The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1916-06-29

of the house which we were watching
and play there as long as the police
permitted them. The music and the
performance of the monkeys brought
several women from the house to the
veranda, but the woman who was
wanted was not among them. The
same performance, repeated on sew
eral mornings, produced a similar re-
suit.
The brother of No. 1, who was a
gentleman of leisure, was in the hab-
it of strolling each morning from his
house to the post office, where he
usually mailed several letters. He
always dropped these into the gen
cral receptacle. which had an opening
in the main corridor at least foot in
length and three inches wide, and led
to q large box in the basement below
the main floor. This box contained
about wagon-load of letters and
packages. and when a letter had been
dropped in this mass it was almost
impossible to find it again.
The brother was a middle-aged
man. rather slow in his movements,
and very deliberate in everything
that he did. He would approach the
general mail box, placing his cane
under his left arm and carefully re-
moving the glove from his right
hand; then he would take the letters,
generally three or more in number,
and in an exasperatingly slow and de-
lberate manner would deposit them
in the box, watching them till they
had disappeared down the chute
This operation was repeated by him
each week day during about three
weeks, being witnessed each time by
one Of us.
I prepared two letters, directing
them to myself and my associate,
stamped them, and then covered the
back of each envelope with thick
coating of mucilage. I myself took
one letter and Herbert the other.
Each of us posted himself on one side
Of the chute, being some little dis
lance from the receptacle.
Knowing the hour at which No. rs
brother was in the habit Of visiting
the post office. we were not kept wait
ing more than a few minutes before
he put in an appearance. After he
had gone through his customary
maneuvers, but before he had time to
drop the three letters which he held
Herbert and l rushed forward, one on
each side. both reaching out the let
tiers which we held simultaneously,
in such a way that the five were
forced into the chute together. No
Is brother became very indignant.
and muttered something about rude
ness and awkwardness. After at
tempting a hasty apology, I disap-
peared around the corner to the office
of the assistant postmaster, whose &C
quaintance I had previously formed.
| told him that l had just deposited
two letters in the chute, and, having
discovered that l had put each in the
wrong envelope, wished to get them
back in order to rectify the mistake.
The assistant postmaster at once con-
Quoted me to the main mail box be-
low, where, among a half wagon load
of letters and general postal matter
the five letters were speedily discov-
cred, all stuck together. One Of these
was addressed to relative Of No. Is
wife at her home in Tennessee, and a
second to another brother Of No. 1,
who resided at Atlanta, Ga. The
third letter was addressed to No.
himself, whose name was billiard, at
Ocean Springs, Miss.
l went at once to Ocean Springs,
which was then small winter resort
located on the Louisville & Nashville
railroad, between Montgomery and
New Orleans. l arrived there the
same midnight. and found that the
post office of the town was kept in a
small grocery store, which was part
Of the principal hotel of the town.
I showed the landlord photographs Of
billiard and his wife, and he at once
identified them by name He stated
that billiard had represented himself
as being a rich iron manufacturer
from Chattanooga, that his wife was
in i'll health, and that they had been
there for the past month, having rent
ed a beautiful residence known as
Montgomery Cottage, situated about
two miles away. l gave the post
master to understand that billiard
(No. I, be it remembered) had fallen
heir to sum of money and property,
and that I was DESTROYS of acquaint-
ing him of his good fortune by sur.
prise, after having established his
identity. This, I told him, would re-
quire about ten days, and l cautioned
the landlord to say nothing to billiard
or his wife, request which ELECTED a
ready promise.
1t was necessary to obtain requisi-
ton papers from the governors of
Mississippi and Texas, a process
which would require eight or ten
days, as complaint had to be lodged
at Sherman, Tex, request for the
requisition had to be sent from Sher-
man to Austin, and the request of
the governor of Texas to the COVER