The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-09
Rare Skill.
I Ack GREEN was a reporter on a

| made hero of Green, especially as he
received slight wound from stray
| bullet In the fracas that took place
when Sykes and his conrcteratcs were
arrested.
His injury Won him a months yaca-
| ton, which he resolved to spend at his
home In Kent. Ashford was not a very
| lively place In the winter, but Green
was not looking for rocrcation. He
| wanted to see Ethel Watson, who lived
| in that village, and who was, In Jacks
| opinion, the sweetest and smartcst
| girl In the world.
| On the afternoon of his seventh day
IN Ashford Green drove up to the
Watson house to take Ethel for a.
drive. There had bccn Il fine fall of
snow the night before. Ethel was
| standing by tho gate talking with Joe
Sawyer, who also was In love with her.
but didn't dare to say SO openly. Joe
was lawyer. and the only one in ASH
furd who had any practice
Hello, Sherlock 1Tomes." said The
lawyer. Have YOU heard the news?"
NO" answered Green sorrly.
I'm really surprised" said Sawyer.
You should have deducted IL from
the state of the atmosphere and the
price of potatoes
"I haven't" responded Green.
Justice Hawkins house has been
robbed" said Ethel. "And tllink It's
positively providcntial that you're
here"
Green looked at Ethel, aud he saw
that she expected him to perform
great miracles. He looked at Sawyer
and saw something quite different.
Get in here, both of you said
Green. land we'll sec what we can do"
They drove to the Justices house.
Tho robbery had been discovered by
old Mrs. Guhbins. n lifelong dependent
of tho judges family. who went through
the house three or four times Il week to
see that all was we'll. but did not live
there. She had reported the case TO the
local polce---a day and n night watch
mail---apd these functionaries were pres
ent. with dozen of the neighbors. when
Green and his companions arrived.
Green consulted his watch, and then
he slowly walked into the hall, where
the old-fashioned safe built into the
wall gaped enptily. He glanced around
with listless eye while everybody
watched him. Then he walked into the
parlor and stood for half a minute by
the mantelpiecc.
From this room he passed through all
the others i'm the house, u slow process
sion following him. Finally he led them
to the starting point, the broad hall,
and there he sat down upon the stairs
and looked at his watch, which he had
consulted occasionally in the course of
his stroll. Nineteen minutes and a
half,' said Green. MIR. Jones' I believe
you are IL deputy sheriff of the county
az we'll as Il constable of the village.
will make my report to you. sir This
robbery was committed by two men
who do not live in Ashford and who are
not here at present Where they are
we will consider later.
"One of them is about six feet tall
and rather slender. He has red hair,
but is bald on the front part of his
Uranium. He wore a long black OVER
coat and heavy rubber overshoes. The
little finger of his right hand has been
broken and is bent almost double. 1t
may interest you to know how I dis
covered this. The thief is tall because
he bumped his head on the swinging
lamp in the parlor, and that is about
six feet from the floor. He left upon
it a small portion of his scalp and one
front he would have left more hair
| and less scalp.
"The prints of his overshoes show in
the dust on the floor of the kitchen
closet. The print of his finger is in the
dust OH top OF that table, or was be-
fore Joe Sawyer sat down on it."
"There wasn't any dust here--not "A
speck" exclaimed Sawyer, jumping
off the table.
at depends on the eyc,' responded
Green calmly. 'ro continues: The
other robber was short, thic1-set and
dark. He wore a pea Jacket and a fur
cap. He had a heavy black beard,
which may, however be false. I can
not tell from the single hair which
found upon piece of bread in the
kitchen until I have examined it with
a microscope. He was an Irishman."
Great Scott" exclaimed the con-
stable. "How do you know that"
From his method of knocking out the
ashes from his pipe" replied Green.
"Irishmen have peculiar way of doing
it. have not time to explain it in de-
tail.
"They carried a satchcl something
like an old-fashioned carpet bag and a
black dress suit case.
THE robbery was not committed in
the night, as you seem to imagine"
continued Green, looking at Sawyer as
the teacher looks at IL dull pupil. "It
was about 4.S0 in the afternoon. That
deduction is very simple One can see
footprints leading from the mantcpiece
to the western window The thieves
We're taking their plunder to the light.
OF course they walked just far enough
to reach the place where the SUMS rays
struck it, and from that get the angle
and the time. It's IL regular sun dial.
Now let's sec where the men have
gone"
fIc led the way to the rear of the
house, where a gate opened from n
driveway into IA field. Here ho very
carefully scraped away the snow from
"A space about three yards wide Just be-
yond the gate. In the frozen slush be-
meath two lines of footprints were vis-
ible.
A thrill ran through the whole party.
Even Sawyer WAS impressed He bent
down To examine the footprints. "The
tall man walked on this side" said
Green. mark the longer stride and
the prints of the overshoes. Without
doubt they walked across meadows to
Chartham and took the 40 train for
London"
"Why not the $50 for Dovcr?" asked
Sawyer.
Thieves with plunder always strike
for the big cities" said Green. "Mr.
Jones, If you telegraph to London Civ
ing description of the men and their