St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-03-14

I
from that room except the enclosed
box. You set detectives upon him. and
he took the box to show that he cOuId
go there. whoever might watch him, if
he chose. He gives you another chance
Let Il few gentlemen be i'll the room
alone. Guard the doorand make every
thing secure, and my husband will meet
you there ut midnight.
Yours very resp'y, ELLEN SMITH.
This letter was more my >teriUus than
the last. The only thing that was evi-
/ dent was. tl.at the writer, ELLEN Smith"
was better scholar than her husband,
who styled himself, Jon Sniff" The
detectives were shown the letter, and
acted accordingly. OF course they saw
/ through the dodge" The cleverest
men were posted in the room.
In the morning they told strange
story.
They said they saw light at about
twelve o'clock. 1t seemed to como
| from a dark lantern but directly they
ran to the spot from where the light
proceeded it went ont, and the stricteSt
search had discovered nothing. The
bank officials became alarmed. Every
night the strictest watch was set, but
nothing turned up until, on the morn
ing when the next setting of the Board
was to be held, another letter was found
upon the table Of the strong room.
How it got there. considering the room
WAS guarded day and night. WAS mys-
terry. Its contents are still more mys-
terious. They were as follows:
1T is for your own good that You
are warned that the strong room of the
bank Is not entirely safe. AT any time
any one can enter it. If we wished to
steal we certainly would never have
told you about il. or returned the box.
You have baSrly set the police to see
what you ought to have looked after
yourself. If the police are there to-
night we will never explain the easy
way of getting into your strong room.
but most likely some one else Will let
YOU know that we have told the truth.
when they help themselves to What is
there. We are honest and will not
steal. hut if the police and not Your
selves. gentlemen, are there Tonight.
We will say nothing and do nothing.
II Il few gentlemen of the Directors are
there dIohe from twelve To one. my
husband will meet them there. a> he said
hc would several weeks ago. T.. ;.
More and more astOniShcd than ever
on the receipt of this extraordinary let
ter. and more puzzled still at the >trang,
way III which it had been delivered. The
Directors. after Il long consultation
agreed upon It plan of action. Their,
were tw" things perfectly evident On,
that the writer of tEc letter really had
access Ill some mysterious WAY to tn,
strong room: and the other. that he
had discovered that the police had hccr
put on his track. instead of his >ug'
g"stion> being attended to. 80 ii wa
determined that some of the Directors
who could conveniently do So. sh"ulC
visit the strong room ut the time iudi
Gated by the letter.
might ne eXparreGarricd out. But, a'
not alone.
The police had advised them too wei
for that and half Il dozen of the bc<
English detectives We're dressed up il
the garh "t gent tlemrn. and mingled IL
! such way that amy one would haV,
! supposed that they formed one group
and We're now at last literally fulfilling
the acquisitions of the my Stcrluus let
: ter.
p They waited until nearly twelve. an,
then one of the Directors. Il little i'm
= patient. approaching the table. said
Nv ell. its Il most extraordinary af
fair. I'm not Il coward. but certainly
, should he almost afraid were | alone
""'' r'lheh' N"n are nS'u I" 'heSc mat
WLS' ana you nave examined the room
w neIt thc lell"N can come from l. Il
me a perfect my >tely."
icfhals, II ne mad not used thcSt
N"ihN al thHt moment. the my stcry,
;'@ ne called Ii. might have been instant
~ solNeu.
vi course every eye WAS ''ilrctrd It
'i' '""le Nh'ic tlt letters had been
PI'''" "''' th""Sh every Pltrautl"l
N"> ''N.''' '",lr WAS NOT ia" hast Nl%l
"i any .lN'"S "'i''S ""t themselves. "i
any voice >"'r iliril own III the room
h'N "''i'c" 'hcl' 'ht Wh"i" night l"n%
'''i' h'''ilhS VIZ -tcli "F hcard. hen
i'"or WIS II! N''i'i' -t""Il t"ut "rI"'h
III the morning II vas now mid-Nintcr
"hd day was scarcely breaking at eight
TIE d"tcrtlNr$ whispered That Ii Wa'
he""lcSS Tor tht gentleman /" rcnAI1
any longer: th''l 'h'hhStlNtS W"nlo
Walt as long as thc gentlemen ch"''"
= Int the h"ur Tor breaking mt" that
strongest "t All strong rooms IL conl'
he broken AT ail."a> l"h& past. II,
eeh'lthieil' morning. i"a'h' h'part'h' III
tef 'lPPih% 'hei' ASSISTANTS linc'allN
nut NeAea lllilt 'helr search slo"i" enc
SO, ana nall su>pcctlhg that they ha'
only been ON fools errand. The de
tecuveS also. convinced that their work
ior the night was done, left the room
about SIX O'Clock. AT that time. beng
WINTER the Wh0ie hiilldihS was enNel'