Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-08-22
A Good-Sized Load of Jew
elry and Silver Taken.
HOW 1T WAS RESTORED
A Story of a Superfluous cIe"-
How a WouId-be Successor OF
Sherlock Holmes Pursued the
Deductive Method in Ferret.
ing Out a Very Mysterious
Crime, and Where 1t Led Him.

one evening on his return from busl-
ness that some $1,000 worth Of jewelry
and silyerware had been removed from
its customary abiding place in the Sec
ond story, and that, moreover, So
called plumbing inspector had been adj
mitted to his house and allowed to
roam about at pleasure, he was so as
founded that he was unable to give ut
terance to his feelings for five whole
minutes.
There could be little doubt of the
connection between the self-denomi-
mated inspector and the disappearance
of the yaluables; but one link in the
logical chain was missing. The arti-
cles stolen would have filled bushel
basket, but the butler who admitted
and also let out the suspect declared
that he had no bundle of any kind with
him, and one of the Misses Patten, who
was going up the front steps as the in
spector came down, corroborated this
| fact.
When a man enters Fifth avenue
house at high noon in the regular man
ner and departs few moments later
empty handed, and after his departure
it is discovered that a good-sized load
of gold and silver has gone, one is in
clined to give credence to tales Of
supernatural occurrences. But what
ever weird fancies fitted through the
imagination of Mrs. Patten and her
daughters did not penetrate the mater
ialistic walls of the practical Mr.. Pat
tens brain.
For the next two weeks Mr.. Patten
visited the police station daily, but got
no better satisfaction than Nothing to
report" 1t began to look as if the in
vestigation would bear no fruit.
One night about month later the
butler brought in the card Of Mr.. j..
Ii. Robinson.
why, Mr.. Robinson said Mrs.
Patten, as the visitor entered, where
have you been all this time We
haven't seen you since-let me see-l
believe the last time you were here
was the night after we had been
robbed, wasn't it? That was six weeks
ago."
Yes replied Mr.. Robinson, in a
tone of voice rather more important
than usual, ''and 1 have come tonight
in connection with that very robbery.
In fact, I may go so far as to say that
l have solved the mystery. In about
half an hour 1 expect police officer
here and the thief will be in custody"
An exclamation of establishment
burst simultaneously from the whole
family. What did he mean? How had
he gone about it? He must tell the
whole story from beginning to end.
"On reaching home that night be.
gan to turn the facts over in my mind.
1t was evident that the articles had
not walked away. 1t was equally evil
dent from the testimony Of two wit
nesses that the so-called plumbing in
spector could not have had them upon
his person when he departed. So
started on the case with the theory
that the inspector was in no way i'm
plicated in the theft; but that his
known presence in the house had been
taken advantage Of by some one else,
by some one who knew the ms and
outs; in short, by some one dwelling
within the four walls.
with this idea in mind l set Il
watch upon your house. l employed a
man to keep it under guard by day,
and l attended to it by night. We
played Argus for about a week without
any developments. when | was assisted
in my efforts by piece of good luck
One morning after being relieved by
my underStudy, | was walking down
the side street next above your resi-
dence when caught sight of pin on
the breast of woman who appeared
to be the cook of the establishment,
standing in front of basement gate.
It was a golden lions head with ruby
eyes. Now, l had often seen a pin
similar to that on Miss Helen, and 1
Immediately surmised that this was
part Of the booty.
Noting the number Of the house /
hastily sought my collaboration and
babe him transfer to it his base Of
operations. In a few days we diScov-
cred that this cook had frequent
caller of the male sex. next ad-
vanced the theory that the pin had
come into her possession through this
admirer. l followed him one night
after he left the lady and discovered
where he lived. Ringing the bell a
moment after he had entered l in
quired if Mr.. Hazleton lived there. No,
he did not. Then l said l thought /
had seen him going in just before my
ARRIVAL. No, that was Robert Gowan
Thus my ruse ELECTED the gentleman's
name
I'VE then proceeded to keep close
watch on Mr.. Gowan. We discovered
that he was the driver Of a grocery
wagon, and jumped at the conclusion
That probably he delivered groceries
at your residence. But the chain was
not TO he cOmDleted in that way, for