Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-19
A DETECTIVE CASE.


Yes. sir. call il my first case. because
II was the first of any Importance in which
was engaged, and because, thanks to the
happy chance of which am going to tell
YOU, it gave me a start in my career which
] have never lost.
II was one morning several winters ago
when was ordered by nv chief to call
on Mr.. diamond merchant who
had reported a loss of diamonds worth
$4,000. Further than that the house was
in Soho. need not give Won any particu-
lars of this rentleman's name or address.
/ was then yery younr to be entrusted
with so important a case. but we were
busy at the time and INV chief was kind
enough to express his faith in nv ability
had not been ten minutes in the house
before | saw that | had before me a task
of no little difficulty. The room in whi ch
stood WAS oblong in shape. One end
was occupied by a large window looking
on the street. Standing with your back
TO the window. Oh the right hand side
was a fireplace, on the left the door: be-
tween them stood a large square table,
above which was the chandelier with
four or five lights. Against the right
hand wall some little distance from the
fireplace stood large safe facing
into the room. Save one or two chairs
there was no other furniture in the room.
IL was from the safe that the diamonds IN
question had been stolen. But here was
the puzzle-the safe had been drilled open,
work which must have taken at least an
hour and half, and the room remained
all night with the blinds drawn up and
the gas lighted, in full view OF the passer-
by In the street and OF the policeman on
beat VINO passed every hall hour. Ihere
were two Keys OF the safe-one In the pos
session OF Mr.. = and the otner oelong-
ing to his son. The custom was that the
Old gentleman LETT the ONCE nrst ana went
nome 10 his place at Dulwlch, the Two
clerks left at O'Clock, and the son was
usuaIly the last 10 iea'e' locking the sale
o., au sSeilS 'ha' All was lel' III
Inc u'her toohis u. tue mousse Msre le' ou'
"s oiiiees' "u' All 'ne tenants iei' oeiote .
a. anu "hen Nj oii0e was
IoeAeu up Tue ohis ccuPah's Vi 'l,e mouse
't "ete 'le C"ie'aAef anu nls "iie VIM 4i'ou
LII 'he atuc.
The robbery had been discovered by
Mr.. - on his arrival first at the office on
the morning in question. He had been
followed by his clerks and his son in the
order named, and found all four present
when 1 reached the house. On making
inquiries found that Mr.. - himself
had locked the safe on the previous even
ing. The clerks had gone as usual at o
and Mr.. - having had to remain later
than usual saw everything clear before
his departure. He and his son left to-
gether, the father going home and the son
going TO dine with friend, with whom
he went to the theatre and at whose house
he slept. The housekeeper had swept and
cleaned the offices as usual and had
flushed work by O'Clock, at which hour
she and her husband went up stairs to
to their own rooms at the top OF the house.
They did not come down again that night
anu nau hearu no noise'
ieit little ulIncuIty as 70 sne entrance
or exit OF tne tnleL he might nave en-
eereo TIE mouse AT any uine on the pre-
Nlous AFTERNOON anu, as tnere was more
than one uhoccupleu room IN the mouse,
nave iain perdu III IL was tine 70 COM
nehce operations, anu, as iound VIII
90" al the BACK oil the house untastened'
concluded ne had made good MS escape
snrousn the Saru anu py way OF 10"
wall INTO an adloinlng court But now
hau ne oeeh aoie 10 Work SO long WIFI
ou' % at'Fdcbihs attention from anyone!
Ihe street was not busy thor-
ougniaFe, OUT there must nave Deeh
some Waylarers, despite lhe iaet that the
night had oeen an lnclement one and as
nave salu pollcehah passed. every hdll
hour- hlade careful Inspection Oh the
room out Iouhd nothing save a piece OF
amber from the mouthplece OF pipe. Oh
looking at the walls nonced al opposite
sues oI the room, hlgh up near the cor
nice Two MARKS AS though nails mad oeen
torh out Oh the plaster out on pointing
these out 10 MI. = ne couio give me no
information. he had never noticed them
II W o''' maj N' A''
"
then proceeded to make inquiries; first
As 10 the whereabouts oil the clerks on the
niSht IN question Mr.. = had told me
ne had no suspicious as to their integrity
out, OF course II was my business to
MAKE sure, ana found they were able 10
accouht Tor 1heir time quite satisfactorily
Inc polieeman VINO had been on duty
could not help me. lie had passed each
half hour but had seen nothing suspl-
cious- A number OF persons had passed
up ana down the street. but he had only re
oognlzed one man, chem ist who lived on
an ADJOINING street. Application 10 this
gentleman enci'eu hotnln2 lurther he
had passed down the street between IL
ana II on MS way home and had looked In
al the hsh1ed "lhdo" rs usual out there
was certainly no one IN the room
then- returned 10 headquarters to
make my preliminary report and directed
careful inquiries TO he made with view
TO identify, II possible any persons who
were IN the street throughout The night
wen SIR, ior TWO DAYS was at my wits
END. All our enoeaVors proved trultless