The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-02-23
HAD BEEN CAUGHT BY A LEG IN BEAR


dancing. He could have had the best
room in the house, but he did not want
it. He wanted one with a back In
stead of a front view. Just beneath
his windows was the roof of the kitch-
en-, and below that was the roof OF a
shed. From thence 1t was drop OF
only six feet to the alley In the rear OF
the hotel These things were not taken
notice Of by outsiders until later on.
The town fool took liking to Colonel
Bliss at once. He was drawn toward
him by his crippled condition. The
lad had never seen anything like it in
his life. The colonel could manage to
get up and down stairs, but no more.
If he left the hotel it had be be In
carriage. Jimmy Landon started out
to attach himself to the stranger as
body servant, but his unusual curiosity
brought about his downfall. he had
served for two weeks when the colo
mel found him rummaging his trunk
and sent him to the right about. Not
only that, but he whacked him over
the back with one of his crutches
Those whacks destroyed the boys IL
lusions. The colonel was no longer
god to him. Jimmy had reasoned 1t
out in his silly mind that the trunk
was partnership concern and that he
had a perfect right to examine its
contents, and to be whacked for doing
it and then to be driven away in dis
grace aroused a thirst for revenge.
The schools had just got fairly start
ed when more events came along.
One night the postoffice was robbed OF
cash and stamps to the value Of 5000.
It was a widow who held the once,
and everybody felt sorry for her 1t
was decided that the trick had been
done by two men who were seen loaf
ing about the streets at a late hour
that night, and the sheriff failed to gel
any clew. The colonel heard of the
robbery. Of course, and seemed to take
deep interest in it. In fact, his ad-
vice was taken by the sheriff In seek
ing to solve the affair. Only ten days
later the leading dry goods store was
entered at night and $40 in cash tax
en-. AS no goods were taken, the sherin
reasoned that some one In the town
was the robber, but the colonel dir-
fered with him. In his opinion an or
ganized 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 a lot of cattle and had the
money in his house was neatly robbed
Of every dollar of it. He and his wife
were sleeping in a bedroom of the
sitting room, and the robber had ef-
fected entrance by using ladder and
a second story window. The sum tax
en- was $500, and now the sheriff ana
his deputies began to move lively. BY
the advice Of Colonel Bliss, who hlnt-
ed that he might add detective ageh-
CIV to his schools, certain highways
were watched at night. Nothing came
of that. but the postof1ce in village
in contrary direction was robbed OF
500 worth Of cash and stamps.
The town fool could hear, and ne
hoard 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
oueerly. He went about with a grin
on his face, and when spoken to about
the robberies 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 gel
something out Of him, but Jimmy sim
DIV rnunched the sweets and grinned
If he had anything up his sleeve ne
wasn't going to bring It 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
the robber bundled up $500 worth OF
the choicest cutlery. There was nc
clew until Colonel Bliss furnished one
He directed suspicion toward the town
fool. Jimmy Landon was brought tc
the hotel by the sheriff, and the colo
mel and others set all sorts Of traps
for him. but were no wiser at the enc
Of three hours. The boy would grir
and giggls and lie down on the 400