Isn’t it funny what a rumor can do? Rumors ruin lives, careers and reputations.

But last week, a rumor did something almost unheard of — it seemed to calm down what had become a fearful community.

For weeks, Natchez residents lived in fear of a mysterious stranger — or strangers. The unknown person was a serial burglar who had made a habit of breaking into houses to steal while the owners slept.

At first it seemed coincidental that a small group of houses and cars had been broken into downtown. Then another was hit and it soon became a full-blown rash of crime, ironically deep in the heart of the normally serene garden district.

Then, across town, more burglaries. Police worked the scenes, but apparently couldn’t find much hard evidence linking anyone to the crimes.

Who were these people brave enough to break into occupied houses? Logic tells most burglars to avoid any contact with people. People equal trouble.

But this burglar was cool about it, spending time to find keys left inside a car, then unlocking the house and stepping inside. Or in another case removing the putty from a window to allow the glass to be popped out in order to gain access.

No two cases apparently had much in common except that each happened in the early hours of the morning and each ramped up the level of fear in the community.

Neighbors speculated about the culprit.

Just like in the fictional TV show, “The Andy Griffith Show,” all bad things in Natchez must come from elsewhere. In Mayberry, it was Mount Pilot, N.C., Raleigh, N.C., or — heaven forbid — New York City.

Natchez is a long way from the scary unknowns of a big city, but speculation abounded.

“It’s got to be somebody from out of town, probably Baton Rouge or Alexandria,” I overheard one man say.

Another said, during what seemed to be a slight lull in the crime spree, “I bet they’ve already moved on by now.”

No such luck. The break-ins continued.

Word on the street was the suspects were two black males and one white female, a regular criminal gang.

The robberies continued and residents continued to wonder how on earth this was happening here.

People began arming themselves and getting new security systems, even new dogs in hopes the measures would help them prevent being victimized.

Most tragic, a woman lost her life to a simple mistake brought on by fear of the burglar. She was mistakenly shot by her husband.

“Surely this will end now,” one woman told me. “They’ll hear about this and stop it.”

Then, suddenly last week, after another downtown break-in, rumors flew. E-mails, phone calls and text messages reported the culprit had been arrested.

The police know who did it, talk on the street said.

Police confirmed they’d talked to a suspect, but that no one was arrested. Investigators wouldn’t confirm the man’s identity.

No real need to, however, the rumor mill had kicked into high gear.

It was no scary stranger; it was a familiar name, a nearby neighbor, so-and-so’s son. Drugs were at the heart, street talk said.

Days go by and no arrest.

No worries, though, most people seemed to get a little more calm, knowing who the threat was believed to be seemed to calm the rawest fears, a little bit of the unknown had become known.

A few days later, two more break-ins, this time in the Duncan Park area. Police said they believed their original suspect wasn’t involved.

But not to worry, the public rumor mill helped us justify that away, too. Oh, that other one, over in Duncan Park, that’s so-and-so, a different man entirely than the downtown suspect. He’s strung out on drugs, too.

It’s funny that a few rumors can calm down many of the fears that previously had sent the community into a tailspin.

On the surface, that seems like a good thing, but what happens if the guard is let down and the rumors prove to be untrue?

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.