The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-16
GOT TIP FROM BIBLE
And Smart Constable Landed Thief
Through Bright Scheme.

The capture of the corn thief Of
Hoop Township involve bit of de-
tective work, over which the sleuths of
the big cities might do we'll to ponder
before they resume their joking about
the constables with the big tin stars.
1t was not in learning the Identity OF
the thief that the brilliancy was shown,
but in fastening upon him the guilt in
a manner that would hold. Nearly
everybody had a suspicion thatBill
Sykes was the man who was reaping
that which he had not sown. but how
to prove it was the perplexing prob
lem: no one had ever been able TO
catch him in the act, but all the while
"Bill's' horses and pigs had all the
corn they could eat and as they grew
fat the cribs of his neighbor grew thin.
Constable Perkins had spent many
night watching the home of Bill
but could never discover him leaving.
IF that man got out the nights I was
watching" declared the Constable,
hes got an underground passage
way
Driven to desperation. the Constable
resorted to strategy. He took some of
his neighbors into the scheme. and all
Flowed 1t would work" At the village
store one night while Bill -as there
and all the rest the conversation was
allowed to drift to corn, as the husk-
ing season was about closing ana
cribs were being filled to over-howing.
OOnSldDl6 Ad0 lAlcA0C q POAAAN
of dwelling on the great crop that
had been harvested by Jim Johnson
biggest crop in the whole neighbour
hood. an the blame fool doesn't know
enough to keep his cribs locked.
After dangling this bait in the pres
ence of Bill" the Constable and his
cronies repaired as rapidly as possible
to the cribs of Jim Johnson and waited
in hiding there all night.
But the Constable's own crib was
robbed while he was protecting that
of his neighbor. and the question of
getting evidence against "Bill" Sykes
became more perplexing than ever.
But Constable Perkins did not give up.
Being a devout man he even admitted
he had prayed for light on the subject.
land I think my prayer is going to
to his associates. who were scheming
with him to get evidence against
"Bill.'
''I began to see the light said the
in the book of Job. In the last verse
OF the 18th chapter Job talks about
his enemies even setting mark upon
the heels of his feet. That's what
gives me the idea"
The idea took. In a short time the
Constable and his advisers had evolved
q plan. They took Hen Jones. the
cobbler. in with them. And in
their plan came. fBiil' sykes took a
pair OF boots to the cobbler to be
mended.
Now, the ordinary boot heel has
simply a single row of pegs around it.
In mending the heels of "Bill' Sykes's
boots, however. the cobbler was still
more generous. He was even artistic
He not only put two rows of pegs
around the heels of "Bill's'' boots. but
two other rows diagonally across
them, forming a letter x. AS no one
ever takes the time to examine how
the heels of his shoes are nailed on
could you tell at this minute how
yours are fastened Pit IS not sur
pTising that "BilF' did not notice any
thing unusual about the pegging in the
heels of his boots.
He noticed the popularity afterward,
hoWever-and to his sorrow.
Not long after the heels of "Bil1'
Sykes's boots had been marked about
80 bushels of corn were stolen from
the crib of Jim Johnson. There were |
tracks about the crib. as the ground |
was soft, and every heel print made |
q nice letter X in the ground. inclosed