Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-01-07
Told While
Waiting For
A I rain
By EDITH v. ROSS

4
must have lots of queer cases to tell
about Can't you give me one while
we're waiting for the train?''
Bentley looked at his watch. The
train was due at 1915, and it was just
1905.
1.-THE only one l can think of that is
short enough to get into ten minutes
is a case wherein a valuable sapphire
i had been stolen. The thief was known.
and all there was to do was to get the
property. A jewel is so small that it
can be easily got away with, or if
necessary to the thief's safety it can
be lost either where it can be found
by him or where it can never be re-
covered.
"A man of the name of I'richard and
stolen the stone from one who saw
him take it. Therefore there was no
doubt about it. | was telephoned for
Immediately and was with the owner
five minutes after the theft He de-
scribed the thief to me-a man with red
| head, striped waistcoat and tuft of
beard on his chin. He had gone up the
street | was to find him and recover
the property.
| mot much chance, eh? That's just
! what it was-chance. | hurried up the
street and had the good luck to see
| man as described coming out Of jew
eler's. That was enough for me. He
might have sold the sapphire to the
jewelr If so it would keep; if not
it was my job to get it. | followed
him to another jewelers. and, going in
after him. waited for him to offer the
article for SALE But he gave me
suspicious look, asked the jeweler to
show him some scarfpins and went out
without betraying himself.
"Of course l followed him. Being
! quite sure from his having entered the
! second store that he had not yet parted
with the stone and believing that he
had it on his person, | Swallowed him
or. rather, kept close to him, in order
| that he might not drop it without my
seeing him do it. OF course this gave
me away to him. and it was not long
before he knew what | was about,
though | fancy he wondered how | got
on to him so quickly and possibly how
l got on to him at ALL for he did not
know that he was seen to take the
property.
1.-The problem with him now was how
he could elude me, if not how he could
get rid of the gem in way that would
admit of his getting it again. or, if this
also was impossible, how he might drop
| it where it would be lost to him, He
lodged into alleys, cut into back yards.
went through buildings, but | kept not
over twenty yards behind him. Then
he took a trolley car. l boarded it and
took a seat opposite him, but the car
was so crowded that if had attempt
ed to take the sapphire from him he
might have been able to lose it with
out my knowledge.
HE stuck to the car till it reached the
terminal which was on the outskirts
of the town. There were few houses
where the car stopped, beyond that
open ground. My quarry set off walk
ing on road till he came to fork.
| There be hesitated which road to take.
and l made up my mind that he was
losing his nerve.
Gle didn't take either road, but, stoop-
ing. picked up several stones. | knew
what they were for and drew my re-
volver. Suddenly he turned and stood
at bay. The next thing knew stone
grazed my cheek. l called on him to
stop throwing stones and give himself
up, producing my revolver to enforce
my demand Whether or not he believ
i ed I wouldn't Shoot he kept on throw
ing such stones as he picked up on the
road. some large, some small. At last
I fired a shot to miss. and this brought
| him to terms.
"T want a valuable sapphire yOn
have in your possession said.
"T amt got no sapphire was the
logged reply.
81 advanced and arrested him. TAX
ing him back to the trolley terminal
near which was police station. l took
him to the latter and searched him.
1.-The sapphire was not to be found.
"He had beaten me after all The
only course left me was to drop him.
putting another man on to him to shad
ow him with view to being on hand
! when he regained the stolen property
that is, if he had got rid of it where
he could find it again. So l held him
till had got man from the agency.
then let him go. / took trolley car
back to town. and the thief took the
same car: also the man had directed
| to shadow him.
"Prichard on the way home abused
me soundly. declaring that / had in
tended to rob him and he would have
me arrested and sent up. paid no at
tention to him, buying an evening
newspaper and reading it When we
reached the city I left him in charge
Of my deputy and went home to din
ner.
1.-The next morning when l went to
the Office there was Prichard in charge
Of a policeman. My shadower had
watched all night before the house
where he had slept and in the morn