The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-06-30
The Red Headed Policeman
Copyright. 1881

man was pacing his beat in certain
American city of 100000 inhabitants a
woman called to him from the steps of
a house and reported that soon after
daylight that morning. just as she
had awoke and was making ready to
get up, she had been frightened half
to death by the sight of large mon
key at the open window. She had
screamed out, and the animal had fed.
Later in the day she had seen the
monkey frisking about on the roof of
the shed attached TO the house next
door, into which 4 stranger who was
evidently a foreigner, had moved three
or four days before. He was a man
of middle age. and there was an old
woman with him, probably to act as
housekeeper.
And I'm asking you. sir continued
the woman as she raised her hand and
waved it to and fro. "if it's the law in
America that a foreigner and an old
| woman and rascally monkey can
move in next door to a respectable
widow woman, who has paid taxes for
the last fifteen years. leaving the mon
key to run at large and scare people
out of their seven senses?'
Its an Italian, ma'am, who is your
new neighbor," answered the police
man. 81 was jabbering with him the
day he rented the house"
"Then he's in the hand organ bust
ness?'
"Then he's not, ma'am. He's in the
count business. He's had to fly from
his own sunny skies to save his life.
You ought to be proud that you have a
live count living next door"
Three or four days later the police
heard at the station to which he was
attached of a bold burglary in the
neighborhood A burglar had entered
by a second story window and made a
haul of money and jewelry, and no
clew had been left behind. This bur
glary was followed by another within
twenty-four hours, and then came
what the police and press called a
wave" of crime, though it was strict
ly confined to despoiling private resi-
dences. In some cases it was impOssi-
Bile to tell how entrance had been eff
fected. In others it was plain that an
open window was the route.
OF course the detectives investigated
and of course when no arrests follow
ed they got a roasting in the newspa-
pers. 1t reached the point where the
chief of police was asked to resign as
man utterly untitled for the place
In return he bounced two of his de
tectives because they could not pick
up clews where no clews had beeI
left. Then the red headed policeman
: thought of many thing before he fol
= lowed the line down to the widow who
had told him about the monkey.
Then he began to scratch that rec
hair and think the harder and finally
decided to take a walk around OF
Sands street and see if the count still
occupied the house. He reached the
S house of the widow first Again sht
4 was standing on the steps. At sight o.
said:
$50 it's you, is it? I've been wait
t ing a whole week to ask you if it's thu
e habits Of monkeys to go to bed Xix,
n honest folks at night and get up a
a a reasonable hour in the morning o
+ whether they are philandering all owe
! town after midnight and coming hom
= anv tina hafora 5av-liorI1+
I'm the wilds of Africa, ma am
Z began the officer, but was interrupted
e with:
d But these are not the wids of Al
h RIGA. I've been doing some watchin
for these last few moonlight nights.
r didn't know but the Black Han
would be coming for the count mex
: door. I've seen the monkey come an
:, go half a dozen times. He comes an
goes by way of the shed roof"
"And what of it, ma'am-what {
it," asked the officer
Il can't say sir, but it's a matte
It that bothers me. l thought I'd spea
5 of it and let it bother you"
e 1t did bother the red headed polio,
n man for the next hour. Then he col
$ suited with his superiors. and as r
suit two detectives were sent to int
3 view the count They didn't succee
: in their purpose. He and the old won
e; an had skipped out In hurry an hot
: before their arrival People who ha
e seen them go said that they had I
e monkey along with them. IN fact, IL
II animal was discovered on the roof
the sunshine and fast asleep, but G
= capped capture. 1t was felt certain thu
he was the mysterious burglar, and
/ watch was set on the premises Z
came not back. while during the ne,
ten nights there was 4 burglary ever
Al night to mix things up again. Then
: boy solved the whole case.
: Two blocks distant from where Il
count had lived an old tomcat ha
retired to a stable to die In peac
=, ~ ~.