The Trusted Watchman’s Secret Life
After 16 years of loyal service, a Hoquiam mill watchman is caught red-handed with a secret kit of burglary tools.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A sensation was caused in Hoquiam by the arrest of William Gordon, night watchman at the E. K. Wood mill, on the charge of burglary. Articles have been missing from the warehouse and store of the company for a number of months, but no trace of the thief could be found. Gordon has been with the company ever since it began business 16 years ago, and no man in their employ has been more implicitly trusted, but finally suspicion pointed to him. Deputy Sheriff Cooper was employed to watch the premises. About 4 o'clock Sunday morning, Gordon entered through a window, obtained a sack, and proceeded to fill it. Cooper stepped up, put Gordon under arrest, and took him to jail. His house was searched, and further incriminating evidence was found: a regular outfit of tools, 200 keys, wax for taking impressions, and false whiskers, mustaches, and masks. Gordon has always borne a good reputation, and this exposure is a great surprise to the community. He has property in Hoquiam, a farm in Canada, and is considered worth from $15,000 to $20,000.
“A regular outfit of tools, and 200 keys, with wax for taking impressions, besides false whiskers, mustaches and masks were discovered.”
This story highlights the classic tension between small-town reputation and private moral failure. While the 'gentleman burglar' trope persists in popular culture, it remains a jarring reality for tight-knit communities when the person they trust most is unmasked as the source of their losses.
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