River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-10-03
A "H ERALD" Personal.
BY A DETECTIVE.

Keokuk Constitution.
''Ozii6-Nery no hsqti,oz5 mrtsy "a 12i
UriU hgi0gy.7
There it was, in italic, half way down
the personal" column of the Herald
conspicuous only for its singular and
most aggravating combination of letters
and figures, the soc clue to the where
abouts of the game had been after fol
over a week, scarcely resting, eating OF
sleeping in my anxiety TO secure the re-
ward offered in heavy burglary case
and something else.
That something else" An! my heart
sank within me as | flung aside the
eDigmatical puzzle before me, and lean
ing back in my chair gave myself up to
the gloomy reveries of the past. Edna
Dayton-how l loved herl 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 we'll / re-
member the bittu parting-a hopeless
one, it seemed to me when / learned my
fate from her fathers lips, and passed
down the brown stone steps OF the
Dayton mansion, wondering if the incli-
nation of mOneyed men toward stone res
idences was not caused by the existence
of a similar hard material in that part of
the human anatomy known as the heart.
was poor man, he said, and the
profession of a detective was precarious
one. His daughter loved me-he could
not deny that-but she was his only child
and her wealth and position demanded a
match with some social equal. He would
not break her heart by absolutely refus-
ing to sanction our engagement; but if
within year could secure fortune of
twenty-five thousand dollars and lucra-
tive business, and Edna was still of the
same mind-well he would consider it.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars! grew
sick at the thought of the condition i'm
posed, upon which | was to purchase my
future happiness. Friendiess, the recep-
ton OF meagre salary. and utterly I'M
known, where was to raise this amount
and what business capacity had |, the
son of parents who had given me every
luxury, and neglected a practical educa-
ton, until a crash came that left US
homeless and in penury.
Day and night for ever a month /
brooded over my.sorrows. and then one
day / was aroused into renewed lie by
the reception of formal but courteous
note from Mr.. Dayton requesting my i'm
meu1aTe attendance az the mansion.
NV feet winged as | fastened to the
house of my loved Edna. What did it
mean? Had he relented3 Was Edna sick,
or did business await me at the pleasure
of my hard hearted censor? | was ush-
cred into the library, where found the
old gentleman in an intense state of ex-
citment pacing the floor, the window
broken in, papers and boxes scattered
about the apartment ami safe in the
corner broken open.
| stared at him in amazment.
you seem agitated, IIr. Dayton" |
ventured to suggest.
"Agitated! agitated, sir! | am wild
Late last night, or early this morning,
burglars entered this apartment by means
of yondei window and broke open the safe
When | came down this morning, found
affairs as they are now, AMI nearly one
hundred thousand dollars in money,
bonds and iewelry gone
l stared mGtely. The immensely of the
robbery petrifed me.
"You have informed the poIce3' |
asked when | could find my voice.
No" he Numbered. coming to a full
stop Il have no confidence IN police
force which fails to protect house from
such an audacious burglary ana expects
one half of the booty for its return. Here
is the room. and yOnder is list of the
stolen property. l believe you are hon
est, and leave the entire affair in your
own hands. Call upon me for whatever
money you require In an attempt TO re-
cover the property or TO detect the thieves
If you succeed within a month | will
pay you thirty thousand dollars If YOU
fail | will pay your expenses for the
month and place the case in your hands
Are you satistied3'
Igasped spasmodically. Thirty thous-
and dollars A fortune-more than the
price of my happincss And then the
pride Of my profession came to my aid,
and told him t at | should succeed.
examined the apartment. The bur
glary had been affected very simply, APP
parently. Edward, the lootmam-a tall,
lank specimen of humanity-had heard a
noise in the night in the library, but had
in the habit of writing very late, and he
thought it was his employer.
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 pare
of glass, there was not the slightest sign
TO show how the window had been gained.
A ladder would have done it, but no
marks OF ladder, no signs Of footsteps
exhibited themselves in the damp gro nd,
wet from recent rains.
l was sorely puzzled. l examined the
servants enc by one, hut could find no
clue to Justify the slightest suspicion of
completely in the affair on their part
The work had evidently been done by
scientific burglars, and they bad worked
at their leisure
inquired into the antecedents of Ed
ward, the footman; but Mr.. Dayton aver
red that he would allow no suspicion to
rest on SO faithful a servant TO the family.
l resolved to inquire more about him,
however; but | found nothing az inst
the man, and temporarily dismissed him
from mind as having any connection
with the case.
You heard no noise on the night of
the robbery inquired of Mr.. Day
ton.
None. l slept unusually sound last
night"
went away thoughtfully, for l had
found in the library an empty bottle
which from the scent l knew tn have con
tanned chloroform, and had noticed the
marks of muddy boots leading from the
apartment, while around tne window none
were to be seen. The glass, too, had been
broken by quick blow, not cut out. Al
together, 1t was most mysterious piece
of business.
I watched all dives frequented by the
cracksmen of the city, aud worked like a
beaver. could not obtain a clue 10 the
perpetrators of the daring burglary, and,
atter three days of unremitting toll, was
considering if il would not be as well TO
call in professional assistance, when the
advertisement in the Herald, at the head
of this story, attracted my attention. In
stinctiyely / OWNED some connection
with the crooked business, and whether
il refer, d to my case or not l resolved
- to ascertain its meaning.