The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-05-02
An Important
Leak
3, THoAlASR DEAN

9ss Z. ~ I
When 4 very young man ] secured
: pxositioa4 - seistk IN q large diamond
house. Ths dianoiads were received ID
the rough and ground in . department
for that purpose They wsesSsold both
at wb~osssass2and at retail. the,who'e.
salinE; being done upstairs and the re-
failing On the ground door.
One day just before closing the
doors were all locked aud every EN-
ployes was ordered TO q large room
where the head Of the nrm spoke to US.
He told rs that there va . leakage OF
diamonds in the establishment, and We
must all be searched. This was done.
but I didn't learn that diamonds were
found on any ne.
The leak continued-tbat was evil
dent from the fact that a number Of
methods were adopted for catching the
thief. though all of them were fall
urea A detective was introduced on
the premises who went to work with
us az an employee. We rarely had any
change In the force. and q new man
going to work among us. at Q time
when goods were missed, made me
suspicious Of this person-Erhart was
his name-aDd l fell to watching him.
I soon saw enough to convince me
that be was what ! took him for.
In order to facilitate matters. The
frm offered q reward Of $500 for evi.
dence that would convict the perpe-
traitor Of the theft. It struck me that
tho reward would be more effective
than NJ. BFAmt. But I hadn't much
confidence in either. Doubtless the
thief had found some ingenious way Of
getting away with the plumber. and
diamonds are 30 small that they could
be removed without much chance Of
detection.
wal working on q small salary
doing boys work. Boys are the most
observing creatures in the world, and
I was no exception to the rule. was
not confined to any n department. I
was doing odds and ends in all parts
Of the building. It struck me that
would like to earn that $500. was
ambitious to set up in some kind Of q
small business Of my own, and the re-
ward would be far nor than enough
capital for any I would think Of going
into.
: Nevertheless I did not 60 about the
matter deliberately or methodically. I
didn't know how to make a beginning.
! supposed the detective would know
oil about that, and I envied him his
experience.
About the time the diamonds were
missed mice began to appear on the
premises. Traps were Get in different
places. and every day one OF more mice
were caught. But somehow the num-
bef Of mice didn't seem to diminish.
Then q cat was introduced. The cat.
% far 40 could b seen, didn't catch
any mice. but the traps did.
That gave me q suspicion that the
mice might possibly have something
to do with the missing diamonds. For
my part ! would rather trust q cat to
catch mice than Q trap. ] have known
mice to 60 all about q trap and let It
severely alone. The next time I saw
. mouse in q trap I noticed that it
had been caught in such . way Al to
kill It. Indeed. I couldn't ind that one
Of them vas ever caught by the foot
or the tail or In any way that would
not XIII II.
Ny suspicious having grown In this
direction. ! resolved to watch one Of
the traps. But this was easier said
than dons. The traps wers placed in
secluded corners. Any one could 60
70 them ct any time. but they were
not in position to be watched. ] gained
nothing BY this idea.
One day ] found Q mouse in a trap
and concluded to throw It out / did
20 and tossed It out through a window
in the rear, where 1t fell In the small
space between our building and the
one behind It. leaned on the window
Gill, looking down to see where It fell,
and to my surprise l saw a sash that
stood about . foot above the ground
raised, Q hand reach out and take the
mouse In.
The problem was solved. The din-
monds were removedln the mice.
After taking time to consider what
should do ! went to the head Of the
aIm and told him that i could tell
him Of the way in which the diamonds
were removed. though / didenot know
who stole them or who received them.
1 was told that II my information