Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-10-03
Claypole's personal affairs:
But Miss Gogrles had heard too much.

Claypole's personal affairs.
But Miss Goggles had heard too much.
Her nervous system was severely shocked.
She passed q dreadful night, and in tho
morning was found dangerously Ill with
brain fever.
Shortly after the incident above re-
corded Chicago vas startled by n series
of bold and successful burglaries in tho
business section of the city.
The perpetrators of these crimes wero
skllful workers. They picked out first
class establishments and carted of largo
stocks of such merchandise as was readily
salable. AS o rule the safes were left IN
touched, the burglars being satisfied with
the portable goods in the store.
Among the victims were Williamson &
Graves, tho hardware merchants, on Lake
street, who were relieved OF q valuable
assortment of firearms, knives and tools;
Cobb's circulating library, which lost q
number of expensive books and stationery,
and Mendelssohn's lace store, on Wash.
ington, near State street.
Thu lace store was completely sacked Of
it's finest goods. AL the imported hand
made laces were taken. The burglars left
the common grades in O state Of confu-
sionen tie counters, and must have spent
| considerable time in selecting their booty.
Mr.. Mcndelsohn estimated his loss at
about $40, 900.
The store had been entered by the win.
dows which opened into IN alley in the
rear Of tho building. The goods wero
taken out by the front door, which was
found open in the morning.
OF course those daring robberies caused
q commotion ut police headquarters. No
noted cracksmen were in the city, and yet
the detectives were convinced TINT the
burglaries were tho work of old hands.
Several expert criminal hunters were put
to work OH the case, but they worked dill
gently for weeks without striking the
faintest clew.
The newspapers and public became i'm
patient over the delay IN capturing tho
daring burglars. and the central detail
came In for a liberal dose of censure.
10 make matters more complicated. it.
was openly charged that there had been
no burglary at the Mendelsohn store, but
that the proprietor. who was known to be
financially embarrassed, had robbed him.
self to gain the sympathy of the public
and make easy terms with his creditors.
Mr.. Mendelsohn was greatly annoyed
by this accusation. He acknowledged
that his financial affairs were In a des.
perate condition, but he pointed to his
past record as incompatible with the IN.
famous act of which he was charged.
His friends admitted everything In re.
gard to previous probity. but shrugged
their shoulders significantly when they
were asked to accept it as an assurance
Of present integrity.
1.-THE facts are against you" they re-
marked. Burglars do not generally pos.
sess the technical knowledge to enable
them to pick out the finest laces in the
excitement of q midnight raid. II your
store was despoiled by robbers. where are
tho robbers?"
And Mr.. Mendclsohn's inability to pro-
duce those living proofs of his innocence
was regarded as additional evidence Of his
guilt
Then came an attempt to find Mendel-
sohn's accomplices, for it was evident
that he could not have carried out this
gigantic scheme Of deception alone and
unaidcd.
A hint wa received at police hcadquar.
tiers that n clerk named Hadlcy was impli-
Gated. Tho note conveying tho hint was
written in q delicate female hand. 1t
read:
To tho Chief Of Police:
DEAR S1n-Watch james Hadley, clerk In Men.
delsohn's store, about those stolen laces. Per.
haps some OF his lady friends GRO sporting q por-
tion of the goods. At any rate, you can take tho
!; hnbfor what It Is worth.
ONE wHo SUSPECTS.
The detectives did Take the hint. For
o week or two Hadlcy was constantly
Swallowed, and his lady acquaintances
were subjected to q rigorous espionage,
which, had they been aware of it, would
have thrown them into Mysteries.
Hadley's fiancee, the beautiful daughter
of q wealthy lumberman, wore some hand.
some laces ut churches one Sunday. Tho
following day her father received o visit
from a stranger, who poured poison into
his ear concerning his prospective son-in-
Inv. Tho stranger was promptly kicked
out of the Office, but when the lumber
mans daughter admitted that evening
that tho laces were the gift of Iladley
some months previous the old man waXcd
angry and told her to throw them in tho
fire.
There's something wrong about the
fellow" he cried; CLERKS cannot afford to
buy such expensive gewgaws. Perhaps
he helped Mendelsohn to rob himself"
And Hadley was beside himself with
grief when, the very next morning, q dis.
trict messenger brought him O parcel con
tanning the laccs and other presents he
had made to his sweetheart, together with
q note blotted with tears, stating in sim.
pie but excruciating terms that her heart
was broken. and that they must part for
ever more.
It was several months before lladley
could clear himself in tho eyes of tho
young lady and her father, md during
that timc he had wasted away to q nero
shadow and suffered the torments of q lost
soul in purgatory.
There was one member of the city de-
tcctivo force who took no stock in the
story that Mr.. Mendelsohn was his W
burglar. This was Denis Simmons, n
of the oldest and shrewdest of Chicago's
ablo officers, who for the Lost seven years
had been detailed On bank work.
MFR. Mcndelsohn," said Denis to the
grief stricken merchant, don't worry
Yourself 10 death. l am convinced that
the robbery was tho work Of professional
| thieves. and I'm q Dutchman if I don't
pinch them before I'm many weeks older"
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