Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1911-06-08

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m citation. 1911.
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4 hen I first entered upon the de-
I've business, being inexperienced,
ound it difficult to get position.
when / got one couldn't keep it.
I'D been tried by one or two agen-
but had been outwitted by the
lies / had been sent to outwit, and
- one Of my failures found myself
Is no employment and not cent
ny pocket.
was walking disconsolately along
avenue occupied solely by dwellings
EN- / saw negro man ahead Of me
ceiling box on truck. He seemed
be talking to himself in low tone,
U / came up behind him without
king any noise. Indeed, my foot
rs couldn't very well be heard be-
Use the day was wet and | wore
bbers. Walking for short distance
hind him, heard him say, when
& Get to the steps going down into the
sement I'll call Look out! SOS you
q brace yourself"
Us soon as l heard this l surmised
1t somebody was in the box. There
emed to me but one reason for any
e to be thus incased, and that was
her to break or evade the law. Some
rson was going to effect an entrance
mewhere in order to be concealed
n the box till favorable opportunity
hould arise to commit a crime or
me one was escaping from the po-
te. My detective instincts furt her
Id me that If the person in the box
ere going to rob he would be taken
3 mercantile building. If he were
Ding to escape the police he would
3 taken to a railroad station and
dipped as freight.
This last was my favorite theory.
new that it was much easier to ap-
ropriate movable property belonging
, others than to get away with it and
urn it into cash.
Suddenly the negro porter turned,
7heeling the box into the basement
Dor of a handsome dwelling house.
had purposely dropped behind him
hat in case he stopped / would not
eel obliged to walk past him. He
lased the truck down three steps I'M
Ter the stoop, and just as he reached
he basement door it was opened by a
maid.
"Ahav' l said to myself. ''This is a
servants scheme. There are more
,urglaries committed through the con-
livance Of servants than any other
way. There is man in that box,
Who when every one in the house is
lsleep will get out of it and carry off
What valuables he can find. We shall
Zee whether he will or not"
1t was just before dark that the box
vas wheeled into the house. The
lour fitted my theory exactly. A per-
ION would not wish to remain shut
lp in such uncomfortable quarters any
onger than necessary. Even as it
vas it would be necessary for him
o stay where he was for several
hours. / waited till I saw the negro
70 away with his truck. then cast
lbout for an excuse to visit the house
With a view to locating the position
# the box. An advertisement dis
ributer had left some handbills puff
ng face powder on the stoops along
he street. Gathering a few Of them.
went to the basement door of the
house / was interested in and rang
he bell. The maid who had let in the
porter answered the summons, first
lighting gas Jet in the basement.
AS soon as she opened the door l
Jaw the box standing in a corner in
he hall where the darby had left 1t.
The top was still on 1t. The maid
vas a very nice looking girl, not one
o be suspected of admitting a bur-
liar to the house. 1 asked her II l
'ould sell her some face powder, but
It the same time she saw me looking
It the box and shut the door In my
ace.
But since I had seen what I wished
o see this treatment didn't trouble
ne. I had very little doubt that
lad discovered an incipient robbery.
was not doubtful as to the means
f preventing It. What interested me
vas how to turn that prevention to
nv own account. II I went to the
,wner Of the premises and told him
hat there was burglar concealed In
lis basement he would call the police,
he burglar would be arrested and
,ery likely the owner would give me
< for having furnished him the infor-
nation. was after a larger reward.
It seemed to me that ! would better
md out something concerning the peo-
lie who lived In the house. 1t was
landsome stone front dwelling and
ould only be inhabited by wealthy
'eople. Fortunately l remembered
hat the census for 1910 was being
aiken. would avail myself OF this
act. AS a census official ! could ask
II the questions liked without sus-
icion. But would likely be admit
ed by the maid to whom had tried
o sell the face powder, and 1t
vouldn't do to play two parts to the
anne audience. I went to my room,
There I kept various makeup mate
ia1o md mt on different sniff OF