White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-04-28

az tue SaIne time II was evident that
they had gone very deliberately about
their work. The ceiling and doors of a
heavy old press, the drawers of which
had been secured by strong and WE'LL
constructed locks, had been removed with
so much neatness that no part of the
wood work had been injured. The CELL
ing and doors were left standing by the
side of the press. The contents, consist
ing of jewels, articles of value, and fine
linens, were gone. Two strong boxes were
found broken open, from which gold and
silver coin, with some articles of clothing,
had been distracted. The value of the
missing articles amounted to about two
thousand Dutch guldens. The house,
however, contained many other articles of
value, which. singularly enough, had es-
capped the notice of the thieves. In par
ticular, the greater part of the widows
property consisted of property in the
funds, the obligations for which were de-
posted, not in the press above mentioned,
but in an iron chest in her sleeping-room.
This chest she had accidentally removed,
shortly before her departure placing it
in more retired apartment, where it had
fortunately attracted no attention.
The robbery had, apparently, been
committed by more than one person; and,
it was naturally suspected, by persons
well acquainted with the house, and with
the circumstances Of its inhabitants. The
house itself, which was almost the onlv
respectable one in the neighborhood, was
situated In a retired street. The neigh
boring dwellings were inhabited by the
poorer classes, and not a few of the less
reputable members of society. The in
ner fossc of the town, which was naviga-
bic, flowed along the end of the garden
through which the thieves had, apparent
ly, gained admittance, being separated
from the garden only by a thin thorn
hedge. 1t was coniectured that the thieves
had made their way close to the hedge by
means of boat, and from thence had
clambered over into the garden, along the
walks and flower beds of which foot
marks were traceable.
The discovery Of the robbery had Gre
ated general sensation, and the house
was surrounded by a crowd of curious
idlers, whom it required some effort on the
p'rt of the police to prevent from intru-
ding into the premises. One Of them
only, baker, and the inhabitant of the
house opposite to that of the widow, sue
eeeded in making his way in along with
the officers Of justice. His acquaintance
awaited his.return with Impotence, trus-
ting to be able, from his revelations, to
crafty their curiosity at second-h hand. If
so, they were disappointed, for, on his
exit, he assumed an air of mystery, an
swered equivocally, and observed, that
people might suspect many things of
which it might not be safe to speak.
In proportion, however, to his taeitur-
nifty was the loquaciousness of a WOOL
spinner, Leendert Van N, the inhab-
liant of the corner house next to that of
the widow. He mingled with the groups
who were discussing the subject dropped
hints that he had his own notions as to
the culprits, and could, if necessary, give
a clue to their discovery. Among the
crowd who were observed to listen to
these illusions, was Jew dealer in por-
celain, a suspected spy of the police.
Before evening, the wool-spinner received
a summons to the town-house, and was
called upon by the burgomaster for an
of the suspicious expressions
he had used. He stammered, hesitated,
pretended he knew of nothing but general
grounds of suspicion, like his neighbors
but being threatened with stronger meas
ures of compulsion, he at last agreed to
speak out, protesting, at the same time,
that he would willingly have spared per-
sons against whom he had no grHdge,
whatever, and would have been silent for
ever, if he had foreseen the consequence
of his indiscretion.
The substance of his disclosure was to
this effect: Opposite the German post
house, at the head of the street in which
the wool-spinner lived. there was little
alehouse. Nicholas D was the land
lord. He was generally known among
his acquaintance, not by his baptSmal
or family name, but by the appellation of
the Blue Dragon, from having formerly
served in the horse regiment of Col. Van
Wackerbarth, which was popularity known
by the name of the Blues. About two
years before, he had become acquainted
with, and married Hannah, the former
servant of Madame Andrecht, who had
been six years in that situation, and pos
sessed her entire confidence. Unwilling
to part with her attendant, and probably
entertaining no favorable notion of the
intended husband, Madame Andrecht had
long thrown impediments in the way Of
the match, so that the parties were obliged
to meet chiefly at night, and by stealth.
Nicholas found his way into the house at
night through the garden of his aequain-
lance, the wool-spinner. and across the
hedge which divided it from Madame
Andrecht's. Of these nocturnal visits,
the wool spinner was at first cognizant.
but, fearful of getting into a scrape with
his respectable neighbor, he was under
the necessity of intimating, to the bold
dragon, that if he intended to continue
his escalades, he must do so from some
other quarter than his garden. Nicholas
Obeyed, apparently, and desisted but to
the surprise of the wool-spinner, he found
the lovers continued to meet not the less
regularly in Madame Andrecht's garden.
One evening, however, the mystery was