Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-17
EXPERIENCES WITH DETECTIVES
CHAPTER 1.-THE Loss.

Not long ago a foreign firm in London asked
me 70 assist them in recovering some bonds, the
loss OF which would embarrass them very much.
The Circumstances un Ter which these q &C u
nents had been taken from them were very
peculiar, 50 much 30 that they could hardly
move in the affair themseI YES without iniarin9
the credit of their house. The son of the senior
partner, a young man about twenty-five years
Of age, was employed by the firm, and acted as
sort of confidential clerk or secretary to his
father. The junior partner was often Obliged
90 be on the Continent for several weeks to-
gether; and as the senior had very delicate
health, and often absented himself from the
Dfice for day or two on that account, he had
given, with the full consent of his partner, his
son power To sign for the firm ''by prOcuratiOn,"
n it's called The son had, as was only found
ont when too late, been gradually falling into
bad habits, and, unknown to his father, used
TO bet upon races, and otherwise do much that
ne had been lar wiser to have let alone. Lat
terly his creditors hal been pressing him very
hard He had some overdue acceptances,
which the holder threatened - tell his father
n they were nottaken up. lie also owed money
to tradesmen, and had even more d. creiItable
liabilities which he would not for the world his
father should know OF. For some time past he
had used his power 81 signing for the firm to
sign checks fc= sums of 80 o. Ed whenever
he wanted money. His father had been unwell,
the junior partner was to be absent for some
weeks, and the check bOok, "a well as the
bankers pass-book, were left in his hands At
last he had got 50 deep in the mire of debt and
difficulty that there was but two roads open for
bim-the one TO make a clean breast of it, tell
ms father all he had done, and ask him to pay
Europe, and go to America In an evil hour he
chose the latter, but before doing so, drew out
by check from the bank nearly the whole bal
ance then TO the credit of the firm. Fortunately
flfis was only few hundred pounds, as several
large accePtanees had fallen due a short time
before. But in addition to this money he took
with him bonds 10 large amount, which rep
resented the greater part of the capital of the
firm. These, being shares on foreign compa-
1t was surmsed that he must have pledged
fhem- He had been traced to Paris, and from
there to Havre, where he had embarked for
America 1 mention these various circum-
stances to shoe how it was the firm itself could
not act openly in the matter without iniuring
very greatly their credit in the commercial
world, and why il was they requested me to find
nut, IL possible. whether these stolen bonds
were pledged; if 50, where, for what amount,
and to redeem them as chesply and quickly as
possible.
A clue-a very slight one, it is true, but still
n ciue-was given me a To where to beyn my
Inquiry. Nearly all the checks which the
young man had drawn without authority in so
doing lad been traced to a bank where a very
notorious money-lender kept his account. This
Individual had the very worst of characters,
having, as was well-kn0wn, been some years
ago mixed up with the robbery of a well-known
bank in London-not indeed as principal in the
work, but as instigator, receiver of the plum
DER, and having profited by the plumber very
much more than the chief actor in the affair.
But the accusation could never be proved
against him, and the consequence was that he
was free man, whereas the clerk VINO h al per-
pctrated the fraud had been for some years in
penal servituie-
CHAPTER 1.-THE SCENT.
The object OF the nrm that employed me to
recover these bonds for them was two-fod. In
o he%
ss'ng any scandal or any talk; IL wa; sIR2ss ne
eeg1Ifsduet 6r ffe senior partners son should not
be known as il was that the missing property
should be found This was the reason why
they did not wish to appear in the m after them
selves. I was To act a. il the bonds had been
mine They did not expect me to do any de-
feetive work myself, but merely TO employ the
proper persons for the work, and direct, under
private instructions from them, the search.
Funds almost to any amount were placed at nv
disposal Any expense that should deem
necessary to incur would be met at once. All
4 had TO do was to find out where the bonds
were, for what amount the senior partners son
had pledged them, and to recover them for as
little rs 4 could, but in any case to recover
them. But under no circumstances whatever
Cs the Young man who had perpetrsted the
name nor that of the firm to be brought tor
ward
BY the very simple process of going to Havre
and inquiring at the American steam-packet
ONCE, found out that the absconding man had
paid for his passage in Bank of England notes
OF these notes about half were traced as COM
ing from the m0ney-lender, of whom have
spoken; the other half were traced as coming
from an individual in Paris. who followed a
nkeoccupatlon, and who, upon inquiry, found
bore very similar reputation. / further sue
ceeded In finding out that between scoundrel
number one in LondOn-to whom I shan give
the name Of Mr.; NualIand seoundrel number
there existed occasional business relations
But whether the money furnished by these
soithies nad oeen given for The bonds, in whose
hands those documents now were, and how I
was 20 recover them, and vet keep the whole
anair quiet, Was more than could see my way
20: and in my difficulty, a. a matter of course
i applied to Scotland yard, and got one OF the
ees, ofhcers OF the detective force put under
my orders
fha
iast-time that ever had nything TO do with
conducting criminal affair. But nOtwith-
standing my ineNPcrience, could see at once
tnat the man sent me by the London police
although recommended specially for the work
would never carry cut the business He was An
honest, upright fellow as ever breathed, and
would, 4 have no doabt. have brayed any
amount OF danger in order to carry out a no. nj
OF duty. Had / sent him on tie track az anv
one who had absconded u Am RIGA, and hal
FURNISHED him with the name aud photograph
OF the individual, have no doubt Ii AT he would
nave brought the cuiprit back with him Rut
wneh asked for an opinion as to where he
tiought the stolen bonds were, or even after
having got a clue % the person who probably
had them, hewas asked what would be the best
means IAN o, recovering them he seemed q ute at
los what 70 do or what to advise Then
again, Ike the rest OF his brother detectives
from scotland yard-at least all those that i
th' s ne Was the policeman all over. Al
thoaga dressed In PLAIN clothes, there could bs
No doubt whatever "a TO what his callinS 80
HIS favorite costume was a biIlycocx Rat. a
Trousers. he
might just as well worn a helmet blue tnnir
and leather belt around his waist More tha1
once a. We went along the streets heard czh
men, roughs, and Others say 70 each othay
There goes Sergeant Henry; who Is ne golnS
20 nab?- And when. upon one occasionEhavs
ing previously procured him a suit of fashion
able eiothes-I sent him with a letter of in
PRODUCTION to the man We suspected, stating
that he was Yorkshire gentleman wishing to
discount bill, Mr.. Nual knew him at oflcs
and ordered him out of his ofice. In a word IL
seemed impossible TO make use of him in the
way Il required, owing 70 his appearance being
20 perfectly well known in London.
CHAPTER III--raE RIGHT Scent
After beating about the bush for some ten
dsysin London, II s.rdck rae that I might lust
as well try the other end OF the wood an see
whether could not mud my game with less
amount OF trouble In Paris. Part Of the notes
which the young man had paid 10 NJ Treyes
the money-lender In mat city; and as IL seemed
hopeless % psrsevere On this side of the Chan
mel, thought might as well see what eonid
be done on the other; and the morning after
my arrival In the capital Of France vent 70
H. L.