The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-04-23
: Little Mrs. Patten.

though she mad registered as MIS-
Judge Patten, had arrived without her
husband because just as they were
about leaving Chicago an associate
Judge had been taken i'll and Judge
Patten had to sit in case for him. He
had sent his wife on and would join
her within a week.
At the end Of the week the judge did
not appear He wrote letter instead.
The letter was shown to the landlord
and then accidentally" left on table
in the parlor for half day, and it was
doubtless read by a score of the female
week. much to his sorrow. but wo
surely arrive then. There was pr
ed letter head to show that the ju.
belonged to a high court. and in
letter he inclosed Il draft ON New Y,
for q hundred dollars If there
any doubt about Mrs. Patterns 500
status the letter settled it. The h
band wrote that she had been inqui
after by people whom all of us kr
to be prominent in society
Little Mrs. Pattcn had been with
eight days when there was Il rObb
in the house the first for five years.
There was no dress except at dinner
Sunday evenings. and then for such Il
lot OF conservative people as we were
there was quite Il display of jewelry.
\ lady who had got out her diamond
to wear was called from the room a
moment, and when she returned the
stones were gone The value was about
$1,000, but the excitement kicked up
was valued at five times as much. The
theft was laid to the chambermaid, to
a waiter and to Others but in such
eases nothing can be done but to sus-
pect We all talked. and we all sympa
thized aud suggested. and little Mrs.
Patten adorned herself with $1,000
worth OF diamonds and acknowledged
that she WAS very careless and expect
ed to be robbed herself some day.
y
lar doors had been taken off for the
summer and replaced by Stat or blind
doors 10 permit of free circulation.
There was Il space of about a foot at
top and bottom, and no Watchmen
were kept in the halls at night. AS
these Stat doors locked, the idea was
that the thief was slim enough to slip
over or under them. There We're per-
haps ten boys at the hotel with their
parents. but none of them could be
suspected. In fact. the detective who
was summoned and came down as
guest could not find thing to found
suspicion on. After working his head
for a day he recommended that watch
men be stationed in the halls and went
his way Girls We're placed on watch.
Nothing occurred Monday night, but
on Tuesday night there followed three
more rObberies of rooms. The plumber
was about the same as before In two
Of the roolns were husbands and wives;
in the third was q woman whose hus-
band had taken 4 run up to town on
business. Not one of them had been
awakened. There was a girl on watch
in that hall. and. of course, she was at
once charged with having fallen asleep.
Wednesday night l went to bed to
sleep soundly. but had my plans for
the following night am an old bach
elor, and l had a room by myself. Lit
tie Mrs. Patten acted no different from
the other ladies. She was free to talk
about the robberieS and had taken her
jewels to the Office safe or had at least
handed in a case, She was the thief,
as you are prepared to hear, but not
one professional detective in a hundred
would have had the slightest suspicion
of her
When I went tofbed Thursday night
under instead Of into the bed l ex-
pected the thief to come, and l meant
to make capture l had a blackjack
with me and ropes for tying the rascal,
and at that date I could handle almost
any man / came across Nothing &C.
CURED up to midnight, but an hour
later heard and felt some one in the
rOOm. whoever IL WAS COulu uOC nave
slipped over OF under the slat door He
must have entered by the window. He
was searching about for my clothes
when I called out that if he moved
hand or foot would Shoot and then
began to crawl from under the bed.
When I struck a light I had the room
to myself.
1 didn't sit down and wonder if I
hadn't been deceived knew hadn't.
That some one had been in the room I
proved within two minutes. That some
one had lost little list shoe generally
called sneak 1t was too small for
any mans foot. 1t meant a woman or
boy. l went down to the Office and re-
ported to the night clerk. and together
we visited little Mrs. Patterns room.
She did not respond to the knocks, but
that was because she wasn't there. She
had left most of her wardrobe behind
and had gone away dressed as young
man, taking: only hand satchel.
Clear acrnSC tho raar and of tho hOtol