Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-12
A Peculiar Case..-A Detectives story.

| that u6NcT was puDlASHcI ycbs OH0 N1y
when was in the Office fine-looking
woman came in and said that her house
had been robbed. Her name, she said,
was McLoud, and she lived somewhere
near Lefferts Park-Macon street or Mon
roe street, don't know which-anyway,
it was in the locality of Lefferts Park, and
she, her husband and two children, lived
there in pretty good style. She reported
that her bedrooms had been visited by a
thief, and that the bureau had been rob-
bed OF nearly $4,000 worth of jewelry.
This jewelry was all her own-prese nts
that she had received from her husband
when she was rfiarried-and the
jewels were kept in little japanese cabi-
net, which was also a present. and which
for safety she locked in one of the upper
bureau drawers. Well, went to work
on it, and supposed some second-story
thief had been at work there, and, obtain
ing full description of the jewelry, l
started off to New York and Brooklyn
pawn-offices trying to search up the goods
but it was no use.
Mrs. McLoud was so anxious after the
property that did really make extraor-
binary efforts to secure the goods, but l
couldn't find trace of them. At last I
suspected this Mrs McLoud herself. I
can't exactly explain to you why; but
there was too much earnestness about her
to suit me. She was always so anxious to
find out if l had recovered any of the ar
ticles or if i had got on track of them,
and vet observed that she seemed to be
relieved when she was told that I could
not get trace of the jewelry I thought
that had no right to suspect her; she
was pretty we'll of, lived in good style,
her husband seemed to be in excellent
circumstances, and l couldn't conceive
what reason should have to suspect her,
or, in suspecting her-what reason l
should have for her being the thief; but
somehow or other I could not get it out
of my head that she knew more about it
than she cared to tell; and at last set to
work to theorize the thing down. Icame
to the conclusion that she knew the thief,
and that for some reason she wanted to
hide him or her, or whoever it was. Then
I commenced to work on that idea. l
found out who her friends were, whom
she associated with, ETC., but not the
faintest speck of light on the case did l
get. She used to suggest ideas, too, such
as latter / had told her l had been all
over New York and Brooklyn "Dont
you think that these thieves would be too
clever to take such property to New
York; wouldn't they rather sell it in
some other town?" 80"
l had almost given up the idea of max
ing anything out of the case, when it
struck me that the only servant that they
had-a young girl-might have been the
thief, or had some crooked man on the
outside who had put her up to steal the
Jewels. AS a last resort I went for the
servant and accused her point blank. She
denied all knowledge OF the theft, said
that she never had been accused of such a
thing before, cried like the mischief, and
there was the deuce to pay generally.
had previously inquired as to the girls
character and found it to be exceptionally
good. l at last said to her, and some
good angel must have prompted me,
"When did you see these things last!
You say that you clean up Mrs. McLoud's
room, and sometimes find jeweiry on the
dressing case, where she has left it?n
The girl told me that the last time she
saw them was when Mrs. McLoud was in
the room, one afternoon, about to dress
She had occasion to go in for something
and Mrs. McLoud was putting several
articles ofjewelry in piece of chamois
leather, and there was cotton placed be-
tween the different articles. This was the
last the girl saw of them. Soon after Mrs
McLoud went out l found out, on fur
ther questioning, that this day was just
one day before the robbery was reported
to me, and new light struck me. was
satisfied, from the information in connec,
ton with Mrs. McLoud's action, that she
had robbed herself. What for couldn't
divine. What she had done with them
couldn't tell. was in quandary an0
yet I felt sure that I was right. After
telling the girl to say nothing Of my in.
terview with her to anyone, and assuring
her that she was not under suspicion, ]
determined how to act. told her to tel
Mrs. McLoudI wanted to see her. In &
couple of minutes was sitting alone ir
the back parlor with her.
I "Ohi hope you have brought me gooG
news" she said, but with an expression
on her face that was satisfied meant thai
she hoped had not.
"No, can't say that have as YETI
returned. "Mrs. McLoud, want to ask
you few questions about that jewelry
Il watched her face closely, and saw az
anxious and nervous expression take pos
session of her features, but pretended tt
be ignorant of it, When did you veal
them last?"
Apparently relieved, she said: II cam
tell. l hadn't worn, at once, the half o
my jewelry for some time. 1 am not il
the habit of being fashy."
"Well, you are sure it was all in thi
little cabinet?"
"Oh! yes. l always kept my watcl
and rings, and everything there, you
know and locked it up, and then locked
the drawer for greater security, and boil
locks had been broken OPEN"
"You had this jewelry distributed il
these cabinet drawers?"
eyes. Icouldnt keep all of it in one.
eyes," said, "I think can produc
your property for you"
, She gave q start, but recovered hersel
and said with affected composure, " Cal
you? / hope so, so much"
"The thief" said /, boldly hazardin,
all my suspicious on this assertion
"broke the locks of the drawer and brok
the lock of the cabinet, too. I think tn
thief was woman"
GA womanl' she said nervously, an
very much excited.
eyes," said /, for I knew had hel
, "by woman, and by woman VIII
} knows this house and that room yer
thoroughly, too. This woman stole tn