Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-11-15
UNRAVBLING A CIPHER.
A Detectives story About n Persons
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UNRAVELING A CIPHER.
A Detectives story About Personal
Advertisement.
Ozib-Nay uU hSQfiozb mrtSy ~ 1877 UriU
hgivVy,"
There it was, in italics, half way
down the PERSONAL column of the
Herald, conspicuous only for its singu-
lar and most aggravating combination
of letters and figures, the sole clew to
the whereabouts of the gem l had been
after for over week, scarcely resting,
eating or sleeping in my anxiety to Sc
cure the reward offered in heavy bur-
glary case-and something else.
That something else" All! my
heart sank within me as flung aside
the enigmatical puzzle before me, and,
leaning back in my chair, gave myself
up to the gloomy reveries of the past.
Edna Dayton--how l loved her! How
fair and beautiful as a summers idyl
had been the week in which had met
her, had loved her, and had been told
that my affection was returned! How
well | remember the bitter parting-a
hopeless one, it seemed to me-when l
learned my fate from her fathers lips,
of the Dayton mansion, wondering if
the inclination of moneyed men toward
stone residences was not caused by the
existence of similar hard material in
that part of the human anatomy known
as the heart.
was poor man, he said, and the
profession of detective was pre-
carious one. His daughter loved me;
he could not deny that-but she was
his only child, and her wealth and posi-
ton demanded match with some So
cial equal. He would not break her
heart by absolutely refusing to sanction
our engagement; but if within year
could secure fortune of S25, 900 and a
lucrative business, and Edna was still
of the same mind-well he would con-
slider it.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars! grew
sick at the thought of the condition i'm
posed, upon which was to purchase
my future happiness. In the reception
of meager salary and utterly un-
known, where was l to raise this
amountP And what business capacity
had l, the son of parents who had given
me every luxury, and neglected prac-
left us homeless and i'll penury?
Day and night for over month |
brooded over my sorrows, and then one
day was aroused into renewed life by
the reception of formal but courteous
note from Mr.. Dayton, requesting my
immediate attendance at the mansion
My feet winged as hastened to the
house of my loved Edna. What did it
meanp Had he relentedp Was Edna
sick, or did business await me at the
pleasure of my hald-hearted censorP /
was ushered into the library, where l
found the old gentleman in an intense
state of excitement pacing the floor,
the window broken in, papers and box
es scattered about the apartment, and
a safe in the corner broken open.
l stared at him in amazement.
You seemed agitated, Mr.. Dayton"
ventured to suggest.
"Agitated! agitated, sir! | am wild.
Late last night or early this morning,
burglars entered this apartment by
means of yonder window and broke
open the safe. When l came down
this morning found affairs as they are
now and nearly 100000 in money,
JCWClI1
stared mutely. The immensity of
the robbery petrified me.
NO" he thundered, coming to
full stop. - have no confidence in
police force which fails to protect
house from such an audacious burglary
and expects one-half the booty for its
return. Here is the room and yonder
is a list of the stolen property. be-
lieye you are honest, and | leave the
entire affair in your own hands. Call
upon me for whatever money YOU re-
quire in an attempt to recover the prop
erty or to detect the thieves. If YOU
succeed within month l will pay you
thirty thousand dollars. If you fail [
will pay your expenses for the month
and place the case in other hands. Are
you satisfied"
gasped spasmodically. Thirty
thousand dollars! A fortune-more
thaH the price of my happiness And
then the pride of my profession came
to my aid, and told him that | should
succeed.
examined the apartment The
burglary had been effected very simply,
apparently. Edward, the footman-a
tall, lank specimen of humanity-had
heard a noise in the night in the library,
but had paid no attention to it, as Mr..
Dayton was in the habit of writing very
late, and he thought it was his en-
ployer.
What puzzled me most was the means
of entrance and egress adopted by the
burglar or burglars. The library was
fully fifteen feet from the ground, had
a bay-window, and, except the broken
pane of glass, there was not the slight
est sign to show how the window had
been gained A ladder would have
done IL, but no marks of ladder, no
signs of footsteps, exhibited themselves
in the damp ground, wet from recent
rains.
l was sorely puzzled, / examined
the servants one by one, but could find
no clew TO justify the slightest suspicion
of completely in the affair on their part.
The work had evidently been done by
scientific burglars, and they had worked
at their leisure.
inquired into the antecedents of Ed
ward, the footman; but Mr.. Dayton
ayerred that he would allow no suspi-