Decorah public opinion., 1921-12-28
BLOODHOUNDS NO
GS,'D AT 0SSIAN
Fail to e te the Burglar Who
Robbed J. nj. Spillman
Drug { y any on Dec. 19.
$500 IN JEwl *y WAS
sT0 FROM STORE
One bloodhound FL "A Waterloo Was
Put on the Scent the Next
Day, But Nothing
Resulted.
(Ossian Bee)

\OSSidil DCCl
Some time during Monday night,
Dec. 19, the store of the j. M. Spill
man Drug Company was entered by
burglars who made a haul of about
$500 in cash and jewelry, etc.
They entered the building through
the basement window on Lydia street
and used the stores ice pick to pry
open the stairway door leading from
the basement to the store building.
They left by way of the back door
in the basement.
Among the articles stolen was a
ladies' wrist watch taken from the
show window. Besides this there
were stolen a watch case, three man
icure sets, three gold knives and
chains, gold chains, brooches, lava
lieres, one of which was set with dia-
mon, md a lot of ivory. Among
the rsharp pencils the culprits
pickle all the gold pencils, leaving
the 0 hers. The cash register was
touched too, but this contained
only $500 in cash. Many other ar
ticles were taken, but those mention
ed comprise the most valuable so far
as is known. These burglars chad
an eye" for valuables, "appropriat-
ing" only the best.
j. M. Spillman opened the store
Tuesday morning preparatory to the
days business. On the arrival of the
pharmacist, VIM. F. Scholz, Mr.. Spill
man went to his home to breakfast
and while there asked his son, Ha--
old, if he had left the usual amount
of change in the cash register. Har-
old answered in the affirmative, but
Mr.. Spillman told Harold the cash
register contained no money. That
the store had been burglarized dur
ing the night was not known at this
time. On the arrival of Harold al
the store he noticed that the door
had been pried open and investiga-
ton disclosed the burglary.
Marshal Grimstad was notified ano
after a conference the blood hounds
were ordered here from Waterloo
One dog, in charge of Bud Bachtell
arrived on the afternoon train and he
was set to work, taking the scent IL
the basement and started toward;
the northwest end of town, followed
by large number of citizens. Tht
dog was put to work again after sup
per and made five trips to the home
of prominent citizen. Everybod!
knows this citizen, and to suspec
him of the crime of burglary woulc
be the most absurd thing in thu
world. Even the dogs action faileC
to arouse suspicion or mistrust. Th'
whole affair, so far as it relates t
this citizen, is unworthy of consider
4 alton. 1t is nonsensical, utterly ant
glaringly, foolish. When, however
this citizen was apprised that TIL
trail of the burglars led to his home
he demanded that a search be made
The search was made but nothing
) was found-and the searchers, ma
turally, expected'to find nothing.
This much we deduct from tn
dogs action: as means of trailing
criminals, bloodhounds are com
plete failure; or. in this case, tn
burglars may have had experienc
along this line and purposely wake
to the home of the aforesaid citize
and retraced their steps to diver
suspicion and throw the dog off tn
trail.
Others are inclined to believe tina
one man staged this burglary. Fror
reports coming to this office, we, too
believe it to have been the work o
one man. He made a nice haul bu
he'll be apprehended in due time an
given free ride to Fort Madiso
where he will sojourn for period o
years behind prison bars.