Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1909-09-17

robbery IT course. and seemed to take
a deep interest in it. In fact, his nd.
vice was taken by the sheriff in seek
ing to solve the affair. Only ten days
pater the leading dry goods store was
entered at night and $40 IN cash talk
en-. AS no goods were taken. the sheriff
reasoned that some one in the town
was the robber, but the colonel DIFF.
fered with him. In his opinion an or
gained gang was at work and the
fellows had been frightened away be-
fore they could begin loading up their
wagon.
During the next week there was
nothing doing. Then a farmer who
had sold lot Of cattle and had the
money in his house was neatly robbed
Of every dollar of it. He and his wife
were sleeping ina bedroom off the
sitting room, and the robber had eff.
fected entrance by using a ladder and
second story window. The sum TAX
en- was $500. and now the sheriff and
his deputies began to move lively. Fly
the advice Of Colonel Bliss, who hint
Cd that he might add detective agen-
ty to his schools. certain highways
were watched at night. Nothing came
Of that, but the postoffice in a village
In Il contrary direction was robbed Of
500 worth Of cash and stamps.
The town fool could hear, and he
heard all about the robberies. He
couldn't grasp the particulars the way
other folks did, but he absorbed
enough Of them to make him act
quccrly. He went about with grin
on his face, and when spoken to about
tho robbcries he put on the most know
ing look his face had ever worn. The
sheriff bought the lad 10 cents worth
Of candy and tried for an hour to get
something out Of him, but Jimmy SIM
ply munched the sweets and grinned.
If he had anything up his sleeve he
wasn't going to bring 1t to light just
then. The robbery Of the farmer was
still being talked Of when hardware
store in the town was entered and
robbed. In addition to $25 in cash,
he robber bundled up 5000 worth Of
the choicest cutlery. There was no
clcw until Colonel Bliss furnished one.
He directed suspicion toward the town
fool Jimmy Landon was brought to
the hotel by the sheriff, and the colo
mel and others set all sorts Of traps
for him. but were no wiser at the end
Of three hours. The boy would grin
ard giggle and lie down on the floor
and laugh, but no one else could see
where the joke came inf there was
a Joke.
For two weeks after the robbery of
tile hardware store there was nothing
doing. The colonel held to it that the
boy, fool though he was, had become
frightened. Then the grand climax
came. and 1t was hair raiser. There
was private bank in town, and the
owner had quietly put on Waterman.
One night this Waterman heard sus-
picious sounds at the back door and
raised an alarm and heard some one
running away. Fifteen minutes later
there was the awfulest kind Of row
in the rear Of the hotel. None of those
Who rushed out were prepared for the
sights that greeted them. Colonel
Bliss. without his crutches, had been
caught by a leg in bear trap, the
town fool was rolling on the ground
in laughter. mans trail over the
roofs could be traced in the thin snow,
ard there were tracks leading from the
trap back to the bank. Jimmy Landon
had suspected the man that whacked
him with crutch and set q trap for
and caught him. There was no getting
out of it for the colonel. First, 1t
was shown that he was no more
cripple than any one else. and. sec.
ond. the plumber Of his various rob-
berries was right there in his trunk.
He simply stood on his dignity and
went to prison for ten years, and the
town fool is still today welcome to
make his home with any family in the
community. The doctors say that his
mind will never bc any brighter, and
other folks say there is no need for 1t
to be-