The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-07-10

| &c.. 'nouSn ne IelJ nlmSelf secure
LON any discovery resulting from my
i,uen''lcatlon. The authorities had
s Dsun unable, as yet, to elicit any in
~. naelon from him; he ballled all their
''s1nnPes at questioning him with skill
anu cunning almost incredible in so
Young an offender. All at once was
surprised at an exclamation from my
husband, who stood near me:
uood heavens" he said, half audi
ny, believe | see through the whole
plan What a blockhead | was not to
nave thought of it before But it was
neally planned and carried out, by Jove
c ne crossed the hall to where Colonel
osyies was sitting, and, after speaking
10 MN for few minutes in low, hur-
rleu manner, he asked leave to call a
WITNESS who, he believed, might throw
some lght on the matter in hand. Per-
mission having been granted, he said in
a loud voice:
1ne man calling himself jules
fe9er' body servant to Colonel Styles,
anu now present in this hall, is request
ed TO stand forward"
FOR the first time since our entrance
the boys face fell, and he looked per-
picked and rather dismayed. There
was movement in the crowd, as though
some one were trying to effect a de-
parIure from the door; but the attempt
pelng promptly frustrated, l saw them
kleao' into the witness-box the French
servant who had accompanied my hus-
kbantl abroad, but who had left his sery-
zee on his return to England. After
4 some time passed in making inquiries,
and ellcitng very little from the eau
uous man before us, he was searched,
and many letters of his present employ
er's were found upon him; and a pock-
et-book, which contained memoranda,
proving great deal against himself and
his two accomplices-his wife and the
boy in the dock before us. No one else
seemed concerned in his fraudulent
transactions.
On further search the whole system
of his roguery was unfolded piece by
piece. He would take service with gen
tlemen about to travel, imposing on
their credulity with false references, and
gaining their confidence by his we'll
trained demeanor and intelligent con-
versation. Once safely out of the coun-
try, he would commence his nefarious
schemes, and, with the aid of his clever
wife and child, carry them out success
fully. Nothing was ever forgotten that
could lead to the desired end No fraud
was started until the details had been
thoroughly mastered by his accomplices,
and the plan well matured 1t is i'm
possible to say how many people he had
defrauded in different ways.
He had soon found out how matters
stood between my husband and brother
partly from his own researches, and
partly from conversation he overheard
between his master and brother officer
and considering the situation capital
one for practicing his system upon, he
had at once communicated with his wife,
and unfolded his plans to her, sending
her the signature distracted from one
OF Richards letters to act as decoy {;
and also the handkerchief which Ralph
happened to have taken among his
own, to throw suspicion on my brother
as being accessory to the robbery.
Before the examination concluded the
Sergeant, who had been so long on the
lockout for the perpetrators of the deed,
asked my husband how he had recog-
nized the boy as being the son of his
former servant. Ralph laughed slightly
as he replied:
81 believe / should have made the
best detective of you all had | been on
the spot. I thought recalled the boys
features as being in some way familiar
to me, but could not determine of whom
he reminded me; however, as he stopped
to speak to the warder, the mystery was
revealed in a moment by strange
stroke of luck"
Turning to the boy, who had lost his
courageous air, and was looking crest
fallen and frightened, my husband babe
him hold down his head. For the mo-
ment he refused; but on the order be-
ing peremptorily repeated, he obeyed
reluctantly. From one side of hiehead
to the other, contrasting strangely with
his thick dark curls, was streak of
white hair, about half an inch wide,
which shone like silver in the sunlight
then bidding the elder man remove the
cap he wore, he babe him also stoop
forward, which he did, with muttered
exclamation and there again we saw
the same strange white band shine out
on his closely-cropped head.
No link seemed wanting to complete
the chain of evidence against the often
ders, and the elder was at length forced
to admit that the proofs were too strong
for him to battle against. He begged
that his wife-to whom he seemed real
ly attached-might be treated leniently,
as she was slowly but surely dying from
cancer; the statement was afterward
proved to be correct, and the woman
was removed to hospital, where she
fingered but short time. The father
and son were fully committed for trial,
and duly found guilty. The sentences
imposed upon them were of a severe
nature, owing to the number of accusa-
tons brought against them.
| can only hope that when their terrs
of imprisonment has expired, they mat
find people less easy to impose upon,
and better able to resist their machina-
tons than was "the lady of Captain
Ralph Branscombe, who fell so easy a
prey to their duplicity and cunning that
memorable evening of January %, 1869.
Time.
Beauty Before Utility.