Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-07-15
TheManIn
the Box
A Detective Solved the Mys-
terry OF His Being There
By John L. Everhart
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

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When first entered upon the de.
tecrive business. being inexperienced.
found 1t difficult to get a position,
and when | got one couldn't keep 1t.
| had been tried by one or two agen-
cles. but had been outwltted by the
parties I had been sent to outwit, and
after one of my failures foifAd myself
with no employment and not cent
IN my pocket.
l was walking dlsconsolately along
an avenue occupied solely by dwellings
when / saw negro man ahead of me
wheeling a box on truck. He seemed
to be talking to himself In low tone,
and | came up behind him without
making any noise. Indeed. my foot
falls couldn't very well be heard be-
cause the day was wet and wore
rubbers. Walking for u short distance
behind him. heard him say. when
get to the steps going down into the
basement I'll call Look out! SOS you
can brace yourself"
As soon as heard this l surmised
that somebody was In the box. There
seemed TO lie but one reason for any
one TO be thus incased. and that was
either TO break or evade the law. Some
person was going to effect an entrance
somewhere In order 10 be concealed
In the box till favorable opportunity
should arise to commit a crime or
some one was escaping from the po-
lice. My detective instincts further
told me that IL the person in the box
were going to rob he would be taken
to n mercantile building. II he were
going 10 escape the police he would
be taken to railroad station and
shipped as freight.
This last was my favorite theory. I
knew that 1t was much easier to ap-
propriate movable property belonging
to others than to get away with It and
turn 1t into cash.
Suddenly the negro porter turned,
wheeling the box into the basement
door of handsome dwelling house.
l had purposely dropped behind him
that in case he stopped would not
feel obliged to walk past him. He
eased the truck down three steps I'M
der the stoop. and just as he reached
the basement door it was opened by a
maid.
"Aha" I said to myself. This is a
servants scheme. There are more
burglaries committed through the con-
nivance Of servants than any other
way. There is a man in that box.
who when every one In the house is
asleep Will get out of 1t and carry OF
what valuables he can find. We shall
see whether he viii or not"
II was just before dark that the box
was wheeled into the house. The
hour fitted my theory exactly. A per-
up In such uncomfortable quarters any
longer than necessary. Even as II
was II would be necessary for him
TO stay where he was for several
hours I waited till ! saw the negro
go away with his truck. then cast
about for an excuse TO visit the house
with a view to locating the position
OF the box An advertisement dis
tributer had left some handbills pun
ing face powder on the stoops along
the street. Gathering few Of them.
went TO the basewenf door OF the
house was interested In and rang
the bell The maid who had let in the
porter answered the summons, first
lighting a gas Jet in the basement.
AS soon rs she opened the door
saw the box standing In n corner in
the hall where the darby had left It.
The top was still on It. The maid
was very nice looking girl. not one
to be suspected OF admitting bur.
glar to the house. ! asked her II ]
could sell her some face powder. but
Mt the same time she saw me looking
at the box and shut the door In my
face.
But since had seen what wished
TO see this treatment didn't trouble
me. had very little doubt that l
had discovered an incipient robbery.
/ was not doubtful as TO the means
Of preventing It. What interested me
was how to turn that prevention to
my own account II I went to the
owner OF the premises and told him
that there was n burglar concealed In
his basement he would call the police.
the burglar would be arrested and
very likely the owner would give me
So for having furnished him the infor-
nation. was after larger reward.
It seemed to me that ! would better
find out something concerning the peo'
pie who lived in the house. II was a
handsome stone front dwelling and
could only be inhabited by wealthy
people. Fortunately remembered
that the census for 1910 was being
taken. I would avail myself OF this
fact. As census official ! could ask
all the questions liked without sus-
picion. But would likely be admit;
Tod nv tho maid fo whom / had tried