The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-28
ARTICLES WERE MISSING
 FOR NEARLY 4 WEEK
Last Night the Sidewalk in Front of the First National Was Torn Up and All of the Stolen yaIuabIes
 Were Recovered

nlSut tdpllItu llle IliOSl duiOll Oui Bldi that has operated in this city in many years. Baffling detectives. disappearing every day with some valuable jewel leaving no trace of it's identity, and threatening to disrupt MT. Lynchs sales force, for more than a week this tiny thief had been at his work. During that time she had stolen nearly 5000 worth of jewelry.
 But for the genius of another Sherlock Holmes, she might still be at large in stead of languishing in a steel cage held without bond the charge of grand larceny. By the strategy of one, A. B. Kohler, she was traced to her nest under the middle of the sidewalk on Twentieth street, where her home was found lined with gold. mantled with pearl brooches and sparkling with diamonds.
 When the sidewalk had been torn up the whole of the lost jewelry was re- covered. The rat has been arrested, and in her cell is making pltiful pleas for lib- erty. Men are marveling at the almost impossible feats accomplished by this lit tie animal.
 Tunnelling through hard tamped cin- ders and sand for several yards to a lit- tie crevice in the cement which it widen ed by days and nights of work, to per init the passage of it's body, the rat final ly made entrance to the jewelry store under the show case. No expert could have done better.
 But all this toll and labor and energy was for an unselfish purpose after all. Down there in her nest the poor rat had a dying child Every other expedient had failed to relieve 1t, and the little ignor- ant creature thought by presents of fn- cry to cheer 1t back to life again. With it's head lying against diamond and sur rounded by rubies and gold, was found q junior rat the pet of the family, per haps, stone dead. Attorneys who wit messed the revelation of the family se- crets eagerly volunteered 10 accept the case of the mother rat and defend her without remuneration.
 The valuables were first missed last Friday A drawer under the show case was used to hold jewelry which had been repaired. A lady who had left her dia- mond ring the day previous called for it's return, but it could not be found. A careful search was made, but nothing discovered. Then gradually rings. brooches, lockets. chains and other jew els were missed from the same drawer. When the loss reached into the hun dreds Mir Lynch became desperate. Both of his assistants. J. A. Boatwright and
 
 years and were beyond suspicion yet all were in a miserable state of uncertainty, for they were sure some thief was some where.
 A detective was hired. with no fur ther success. Finally, Tuesday night, when the force was in a state of ner- vous tension, ready to try anything which held out the slightest hope, someone suggested the rat theory. MT. Kohler, the watch repairer, secured a piece of meat, to which he tied a string, and left 1t in the drawer with the ball of string loose, so that it might unraveL
 Yesterday morning the string was found leading out of the drawer, under the show case, and disappearing in the rat hole. Here, too. was found a pair of spectacles. Hurriedly workmen were secured, and the sidewalk torn up, resulting in a most lucky discovery.
 Peace and harmony was restored in the jewelry store, and the culprit was captured. The rat had taken the valu- ables to her nest in the envelopes, so as to leave no trace of paper behind, but the nest was lined with the paper, while the jewels had been removed and were found arranged around the body of the dead rat
 There are many other theories ad- vanced. Some believe that she intend ed opening up jewelry store, having selected a stand on the most promi- nent corner in the city. Others attrib- ute it entirely to female vanity. Some allege that last Sunday they caught a glimpse of a large lady rat with ear rings in her ears, diamonds on her wrists, a brooch of pearls at her throat. holding a monocle.
 The case of the poor little fellow, who died in the midst of luxury, gives the whole story pathetic toucn. Like the prince In the story book, who was dressed in golden armor, and surround ed by the riches of the land, he pined away and died, while the common herd of little rats in the basement of the First National Bank building romped a. play, robust in health.
 Among the stolen articles was gold umbrella handle, wh hich undoubtedly d, notes that she was preparing for rainy day.
 It has been suggested that the child was suffering from weak eyes, as there were five pairs of spectacles in the nest, and the pair found at the en. trance to the hole must have been discarded, as the lenses were very weaI..
 There were actually Al different arti- cles found in the nest. Several were especially valuable, among them being two wedding rings which had been left by ladies to have them made larger; a young ladies locket, containing a few strands of brown hair; brooch, which ad been worn by a grandmother long dead, and a number of other rings, two of which were valuable diamonds. MT Lynch estimates the total value ar nearly 5000.
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