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VOL. Xtll.
NEW BLOOMFIELD, 3?l., TUESDAY, MAY 0, 187U.
NO. 19.
lit!
THE TIMES.
in Independent Family Newspaper,
IS PUBLISHED BVBRT TUESDAY BT
F. MORTIMER &. CO.
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YOU'LL NEVER GUESS.
I know two eyes, two soft brown eyes,
Two eyes as sweet and dear
As ever danced with giy surprise,
Or melted with a tear i
In whose fair rays a heart may bask
Their shodowed rays serene
But, little maid, yon must not aBk
Whose gentle eyes I mean.
I know a voice of fairy tone,
Like brooklet In the June,
That sings to please itself alone.
A little old world tune :
Whose mnsic haunts the listener's ear,
And will not leave It free
But I shall never tell you, dear,
Whose accents they may be.
I know a golden-hearted maid
For whom I built a shrlnp,
A leafy nook of murmurous shade,
Deep In this heart of minei
And In that calm and cool recess
To make her home she came
But, oh I you'd never, never guess
That little maiden's name.
A Widow's Stolen Papers.
I WAS standing in our office, behind
my desk, when our chief entered the
room with a letter in his hand, and ad
dressed me with an invitation to under
take the unraveling of a mystery which
had baffled the local police at T .
I consented and departed for the scene
of the crime which had been committed,
much limited, however, as to the time I
was allowed for spending on the case.
Two hundred and fifty-five thousand
marks had been stolen from the widow
of a well-connected man named Frledow.
Her villa stood outside the gates of a
small town, and the lost property con
sisted chiefly in coupons and such valua
bles together with a little coin. Her habit
was to keep all papers of importance,
as well as money, in a chest of drawers
beside her bed. Her sleeping room was
situated on the first floor and had but
one window, which looked out upon the
yard. Her confidential friends had often
advised Frau Friedow to keep her gold
at least in some safer place, but she had
always resisted such counsel, and put
no faith in banks or bankers. As to
the safe, she had averred that if robbers
did ever molest her, unless her trusty dog
and her faithful Frederick,who was her
factotum and the only male person upon
her little property, could not protect her,
an iron box would avail little beyond,
perhaps," delaying the thieves in laying
hold of what they wauted.
On the night of the 7th of May the
poor lady wlb suddenly awakened about
twelve o'clock. Her room was illumi
nated. Before her bed stood a small,
thin man, with a lantern iu his left
hand and a hatchet iu his right.
In a rough, disguised voice he threat
ened to knock out her brains if she so
much as ventured to utter a sound.
The unfortunate frau was already voice
less from alarm. This speech could
scarcely make her more quiet, but she
could use her eyes, and did so for the
next few seconds while her visitors re
mained with her. She saw that the
speaker wore black hose, a blue blouse
and a mask ; and that two more men
were busy in the background breaking
open her chest of drawers. In the far
thest back division, covered over by
stockings, yarn and flax.lay a round tin
case, in which she kept her movable
treasures.
She was just thinking about risking
her life by calling for help, when the
smothered yelling of a dog was heard
without. The thieves had found what
they wanted, however, and spraug with
it to the window, one sash of which was
pen. They threw themselves upon a
ladder without, and descended to the
ground, while the third man still kept
guard beside the bed. Frau Friedow
cried for "Help, help!" with all her
might.
. . " You may scream as long as you like,
now," be muttered, turning away and
following the others from the room.
Frederick appeared at this Instant,
having been awakened by the noise.
He found the ladder still in its place,and
going below, was Just in time to save
the life of the house-dog, which bad
been almost choked by a cord twisted
round his neck fastening him to his
kennel. The man-servant roused up
the neighbors, but all pursuit, then or
later, by friends privately or by the
police publicly, had been in vain. Not
the leant clue had hitherto been obtain
ed as to the identity of the house
breakers. This was how the matter stood when
I arrived at T . When I had pri
vately communicated with the magis
trates, my second visit was naturally
paid to Frau Friedow. I sought every
where for any special indications which
might put me on the right track, but
what I found was desperately little.
Like those who had gone before me, I
concluded that the robbery had, at any
rate, been accomplished by persons well
acquainted with the locality, as entrance
to the premises hud been . made by a
small door in the yard, of the very ex
istence of which many of the neighbors
were unaware. The ladder made use of
had been dragged out of a nook in which
It had long lain concealed. A pane of
gloss had been smashed iu the window
of the bed-room to enable one of the as
sailants to slip back the bolt. A few
footprints had been traced, but there
was nothing remarkable about their ap
pearance, and they had been lost at once
upon the high road or street upon which
the little court-yard opened.
One thing seemed alone certain amid
the maze of perplexity ; the housebreak
ers must be sought from among neigh
bors, servants, friends or relations.
Now the neighbor theory, upon investi
gation, seemed utterly futile, aud one
glance at old Frederick was enough to
make one dismiss all thoughts connect
ed with the second term in the list.
There remained the friends and rela
tions in the habit of visiting at the villa.
The widow had not the faintest suspi
cion of foul play in any of these ; never
theless, I made her describe and closely
particularize them all to me. I took up
half a dozen imaginary scents; I ran
hither and thither. I telegraphed In
various directions.
I worked, In fact, in the sweat of ray
brow ; but, alas 1 the result was simply
nothing, nothing, nothing. I never be
fore had been so utterly puzzled and
hopelessly at fault.
On the fourth day of my residence at
T ,1 went again to the villa, where
the widow greeted me with eyes full of
expectation. " Frau Friedow," I said,
"it seems to me hardly possible that you
are utterly without suspicion in every
quarter. There must surely be some
one or other on whom your mind has
fixed, if it were but for a second. Con
fess it is so, and confide in me."
" I assure you I have not even a shad
owy thought such as you describe," she
replied in a much disappointed tone.
" And has nothing more struck you
about those men you saw in your room
than you have already mentioned t One
remembers things cn due consideration
which have been often overlooked be
fore. Did you notice no peculiarity
about any of the scoundrels; In the
voice, for instance, the way of standing,
the hands of him who held the axe K
Had he on a ring ? Did he look rough,
like the others?"
" There was one little thing I may
not have told before," she replied slow
ly. " It was scarce worth telling. When
tbe two fellows rau oft" down the ladder
with my little case, the window slipped
down as they disappeared. The third
man pushed it up again to go after them,
but in so doing I think he must have
put his band through the broken pune,
and have hurt it with the glass, iu his
haste. I certainly heard him mutter to
himself, as if he were in distress."
" Was there no trace of blood left V" I
asked, anxiously.
" None whatever."
I began my investigations anew, and
this time with the doctor of the district.
We got Into a lively dissertation upon
hurts inflicted by glass. By degrees I
acquired the, to me, very interesting
fact that some three weeks since, when
the medico was riding home to break
fast after an early call, a strange man
had suddeuly appeared in the middle of
the highway and had Implored his help.
He claimed to having fallen upou a
heap of broken glass, and held out his
right hand to exhibit Its condition. The
doctor took out his pocket case of in
struments, and extracted five spllnteis
from the inflamed palm. While he did
so the patient whimpered like a wo
man. " How was the fellow dressed 1"' I
cried, breathlessly.
"A blue blouse and black underclothes
as far as I can recall."
"Could you Identify him again J"'
"Perhaps. His face made an Impres
sion on me, rather ; because it did not
seem to match the clothing, and yet,
now I think of it, I seem to see only an
ordinary brow, nose aud mouth. I fan
cy It was the set of the head on the
shoulders which looked remarkable.
Artiznns and such folks usually look
otherwise. That Is all I can say. But
what makes this matter interesting to
you?"
" I believe your complaining patient
to be the principal in the lute robbery,
concerning which I have come down
here," I replied in a low voice. " Can
you give me any idea as to what became
of the man after you were done with
him'("'
The doctor looked at me in amaze
ment. "I think he went toward Ems,"
he replied.
I lost no time In going the same direc
tion. An old tree, which forked At the
top; and carried a bell in that division,
stood on a height near the shore. Here
those who wanted to be ferried over the
river must stop and ring for the boat
man, whose house stood in a sheltered
nook at hand. I Bhirked preliminaries,
and made at once for the dwelling.
Here I found a gigantic person, who de
clared herself the daughter of the ferry
man, and the customary rower, when,
as now, her father was absent. I sought
to gain the confidence of this damsel.
" A friend of mine went over here, I
think, not long since," I said. "He
was in great haste, being on his way to
Holland, in order to escape serving here
in the army."
The popular antipathy to the enforced
military training loosed her tongue at
once.
" Yes, yes," she replied; "a young
man in great haste did Burely go over a
little time back."
" He wore a blue blouse and black
hose?"
" Maybe; but it seems to me he had
others with him, or of his party."
" Very probably. Two others, I sup
pose ?"
" This was how it was. One man
came to me iu the early dawning. I
put him across. An hour or so later
there came a second, and asked anx
iously about the first. When I told him
he was beyond he seemed content
enough, and followed. The third, your
friend with the blouse, asked If he were
the first who had wanted me that day.
He asked me particularly about the two
I had already rowed over, and then
seemed right gay, and jumped into the
boat himself."
"Ah I One of three carried a tin
box ?" I said, slipping a coin into my
new acquaintances' haud.
" I never noticed," answered the girl.
" But I saw that the third man carried
a round bundle or parcel wrapped in a
red handkerchief under his arm.
" Did he give you a good reward for
taking him over ?"
" Nothing more than all the world
ten pfennings."
"With his right hand?"
"Why not"
" Wasn't his right hand tied up y"
" Not that I saw. I only know he
kept one hand in his pocket, whether
the right or left I couldn't say now."
I could have embraced the tall ferry
woman, in spite of her forty summers
and her uncertainty upon minor points.
It was plain that the three ruffians for
better security had separated, and that
tbe last comer was the leader in and the
chief beneflter by the crime which had
been committed. During his confab
with the doctor, no doubt he had hidden
the spoils iu some hedge, I was upon
his track now.
But I had soon to cry " lost I" It was
a grlevious disappointment to me. Be
yond Ems the clue was nowhere to be
followed. I labored in vain in this
neighborhood for days. I made friends
with all sorts of people letter-carriers,
porters, waiters and walked many a
weary mile iu the hot sun, but all to no
purpose. I was baffled and wholly at
fault as much as though I never tiad a
hint at all to follow. "
Nine days bad gone by Bin re I had
come to T . I turned Into a beer
garden in the neighborhood of the town
one evening, and sat down near a well
lighted bowling-alley, In which about
ten gentleman were busy at a game.
My seat was rather in the shade. I paid
little attention to the players, but leaned
my head upon my hand and reviewed
the defeat I had sustained and the small
estimation in which I should be held,
for sake of it, by my colleagues and
chief at home, feeling altogether ex
tremely out of humor. Suddenly an
ill-thrown ball rolled almost to my
feet.
"Amiss, a miss!" shouted Beveral
voices together, while one cried, "Why,
Bottcher, Is your baud not even yet re
covered V You are not complaining of
it stilly"
I felt like a huntsman iu a forest who
sees the game at his gun's end. I was
on the alert tluit second. I lost no time
in fiudlng out all Herr Bottclier's ante
cedents. He was a merchant, one of
Frau Friedow 's connections, and an
occasional visitor at her house. He was
a continual guest at this place of enter
tainment. I brought tbe doctor here
next evening, and set him to work steal
thily considering my game. My discom
fiture was great when he flatly refused
to Identify Herr Bottcher and his patient
as one and the same person. They might
be one, he confessed; but then they
might not.
If the medico turned rusty, like this,
it seemed to me utterly useless to bring
hither the ferry woman on a like errand.
I must trust to myself alone. We offi
cials have two methods of doing business
of this sort. We use the long or short
line, according as either seems most
likely to suit. I determined to try one
after the other.
In order to put Bottcher quite off the
the scent, I went now to the host of this
bouse of entertainment, and introduced
myself to him as a Hamburg agent for
the forbidden lotteries. I begged him to
keep this close, but I saw very plainly
by his face that he intended doing noth
ing of the sort. Next morning, to my
great contentment, I found myself out
wardly under the supervision of the
town police and generally regarded by
the public as a shabby individual.
I meantime was as busy as ever, but
it was little I discovered. Herr Bottcher
was certainly not in good repute amongst
his fellows. Nevertheless, I could hear
of no particular difficulty in which he
had fallen of late, although I did learn
that he had, three weeks since, made a
hasty journey. One little fact, however,
seemed to be of great worth. Herr
Bottcher these times slept badly, aud
was wont to rise often by night and pace
up and down the garden.
I lay lurking for two entire nights
uuder bushes in this same plat ; but dur
ing all those weary hours whoever did
come to this place, Herr Bottcher un
fortunately did not, and in the garden I
could find no trace of any hidden treas
ure or likelihood of such.
I fell into greater despair than before.
What could I do V Upon one side my
absolute certainty of having tracked my
man ; on the other, no earthly means of
bringing home his guilt. If I only had
sufficient ground to demand a search
through the rascal's house, but I had
not. One afternoon I was walking up
and down my room considering, when
the post brought me a brief but concise
and decisive dispatch from my chief:
" Return immediately unless all mat
ters are in train. Olveup. Yourpresence
here is necessary."
This order was like ft thunderclap in
my ears. My commanding officer was
plainly displeased at my long delay.
Should I simply throw the cards down
and venture all on one trick this same
evening, so as to be ready to depart to
morrow, at furthest l1 I decided for the
last alternative.
Twelve gentlemen sat in the town
club-room. My friend made oue of
them. To his great surprise, I sat down
close to htm and began to talk a little.
Preseutly our nearest neighbor stood up
aud departed, to my great Joy. I bent
over Bottcher now and whispered that
I had a weighty matter to talk over with
blm.
"What may it bey" he inquired
calmly.
" You believe I am here as a lottery ' '
agent?"
He nodded.
" I am not, however. I have been
sent here on detective business by the
Prussian police office." Herr Bottcher
took this revelation Blgnlflcantly. On -the
instant he knew not how to com
pose his features. Ho first drew in his
face as if wishing to look astonished,and
then he tried to smooth away all but
but supreme indifference. After a sec
ond or two, during which I had studied
him as a serpent does its prey, he said
in a constrained tone :
" How does that concern me, pray,
gooa sir Y" v
" You have heard of a Wld ow Krln.
dow from whom a large sum of money
nas Deen stolen. I have come here to
hunt up the thief. I have got on the
right track. You, I know, are related
to her, and concerned in the property
she possesses as a probable heir."
While I spoke thus I looked blm
straight in the eyes. They sparkled like
those or an angry cat making ready to
spring.
"And you will arrest me, I suppose?"
he gasped angrily.
I should have loved to seize him by
the throat then and there, shouting,
" In the name of the law." To this day
I wonder how I restrained myself, but I
did.
" How can you talk so ?" I exclaimed
calmly. " I only mean that you must'
help me bring the criminal to justice,
being, as you are, Interested in the in
heritance." " With all the pleasure In life," he re
piled heartily. "I will do what I can.
But what is It you want of me ?"
" Early to-morrow I will come up to
you to consult over the matter, and we
can then decide on our proceeding."
Bottcher drew a long breath. "This
is most unfortunate," he exclaimed. "I
have an urgent summons, and must
start from T before daybreak. Per
haps I may be even obliged to leave
this evening. I owe a heavy sum of
money, and must appear personally to .if
my creditor and demand further delay. "
I cannot wait."
I could scarce restrain ray joy. The
game had run his head right into my
lasso ; only one pull now, aud the knot
was fust.
" Don't trouble," I said quietly. "By
and by will do for me.- I shall be in
T for another week. When you
come back will answer as well."
" All right. I expect to return in a
couple of dayB," he exclaimed. " But
stay, one question 1 Is Dr. Midlng mix
ed up in this affair ?"
"Do you know him?"
"By sight only."
"He will help me to identify the
criminal," I said, coolly looking full
again Into my companion's face, which
took a horrible tint and expression now.
"Can he do so?"
" Certainly. He saw the man, dressed
like a laborer, the morning after the
robbery was effected."
"Who was this ruffian?" Bottcher
asked, breathlessly."
" His name is Ebbing I think," I .
answered, at haphazard.
" I don't kuow htm," was the reply
to this.
" I dare say," said I, " he only comes
here at times."
I arose now, broke off our conversa
tion with every appearance of confidence
and departed, having shaken Bottcher
by the hand. I went stealthily to his
house and waited. I had been there but
about a quarter of an hour when a trap
dashed up to the door. Bottcher sprang
out of it, went inside for a few minutes,
and then reappeared, carrying some
thing uuder his left arm. As he got
upon one side of the vehicle, I jumped
upon the other, and seized hold of my
gume. He made not the least resistance,
but sat like one enchanted.
"Are those Frau Friedow's papers
you have under your arm ?" I Inquired.
" Yes, they are," he replied.
I mude the coachman take us where I
could put the robber in safe keeping.
When a man is suddenly discovered
in a crime he is sure to commit some
piece of folly. I had reckoned upou
this, and was not out in so doing. My
game had literally walked Into my hand,
and I felt rewarded at last for all my
trouble and disappointing delays.
Bottcher was sentenced to six years la
the house of correction. His coadjutors
were not caught
i.