Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-11-14
; Howl Became a Detective

/ u
| with city people. Having sufficient
/ funds to keep me while hunting for
situation. l packed my traps, took
| train for Chicago, found a boarding
place and began my hunt
One day when / came to my room In
| the evening l found an envelope that
had been left for me by the postman-
/ had left my address with the post
| master-containing simple advertis-
! ing card l was about to throw both
| into the wastebasket when / noticed
something written in lead pencil on the
! card. Taking it to the light, / read:
A. % - 10a n - sl2A 9Th.
1t seemed to me that some one had
| been figuring on the card, and again l
| started to throw 1t into the wastebas-
| ket. But, having an hour before din
ner, with nothing to do but brood over
ny failure to obtain situation, | sat
| down with II and amused myself try
| ing to puzzle out what the writer had
been figuring. Having nothing to guide
| me- | failed to make even a start.
| When / went down to dinner l left
| the card on the table. On returning to
my room while debating whether j
! would put In the evening among the
gay crowds on the principal thorough
fares or in my room l took up the ad-
vertising card and began to puzzle over
the writing on 1t.
After considerable study I made up
my mind that it concealed a message.
Suddenly possible Interpretation Of
| the 4 - % occurred to me. The day
was April Goth. April was the fourth
month, and the ed would be the day
after tomorrow. The next possible in
which l decided meant 3421a Sixth
street or avenue. With these two
links l was not long in deciding that
1ols n meant half past 10 o'clock at
! night If this was correct decipher-
| Ing something was. to happen on the
| 22d Of April at half past 10 in the
| evening at 3421la Sixth street or ave
| nue. There was no Sixth avenue In
the city, so 1t must be Sixth street.
l was so curious In the matter that
/ went out at once to visit 3421s Sixth
| street. If there was a half number
/ would suspect my Interpretation to be
correct. l was astounded to find the
half number. could scarcely believe
my eyes. The house was only about
twelve feet front, very old brick
| shanty. There was no light In 1t, and
| it was locked tight.
| 1t occurred to me that IL the person
| for whom the card was intended did
| not get 1t the scheme-lf 1t was a
| scheme-would be spoiled. So the next
| day I returned it to the postofice.
| was between two horns of a dilemma.
The first was, Should l go to the po-
| lice with story that would almost
| certainly prove me fool? and the sec
ond was to watch alone to see If any
| thing happened. l spent two days Of
! wearing indecision. and when the
| night of the 22d came on l had come
! to no conclusion. At 10 O'Clock l went
to the building in question and wait
| ed. 1t may seem that l should have
| notified the police, but who except a
crack Drained fool would have made a
| case even for suspicion out Of such
gauzy evidence?
At half past 10 exactly a cart came
| numbering along the street and stop
| ped in front of 342k. The cartman
went to the door, looked about him-I
| was concealed behind a tree box
gave two light raps and after a few
\ t-l he rnonn1
and he was admitted. l expected to
! see a light In the building, but did not,
| Presently two men came out carrying
| box. One locked the door, and to-
gether they carried the box to the cart,
| put it in and drove away.
Oh, why had not had the courage of
conviction to notify the police?
l followed at distance for several
miles, when the men drove into lane
/ running past the rear of country
house, on which was barn. They took
the box into the barn. l went near
and, listening heard them up in the
hayloft Then they came DOWN. get
ting out of the way, of course--and,
jumping on the cart, they drove back
to town.
Marking the spot so that l should
know 1t again, / lost no time in max
Ing my way back to the city and to po-
lice headquarters. / simply told the In
spector what | had witnessed, and in
ten minutes he, with two policemen
and myself. was driving to the barn.
Cautiously prylng open the door. We
entered. went up into the loft and
found the box concealed under the h1y
Taking it back to headquarters, the il
spector invited me into his private o.
fee, where it was opened. 1t contained
gold. bank notes and bonds to the
amount of $685.
l was enjoined to keep the matter a
secret, the barn was watched and the
men arrested. They had robbed bank
long while before and had kept the
proceeds in the brick shanty. Being