DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22217#0249
THE ORGAN-GRINDERS MONEY-BAG. 237
I lifted the lid of one. There was nothing inside, and the
space revealed was only about three feet long by a foot and a
half deep. I got into the next room after a little, and saw the
exact counterpart of this box seat in the window of that. It
also was empty, but in length was rather shorter than the other.
Something about one of the ends attracted my attention, and
I put my hand to it. The whole end moved a little. I
touched a small nail in the centre and pulled it. The end slid
easily towards me, and, looking through, I saw that the two
window seats were one compartment with a movable division.
In the long end—that is the end I had searched first— Poulson
was lying on his side, and he looked considerably astonished
when I hauled him out by the leg.
But when we got him out of the house, and he learned that
he was wanted by me more than the sheriff-officer, his surprise
increased. He could not understand it at all. When we got
him to the Central, and the charge was made known, he broke
out into the most indignant protestations of innocence. He
had never heard of the robbery of the organ-grinder's money-
bag, and had not dreamt of the man possessing such a sum.
" If I had thought it," he added, " I would have asked him
to lend me enough to get over this difficulty."
He was locked up, and every search made for the stolen
sovereigns, but without success ; and after a few days' detention
he was handed over to the sheriff-officer. As he pledged him-
self to pay all his debts, he was released under certain con-
ditions.
This fact having been made known to me, I had him strictly
watched, as I had the idea that the money would be drawn
from that pile of sovereigns taken from the organ-grinder. No
such call, however, was made upon that store. Poulson pro-
ceeded to " realise " upon ,his furniture and effects, and with
that and the little money he had for buying a new stock, he
managed to clear himself of the disagreeable surveillance of
the sheriff-officer. He was still being watched closely by
M'Sweeny, and as he soon became conscious of the fact, he
became very unhappy. His recent misfortunes had somewhat
broken his spirit, and he began to drink and loaf about instead
of bestirring himself to retrieve his position. There was not
the slightest indication that he had the organ-grinder's
sovereigns hidden anywhere; and in his straits he was de-
pendent chiefly upon the organ-grinder and the lame man,
Tom Joson. One day when he had reached his last coin and
I lifted the lid of one. There was nothing inside, and the
space revealed was only about three feet long by a foot and a
half deep. I got into the next room after a little, and saw the
exact counterpart of this box seat in the window of that. It
also was empty, but in length was rather shorter than the other.
Something about one of the ends attracted my attention, and
I put my hand to it. The whole end moved a little. I
touched a small nail in the centre and pulled it. The end slid
easily towards me, and, looking through, I saw that the two
window seats were one compartment with a movable division.
In the long end—that is the end I had searched first— Poulson
was lying on his side, and he looked considerably astonished
when I hauled him out by the leg.
But when we got him out of the house, and he learned that
he was wanted by me more than the sheriff-officer, his surprise
increased. He could not understand it at all. When we got
him to the Central, and the charge was made known, he broke
out into the most indignant protestations of innocence. He
had never heard of the robbery of the organ-grinder's money-
bag, and had not dreamt of the man possessing such a sum.
" If I had thought it," he added, " I would have asked him
to lend me enough to get over this difficulty."
He was locked up, and every search made for the stolen
sovereigns, but without success ; and after a few days' detention
he was handed over to the sheriff-officer. As he pledged him-
self to pay all his debts, he was released under certain con-
ditions.
This fact having been made known to me, I had him strictly
watched, as I had the idea that the money would be drawn
from that pile of sovereigns taken from the organ-grinder. No
such call, however, was made upon that store. Poulson pro-
ceeded to " realise " upon ,his furniture and effects, and with
that and the little money he had for buying a new stock, he
managed to clear himself of the disagreeable surveillance of
the sheriff-officer. He was still being watched closely by
M'Sweeny, and as he soon became conscious of the fact, he
became very unhappy. His recent misfortunes had somewhat
broken his spirit, and he began to drink and loaf about instead
of bestirring himself to retrieve his position. There was not
the slightest indication that he had the organ-grinder's
sovereigns hidden anywhere; and in his straits he was de-
pendent chiefly upon the organ-grinder and the lame man,
Tom Joson. One day when he had reached his last coin and