Most thieves go after money, jewelry, or anything else that can be quickly carried away and sold. But in Wilmington, Delaware, during the fall of 1900, residents found themselves dealing with a criminal whose interests were considerably more domestic.
Over a period of about two weeks, doormats began disappearing from porches around the city. Not just one or two, either. At least 25 mats were reported missing. Potted plants and flowers vanished as well, leaving residents to wonder who was wandering through Wilmington helping himself to the decorations sitting outside their homes.
The mystery finally came to an end when Andrew Hill was arrested and admitted taking the missing property. It was not an observant policeman or suspicious homeowner who brought his activities to light, however. Hill apparently attracted attention when he attempted to sell several of the stolen mats to an auctioneer.
The auctioneer became suspicious when Hill arrived with such a large quantity of used doormats to sell. After all, there are only so many innocent explanations for why one man happens to possess a collection of other people’s porch mats.
Then came the particularly satisfying twist.
Among the mats the auctioneer purchased from Hill was one that had been stolen from the auctioneer’s own home.
A Doormat Thief
WILMINGTON, Delaware. — Not less than 25 doormats have been removed from the porches of residents here during the last two weeks. Potted plants and flowers have also been stolen.
The mystery of their disappearance was solved today by the arrest of Andrew Hill. He admitted to taking the missing property.
His arrest was made through an auctioneer to whom Hill sold several of the mats and whose suspicions were awakened by the large quantity of mats which Hill wanted to dispose of.
Incidentally, one of the mats which the auctioneer purchased was stolen from his own residence.
Source: The Caucasian. Clinton, N.C. November 22, 1900.
