A happy ending for owners

The dwarfs were not chipped or broken.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
NORTH LIMA -- The Seven Dwarfs snatched last week were returned with a note that said: "The fairy tale has ended -- sorry."
Sleepy, Doc, Happy, Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy and Bashful -- 21/2 foot tall and 65 pounds each -- had been the focus of a police dragnet throughout northeastern Ohio. Their disappearance was featured in The Vindicator last Friday with the headline "Theft victims hope police can provide a fairy-tale ending."
The story was a tongue-in-cheek review of the disappearance.
Beaver Township police had issued a teletype to all police agencies in northeastern Ohio, advising them to be on the lookout for the Seven Dwarfs, dressed in "typical dwarf attire" and "of concrete composition."
Response to the teletype ranged from "the evil stepmother did it" to "if Snow White weighs 400 pounds, she ate them."
Snow White had been left behind, presumably because of her weight.
"A little levity solved the crime," Beaver Chief Carl N. Frost said of the newspaper story. "It worked out good."
Note found
Owners Bob and Shirley Durkin, who live at 3500 West Middletown Road, said they found the note (written on a store receipt) stuck on Dopey with gum or glue. Detective Lt. Richard J. Martin has the note as evidence.
The dwarfs (concrete yard ornaments) were discovered about 2 p.m. Saturday, a half-mile from the Durkins' house. The little guys, standing by the side of the roadway between Lynn and Middletown roads, were found by Bob and Ruth Withers, who live nearby.
Durkin said the Witherses helped him load the dwarfs, who were "not nicked or broken and had been fed," into his truck. Durkin joked that he hasn't pressed the dwarfs yet to tell what happened during their ordeal.
Durkin credits Beaver police and the newspaper for the dwarfs' safe return. He believes the publicity made the Disney characters too hot for the thieves to handle.
On alert
The newspaper story had the Durkins' neighbors, and others, on alert.
Durkin said he walked into a restaurant Monday morning and was asked "Did you get your kids back?" He said "everyone got a kick out of the story" and the good-natured ribbing.
He said if police catch those responsible, though, he'd like a few words with them.
The Durkins' granddaughters, Brook, 5, and Jena, 2, who live down the street, came running over when they heard the good news of the dwarfs' return. The fairy-tale characters had been a favorite with the girls.
Before the theft last week, the dwarfs had encircled Snow White in the Durkins' front yard. Beaver Township Patrolman Vince Arquilla and Cpl. James Ball found three sets of footprints in the dewy grass that led to a gas well road near state Route 11.
The Durkins, fearing the bandits would return for Snow White, used a dolly to move her to their garage for safekeeping. For right now, the dwarfs are in the garage, too, until the Durkins figure out a way to make them theft-resistant outside.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs can't be replaced, which made them priceless to their owners. Seems the set was not authorized by Disney Co., who had the maker smash the molds years ago.
meade@vindy.com