The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-07-14
STOLEN-$sOO.

go down there, Thompson, and see what
you can make of it,
was in the Secret Service at the
time, and it was feather in my cap to
have matter like this put entirely into
my hands, for it was queer case and no
mistake.
The place was French fiat, and the
victim of the robbery, Mr. Myron ia
cobs, occupied suit of rooms on the
second floor. A roll of bills, containing
from the bureau-drawer, where he had
dropped it loosely the night before. The
facts which Mr. Jacobs related and which
were corroborated by members of his
household. were mainly as follows:
Being an early riser, he had started out
of bed that morning and gone into the
kitchen, for the purpose of applying a
match to the fire already laid in the range,
but finding the hands of the clock
there only pointing to three, and the
half-light which had deceived him into
thinking it morning proceeding from the
waning moon, he returned to his bed and
his slumbers, that were all the deeper,
perhaps for this very unusual waking.
When he reused him again, to see day
light in his chamber. he had to struggle
against feeling of lassitude. and dull,
heavy head before he could stir. His
wife, still sleeping quietly by his side,
was also very hard to arouse, and was
little indignant at finding her hands tied
together, and the bed-clothes fastened
down in such manner that she could
not release herself.
81 think, Myron, you might find some
better time for playing your practical
jokes" said she.
I'm afraid there's no joke about it,
returned Mr.. Jacobs, plunging his hand
into his trowsers' pocket, and finding the
loose silver he habitually carried there
among the missing.
A glance into the bureau.drawer
showed the magnitude of his loss. His
gold watch and some pieces of jewelry
were also missing, but these were after
ward found in odd corners about the
premises.
The maid-of all-work, Magdalena, was
discovered face downward upon the
kitchen floor, securely bound with strong
cords and quite unconscious; but when
she revived she said that she had just
reached the kitchen, after leaving her
room, when she was sliced from behind,
and hand pressed damp cloth over
her face, which was all she knew of what
had happened. Her silver earrings,
which Carl Braun, her lover, had given
her at Christmas, had been taken out of
her ears, and no amount of searching
placed them among the articles found.
It all resolved itself down to this = that
these three persons had been chloro-
formed, and the two women bound, while
the thief secured his booty, and after
ward dropped the watch and jewelry,
doubtless impelled by the fear that they
might lead to his subsequent detection.
The queer part was in Mr.. Jacobs hav-
ing been left at liberty, and the compar
atively worthless trinkets of the domestic
being retained by the thief.
That's the strangeness of the thing"
said Mr.. Jacobs, with considerable
warmth. ''It really looks as if the job
were put up to turn suspicion against
me; and the money wasn't really mine
either
He had recently Withdrawn from a
partnership in tobacco store, and had
taken charge of the establishment on the
previous day, in the absence of bis late
partner.
The money, which he had brought
home for safe-keeping, was due to him
on balance which his partner owed him,
but as it bad not been formerly paid
over, Mr.. Jacobs declined to pocket the
loss.
Being so lately in the business, of
course you'll set up to the cigars?"
suggested.
had read Mr.. Myron Jacobs pretty
thoroughly in the time was questioning
him, and did not for moment connect
him with the robbery. He was one of
those penurious but strictly honest men,
Who would split a penny where there was
Ahalf-cent due either way, and hadn t
any hesitancy in demanding the per-
quisites which he would never think of
offering.
Don't smoke myself, but if you'll
Just drop into the shop any time through
the day and tell Gale to give you a good
cigar, he can charge it to me. That's the
handkerchief my wife's wrists were
bound with-yes, sir. But it's her own
one of pair / gave her myself. saw
it in the bureau when / put in the money,
last night"
1t was certainly very mysterious af-
fair, and as it was necessary to do some
thing to sustain my reputation, took the
girl, Madaleua, in charge.
"Oh, you are never going to arrest
her?' cried Mrs. jacobs, an extremely
I'll L.. l.