The National tribune., 1882-03-11

1u iSSHJ Oi the POiiCe. 30 an appointment
was made TO meet at the Cafe du Helder, on
the Boulevards, where more detailed de-
scrIption Of the lost property should be given
to him. He then took his leave, but asked
me to accompany him down stairs, SO as to
/ impress the concierge with the idea that he
was an acquaintance of some standing.
Before arriving at the bottom, / found my
friend had managed TO dirty his coat In a
manner which necessitated his turning into
the concierge's lodge to borrow a clothes
brush, thereby gaining an opportunity of
casting an eye round the small room and on
Its occUpier. To me, being initiated, the OBJ
Ject was paIpable, though quite unsuspected
by the individual in question. When the
brushing Was over, we walked out together,
ana IN the course Of conversation We
/ touched upon the way in which some per
! sons can SO disguise themselves as to hide
their individuality from their most intimate
! friends
expressed myself as being doubtful
whether this could be really done, provided
the parties to be deceived were on the look
I
Tered from me, and offered to disguise him
self so e!tectually that he would, in the
course OF the next twenty-four hours, speak
to me for at least ten minutes without az
r0uSlnS my suspicious. | accepted the chal-
| ienge, and Staked the price of Gejeuner at
any cafe ne would like to name He agreed,
and the very same day won the bet in the
following manner:
Shortly after leaving the detective met
an old friend, who asked me to dine with
him at Versailles that evening. l agreed to
do so, but could not leave Paris as early as
my friend intended to do, and, therefore,
told him l should go down by the $50 train
from the Care ST. Lazare. / did SO, and as
/ got into frst-cl carriage l remarked
short, gentlemanly- looking man, with white
hair, who followed me into the same COM
partment Frenchman-like, he began to talk
about things in general, and we chatted,
more or less, all the way to Versailles. When
within ten minutes or so of our destination
my new friend quietly took Off his hat, pull
cd OFF wig, got rid Of a mustache, and, to
my utter amaZement, sat revealed before me
as my friend, the detective! How he had
managed to find out that 1 was going to
FeTsailies-which | had 10 idea of myself
when ! left lim--or how lie had SO effect
nally concealed his appearance, that I, sit
ting within three feet of him, had no idea
he was the man | had left some four hours
previously, are problems which | cannot |
solve. The detective himself only laughed |
when / asked him how he had contrived it, |
He was evidently greatly fattered at the |
amazement l displayed; but, beyond show
ing me with some pride his wig and mus |
tachc, he was very reticent, and would not |
enter into any details. That he had fairly |
won the breakfast there could be no doubt, /
but he said he would rather put Off the event |
unit! he could see his way as to whether or
not he should be able to recover part of .
the property my friend had lost. We then |
parted, he taking the train back to Paris, I /
going on to the house where was engaged
TO dine.
This was on the Thursday evening. On
the Monday, about eleven a. H., the waiter
OF the hotel where was staying told me
that gentleman wished TO speak to me. He
was shown up, aud this time the detective
was not disguised. He told me that for
reasons which would learn later. he thought
it better to come to me than to go to my
friends house in the F'aub0urg St Germain
He said lie had coed news for that he be-
lleyed that the greater part of the stolen
property had been recovered, and asked me
to go the Prefecture de Police on the following
day, about two p. H., and to take my friend
with me. We did so, and found that what
the detective had told NE was true. Among
other valuables that had been stolen was
canvas bag containing between two and three
hundred napoieOns. These mad disappeared;
but the jcweiry, the plate, and what was
still more surprising, the bonds, payable, as
Ill such documents are in France, au porteur
to the bearer), had been found. and were
'eady for my friend to Identify This was
easily done, but nothing was allowed to be
ouched for the present, as it would have to
)e sworn to at the trial which would shortly
AXE place. When my friend returned home
lie found that while he YVES ~ the Prefecture
he concierge had been arrested for conniv-
ng at the theft, and in the lodge was found,
II hidden cupboard, the bag containing the
money. In a word, without fuss, publicity
II loss OF time, the whole of the property
which had been stolen the week before was
n the hands Of the police. In ten days more
he trial was over. The concierge and two
f his relations were each condemned to five
ears Of travaux forces (penal servitude), my
riend got back the whole of his property,
nd what to me as an Englishman seemed
much more extraordinary, the total expense
f the proceedings came to something like
ne hundred francs (G4). Even this pay |
lent was nearly all voluntary, for my friend
insisted upon making a small present to the L L
elective who had done his work so well.
To give any details as to how the valua-
les were found, or how the robbery was .
raced to the concierge, is not in my power.
he French police are invariably very Z
eticent, especially in cases like the one |
ave attempted to describe. They have a u
heory that publicity on such occasions is
very great mistake and hinders justice. 1 g."
allied with my friend on the sous-chef to
hank him for the trouble he had taken.