and his basketed bicycle
in nearly every one of the outlying
roads where the big houses lay. Every
day l met him pottsring about; always
with the basket, and always III the most
fashionable and wealthy parts of the
place.
He began to excite my curiosity, and
1 determined to watch him without his
knowledge. The basket, noticed, was
always closed. but once or twice when
passing / fancied L heard a strange, dis
cordant noise proceeding from it, as
though some pet were being carried out
for an airing. L got thoroughly in
quisitive. but the young fellow seemed
so frigid and 'stand-offish.' that l could
do no more than wonder who he was
and what he carried that basket for.
And so things went on for nearly a
week, until one day, when some dis
lance out of the town, came across my
basket-man standing ruefully at the
side of the road, surveying with chagrin
the back tire of his bicycle. which was
punctured; while every now and again
he looked up and down the road. and
then up into the cloudless sky, as
though fearing bad weather.
"'Halloa!' | exclaimed, on riding ND.
Got puncture? Can be of any as
sistance to you?'
mo, thanks he replied, nervously,
looking into the sky again. Il can
manage quite well by myself, and he
moved forward with his bike, to show
plainly that he did not wish to converse
with me.
But I was not to be shaken off so
easily, and said: Afraid it's going to
rain? No such luck. l fear; glass is
too firm. We want rain badly, though.
for the roads are aw-'
Il beg your pardon he interrupt
er, but when l want your opinion of
the weather and roads viii ask for it,
Until then, kindly keep it,
THAT was nasty, and it made me
nasty, too. He seemed to have got out