Did They Rob Themselves

Did They Rob Themselves

Strange Stories About Last Week's Burglary

Last Wednesday the news was spread abroad that in the early hours of that morning a burglary had taken place at the Prettyman boarding house on N. university avenue. That one of the victims of the burglary had discovered the thieves at work and attacked him and in the resultant melee was so badly handled that for several hours he remained unconscious. This tale was told with all the necessary embellishments to make a thrilling narrative and arouse in the minds of our citizens a feeling of fear that they might be the next victim of the bold thugs who were at work in the city.

Since then one arrest has been made on suspicion, but the suspect was soon given his freedom and the police have apparently rested on their oars waiting. Micawber-like, for something to turn up. But now there comes sifting through the air mysterious rumors and whisperings. Half expressed doubts are on the lips of residents of the neighborhood and seemingly they have taken no precautions to prevent the recurrence of such midnight deeds.

And now to cap the climax one doubter, more bold and outspoken than his neighbors, asks the question, "Was there a burglary at Prettyman's last Wednesday morning?"

Everything, says this doubting Thomas, points to a "fake." The attack upon Thill was so mild that it hardly seems possible that the veriest novice in thievery would own up to doing it, as he only received a stomach punch when it would have been just as easy to hit him over the head with a billy and lay him out good.

"And then that watch," and the doubter smiles sardonically as he mentions it. It will be remembered that on Thursday morning--30 hours after the burglary--the watch, a handsome gold one, was found lying in the grass in the front yard of the boarding house and hardly twenty feet away from the dwelling. Had the grass been tall and heavy it is easy to see how the timepiece might have remained a day and a half in so public a place, but the lawn is well cared for and a blind man would have almost been able to discover the ticker had he passed on the street.

Another fact that is mysterious is the action of the police. Usually they are busy when anything of this kind occurs and upon this occasion, as soon as the matter was reported to them they looked up the whereabouts of every man in the city who could in the least be suspected of such a deed, but when the ticker was picked up in the grass they laid down and haven't done anything but keep mum since.

Of course no one thinks the boys would maliciously get up such a story but if it is a joke it is time to call the matter off, and if it wasn't a joke who were the burglars?