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Sunday January 9, 2005 Vol. 3 No. 1
Stupid Police File
By: Bellefonte Through the Years staff
We've all seen those amusing stories chronicling the mis-adventures of some hapless criminal. But, have you seen any "stupid policeman" stories lately? We haven't! So, absent the "video" here is an incident from the Bellefonte "stupid policeman" file:
During the evening of Sunday, July 17th, 1904, someone attempted to break into the home of Robert Irvin on North Spring street. The thief's mistake was not knowing that Mr. Irvin was at home at the time.
Hearing the burglar and not wanting to confront him on his own, Irvin phoned the police. Responding quickly, Bellefonte policeman George Jodon, approached the house. He circled the premises looking for any signs of an intruder. Rounding the corner of the house into the backyard, Jodon spotted his man, but the burglar almost simultaneously saw the policeman and darted around the other side of the house and onto Spring street. Jodon took chase, looping through the yard, around the house, and into the street.
Not waiting, the thief hustled up the hill, south on Spring street, passing the Presbyterian and Methodist churches and down the hill toward High street. Reaching Pike Alley, he headed up the alley toward Brooks' livery. At the stable, he turned down Locust and headed north toward the steam heating plant (then located at Lamb & Locust, where the school playground is situated). It was said that Jodon "was right on his heels all the time." But the alley was dark and as Jodon approached the steam heating plant, he suddenly realized that he could no longer see or hear anyone running. Jodon abruptly stopped, he scanned the area and listened carefully. Nothing! Not a sound! No movement! The thief had disappeared into thin air!
Officer Jodon stood there in the alley … looking left … looking right … listening … for what must have seemed an eternity. Nothing! After at least fifteen minutes, he waited. Nothing! Eventually he gave up and headed back uptown.
What Jodon had not considered was that the thief had climbed a tree in the alley, there at the corner of Lamb & Locust, and when Jodon had stopped in the alley, waiting for a sign that the thief was still in the vicinity, he had stopped directly under the tree where the thief was hiding. For all we know, Jodon could have been leaning against the tree, or sitting under the tree.
Obviously, when Jodon left, the thief scurried down the tree and ran off.
Score:
Police 0
Burglars 1
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