Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-05-28
The Red Headed Policeman
copyright. 1861

copyright. 1861
One day as the red headed police.
man was pacing his beat in Il certain
American city of 100000 inhabitants a
woman called to him from the steps of
q 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 a 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 a 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, eff it's the law in
America that a foreigner and an old
woman and a rascally monkey can
move in next door to a respectable
widow woman. who has paid taxes fol
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 wv sunny skies to save his life
You ought to be proud that you have q
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 q
haul of money and jewelry, and nc
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 &
"wave" of crime, though it was strict
ly confined to d%espoiling private resi-
dences. In some cases it was impossi
BILE to tell how entrance had been eff
fected. In others it was plain that al
open window vas 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 tho
chief of police was asked to resign a:
a man utterly untitled for the place
In return he bounced two of his de
t~ectives because they could not picl
up clewS where no clews had beel
left. Then the red headed policeman
sat down to do some thinking. III
lowed the line down to the widow wh'
had told him about the monkey.
Then he began to scratch that rec
hair and think the harder and finall.
decided to take q walk around OF
Sands street and see if the count still
occupied the house. He reached thu
house of the widow first. Again sh'
was standing Oh the steps. At sight o
him she descended to the walk an
said:
$50 it's you, is it? I've been wait
ing a whole week to ask you if it's th,
habits of monkeys to go to bed Xix
honest folks at night and get up a
a reasonable hour in the morning O
whether they are ~philandering all owe
town after midnight and coming HON
any time before daylight"
"In the wilds of Africa, ma'am"-
began the officer, but was i%nterrupte,
with:
"But these are not the wilds of Al
RIGA. I've been doing some watchin
for these last few moonlight nights.
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
SotS ny wa. VI lue Sueu Iool.
, "And what of it. ma'am-what O
it," asked the officer.
81 can't say, sir, but it's a matte
that bothers me. l thought I'd spea
. Of it and let it bother you"
1t did bother the red headed police
man for the next hour. Then he cor
suited with his superiors. and as a RI
suit two detectives We're sent to intel
view the count. They didn't succee
in their purpose. He and the old won
an had skipped out in a hurry an hou
before their arrival. People who ha
seen them go said that they had n
monkey along with them. In fact, th
animal was discovered on the roof i
, the sunshine and fast asleep, but e.
capped capture. 1t was felt certain ths
he was the mysterious burglar, and
watch was set on the premises. Fl
came not back. while during the ne1
: ten nights there was q burglary ever
night to mix things up again. Then
boy solved the whole case.
Two blocks distant from where til
: count had lived an old toncat ha
: retired to a stable to die in peac
~ H., -,~-la--- ILL., -