THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 1898.
« »1It is a great mystery, I must my room. I will then descend to
admit,’ I replied; ‘but when we dis- the cellar, secrete myself and wateh«
cover the process by which the and if I rind anyone at the trapdoor
money is abstracted, we may find it I will knock on the floor, and you
is not such a deep mystery after all. must come dow n immediately. We
I always look at these matters as I may not be able to catch the thief
— — — — — —
do upon the tricks of a magici in,|fors< veral days, but I am surt
“ I have a very smart lad in mv which seem impossible to the un- shall in the end.'
THE MYSTERIOUS DRAWER,
employ, and the best thing to be initiated, but are easy enough when
“The next morning we were all
“Is Mr. Carbon in?”
done is for him to go hack with you, found out. I am not in the least very busy until dinner time, so j
“That is my name/’ I replied. and for you to ostensibly set him to superstitious, and there is always a J was not ordered to my room until
“Are you the detective?”
work in your store. Call here about rational way of accounting for what afternoon.
“That is my profession.”
four o’clock this afternoon, and he happens. No, we know that mon-
‘“Robert/said Mr. Hughes, in the
“ I am being robbed, and want will he ready to accompany you.” ey
abstracted from the drawer; hearing of Silverton and the hov,
vour assistance.”
Mr. Hughes then left, and I sent we know that somebody must take ‘you are not looking well; and, as
“All right. Now give me all the for my lad.
it, for it cannot leave without help; the rush is over for the day, you had
particulars—your name, residenece,
\\ hen he arrived, I informed him and that in order to take the mon- better go to vour room and restyour-
place of business, of what you are of the ease, and gave him what ey there must be a wav. We also self.’
being robbed, whom you suspect; in instructions I thought necessary.
know that no one has been near
“‘Thank you,sir. I shall be hap-
short, state clearly everything con
At four o’clock Mr. Hughes came the drawer in the store. Now, what py to follow your advice.’
nected with the matter.”
back. I introduced the hoy to him, are the means used? That is the
“Instead of going to my room, I
“My name is Thomas Hughes. and they then left together.
first point we must find out; and hid myself in the cellar, in such a po-
1 keep a country store in the village A few days after my young deputy after we discover that, it will he an sitiou that I could see any one who
of—, and reside in the dwelling returned, and handed me the fol- easy matter to discover the thief.’ might approach the trap-door with
part of the house. I am being sys lowing written report:
“ ‘Yes.’
out being seen myself.
tematically robbed of money. The
“ I arrived at Mr. Hughes’ house
“ ‘What is it?’
; “After I had been there about
amounts taken at one time are not about eight o’clock of the day we j “ ‘When Silverton goes out you two hours I perceived Silverton
very large — ranging from one to left, and after supper I was intro- must send the boy away on an er- comedown the cellar stairs very
five dollars—hut they are very fre duced to the young man and boy rand, and then I will have an op- quietly.
quent—some three or four times a employed there, and was told that portunity to take the boxes and bar- “He looked all around
him, and
week.”
the boy and myself weretosleep to- rels from under the counter, arid then walked over to the trap-door,
“ Where is the money taken from, gether.
also take the drawer out and make a
“After again glancing, first one
Mr. Hughes?”
“The next day I went to w’ork in thorough examination.’
away and then another, and at-
“From the cash drawer in the the store, and managed to examine
‘“All right, it shall be done, and tentively listening, he concluded
store; and what I cannot account the money-drawer pretty thor- I hope you will succeed.’
j that all was safe.
for is that on one or two occasions oughly without being observed by
“ In a short tune Silverton passed
“ He then placed a barrel under
I secretly watched tin* drawer, and any one except Mr. Hughes.
out through the store as the boy the trap, a box on top of the barrel,
am certain that no one had access
“I could discover nothing wrong entered.
and climbed up and went to work
to it—in fact, no one was near it about the drawer—it being an
“Mr. Hughes then sent the youth at his nefarious business,
at all; and yet, upon my examining ordinary one, with a springlock out, and I went to work.
j “I waited until he wts fairly
the contents, which I had carefully attached, and also a burglar-alarm, j “The first thing I discovered was through and in the store, and then I
counted before, I was astounded to so arranged that unless you touched that, among the boxes stowed under gave a rap on the floor.
discover that the amount was two a spring, when opening it, it would the counter, was a bar rel, with both
“This seemed to alarm Silverton,
dollars less.”
strike a gong.
the head and bottom out, standing for be immediately commenced to
“Are you sure you counted it cor “For three days nothing was Hear the drawer.
descend.
rectly?”
missed; hut on the fouth, while Mr. j “The drawer was made so that it
“ ‘Not so fast, my young fellow!’
“Yes; for I went over it three Hughes and myself were the only would not come all the way out; I said, as I kicked away the barrel
times, and then made a mem persons in the store, a five-dollar but when it was pulled out to the and box.
orandum on a piece of paper to be note disappeared.
end it would stop—being arrar ged “Mr. Hughes came running down,
doubly sure.”
1'he boy had been sent out to that way on purpose—so that 1 was and was just in time to see Silverton
“This seems a rather interesting deliver some purchases, and the compelled to draw some nails in or- let himself drop to the ground,
case, Mr. Hughes. Whom have you young man, \Vbose name was der to examine every part of it
“Before he could rise Mr. Hughes
employed in your store?”
Samuel Silverton, was upstairs in “The next thing I discovered was, grasped him by the arm and said:
“A young man and a boy. They his own room, preparing io go out. that the hack part of the drawer
“‘You rascal! I ’ve caught you at
both have been with me for two
“Both Mr. Hughes and myself was on hinges, and could be let last, have I?’
years.”
had examined the drawer and down from behind, even when the
“ Like all sneak thieves, he was a
“And you don’t suspect either of counted the money; and, an hour
drawer was closed.
coward, and so showed himself,
them?”
afterward, upon making another
“I then examined the floor, and
‘“Oh, Mr. Hughes/ he said, ‘I’ve
“No,I feel sure they are innocent, examination, we discovered the discovered what appeared to be a done nothing wrong—indeed, in
and yet 1 don’t know what to think.” money to be missing.
trap-door, but could find no way to deed, I haven’t!’
“Is there any one else you suspect?”
“As soon as we had ascertained open it. I descended into the cel-
“ ‘Have done nothing wrong, eh?
“No, no one.”
this fact, I quietly went upstairs to lar, and there found that I was What were you doing up there?’
“Have you spoken to any one
see if Silverton was there. As I right, and that it was a trap-door,
“ ‘Why, I just saw the trap-door,
about your losses?”
passed his door I found it open, and just large enough to allow a person and thought I would investigate it.’
“No one except my wife.”
saw him in the room.
to squeeze through,and was opened
“ ‘J’ll investigate you, you hypo-
“Has she mentioned it?”
UXT . ,
• • j
,
Surely he could not be the thief and fastened from the under or cel- crite, thief and robberl’ cried the
No; for she enjoined me to keep _ f or [ had heard him afcend ,he lar gjdfi
angry Qwner
‘I will put you in
silent about it,and come to the city stair8 to g0 t0 his room 5efore we “I informed Mr. Hughes, and jail.'
and consult a detective. I called counted the money, and 1 now showed him the means used to ab-
“ ‘Oh, don't! please don’t—I—I
on the firm I buy some of my goods fOUud him there.' But could he stract the money.
never will do it again. Oh, good,
from, and they recommended me to have left the room and robbed ‘“ Well, you have found the mode.” kind sir, please let me off this time/
you.”
the drawer.’ No, he could not; for he said, “but who is the thief?’
and the rascal fell upon his knees,
“ When do you go home?”
Mr. Hughes and myself were the
‘“That remains to be seen/ I re- crying and sobbing like a child,
“To-night.”
only persons remaining, and no one plied; ‘but we will soon find him,
“ ‘How long has this been going
“Could you employ more e P but ourselves had been in the store and 1 think it will be best to catch on?’ demanded his master,
without exciting suspicion?”
during the absence of the others.
him in the act.’
“ ‘N
‘Not
< long, sir.’
“les, for I have been thinking
“I came down and reported that
•“Y'ou are right—but how will you
“ ‘Don’t lie to me! How long, I
about putting on some one else, as Silverton was in his room.
do it?’
ask?’
« «About six months.’
my business is increasing so that 11 “ ‘Well, what do you think of it?’
To-morrow I will appear not to
actually require it.”
asked Mr. Hughes.
i be well, and you must order me to, ‘“ How much have you stolen in
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