West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1877-11-17
A Sample Of Detective business.
lFrom thc pcn W an Old NJ

MR.. EDITOR: L send the following M
an example case of n detective whom
l know in London, England, and FOL
whose ability | can vouch-the follow
ing case actually occurring as related
IL may act as an incentive to your men
But | give IL rs | heard detective Ben
tell il himself:
Mr.. b met me at the hotel, and
asked me if / was the detective. said
was, (evidcntly To his surprise). lie said
" Well, | have had my safe robbed twice
under the following circumstances
-Four week ago, ON n Monday evening
| went home and forgot to lock il. Next
morning l found over two hundred dol
lars gone. The safe was i'm my private
office. Three weeks later, again forgot
to lock the safe, and next morning |
found myself once more robbed
this time of one hundred and eighty dol
lars. Now, | know no one TO suspect, and
how are we to get TO the bottom of it,"
| asked If he suspected any of his en-
ployees. to which he replied, " Certainly
not have only one il woHld be possible
at all To suSpCct---my cashicr-and he has
been n truSty servant with me for five
years; i'm fact, each time the matter is
referred TO he feels rs bad, if not worse
than |, aboutit.
| asked if hc paid him good wages he
replied, a" thirty dollars per week"
! found this cashier had three clerks
under him, but he was invariably the last
to leave the Office. | had my own suspi-
cions, but of course kept them to myself.
We wended our way from the hotel in
the direction of his residence, when |
asked if he had his Office key in his
pocket, to which he replied yes, and !
thercupon suggested we go ut once, i'm
the dark, and survey il and the adjacent
promises. We did 40. selected cor
ncr i'm his office, aud next morning we
went TO a secondhand furniture store, en-
gagged nice wardrobe, and he went TO
his business, while | strollcd around To
admire the sights of c. and the
beauties of nature. BY my instructions
he sent the cashier to order the ward
robe and have it put in, the fixing. of
which he somewhat gave way To the cash
ier's better taste as To where il should he
placed. BY that evening il was duly
fixed and looked well, having sundry
coats hung therein. ] stayed there two
days admiring the city sights, but on the
second day | went 60 the gentlcman's
residence. There | marked some coins
and bills which ! gave him to mix with
n quantity more, when he made his
money up that evening, and 10 place il
i'm the safe as usual, but to forget the key
in the door, and particularly he was to
tell the cashier, rs usual, to request the
Char-woman that night TO come and wash
his Office next morning.
This was arranged because on the two
previous occasions when money had been
stolen, IL happened on the mornings the
Office had been washed, as the woman
came at FIVE O'clock.
This quietly arranged, / and Mr.. b.
went to his house, took supper and spent
Il pleasant evening till nearly nine
o'clock, when under cover of darkness
stroled down to his office, and creep
ing through back window, ! got into
the clOthes-press, i'm full view of the
safe.
The key was there, the money was
there yes, and ] was there -"Jack in a
box if you willard / would say right
here, the cramped pains / suffered that
night, in such close quarters, it is only
my bones can attest.
Well, the long hours wore on, one
after another. ] heard nothing-not
even n mouse stir. The gray morning
dawned, as / could family observe
through the keyhoIe, and at five O'Clock
Il ray entered the outer door. The
woman came in; ] sat almost breathless
peering through a small gimlet hole
made in the corner Of one of the panels.
She sung softly to herself, worked
Justify, and finished the larger, or out
side office, and before commencing with
Mr.. BIS private office she went for a
fresh pail Of hot water, for which she
had nearly half block distance to 90.
Directly her back was turned ! heard
hasty steps on tip-tOe, and through tho
gimlet hole SAW form i'm front Of the
safe. heard the chinklc Of the money,
and then the inner door Of the saf
closed, when / bounded out, and i'm the
twinkling Of an eye, had Mr.. man by
both wrists.
1t was the trusty cashier, with the
money in his pockets, just about 10 re-
trace his steps.
For Gods sakew he exclaimed,
" I'm ruined"
Not yet" / said, "but put those
hands together for the bracelets, or you
are gone up, sure"
lie almost tainted, yet obeyed-sat in
a chair painting as ] stood by him.
You may judge the poor woman's sur
prise, on her return at the novel sight.
The perspiration rolled down the cash
ier's face in floods, while J admit felt
champion then, if ever ! did.
! sent her for Mr.. b., and charged her
90 tell no one else, and ! guess that poor
woman scarce touched the ground the
whole distance, judging from the short
time 10 took him 10 arrive.
Then, the sight that cnsued, as Mr.. j.
put his foot in the Office and saw hi.
confidential in the shacklcs Of the law
My heavens! is IL possibleW eiacu
lated the poor old gentleman, as tho
tears rolled from his eyes. "Is il
your
Oh, drp he exclaimed. "I an
ruined but believe me, did no do IL
the two previous timcs-havc mercy on
me"
! told the gentleman ne had all tn,
money in his pockets, and n short tim,
found us walking up the street.
But The old char-wOmau (woman-like
could not hold the secret, and had rus
TO tell his wife.
The poor woman met us, almos
frantic, and by their united supplica
tiOns Mr. b. was induced TO take thl
prisoner to his house. There the matte
was talked over, and restitution ohere,
to cover the whole pilferings rather thar