The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-12-20
SCOTLAND YARDS RELICS.
Gruesome Mementoes and Ingenious
Criminal Devices.

The Little Card Trick Of an American-Two
Clever Diamond swindles- Jekyll and
Hyde in Real Lifs-Reminders Of the
Trafalgar Square Riota
The detective struck q match so that
we could see our way down narrow
passage and crooked fight of steps,
says writer in the New York Sun.
The steps leo into small whitewash-
ed cellar, with wooden floor and
skylight set in one corner of the CELL
ing. The detective lit a gas jet and
said, with a wave of the hand: This
is what we call the black museum.
These are the relics of all the princi-
pal crimes that have made any talk in
London for over fifty years." It was
much like the back room of a Junk
shop, and all that resembled a museum
was the counter, which stretched
around its four walls and held the
relics, labelled with scrap of writing
or clipping from some old news
paper.
''Here is something curious" he con,
tinued. ''It's the smartest Yankee
trick I ever saw. It belonged to a
gentleman gambler, an American, who
had fine house in St. Johns Wood,
where he used to entice younger sons
and boys with big incomes to win
their money OF cards. This was a
leather sleeve to fit over the forearm.
To it was attached piece OF steel
mechanism. There is cleft in the
end, and any card the player may think
he will want later can be stuck in it.
BY raising the arm the spring is re-
leased, the exsension flies back, still
holding the card and keeps it hidden
until it is wanted.
There was a handsomely lined vel
vet box bound with brass, evidently a
jewel box, and inside of it were three
Jumps of common coal. "That ought
to have a story" suggested. ''It
was like this" said my guide. IA
gentleman went into a Regent street
jewelers. one day and asked them to
send around selection of diamonds
in different makes to his hotel. He
said he was in a great hurry to go to
Paris, and would examine them while
packing up. The firm sent around
one of their most trusty servants with
the box and the gentleman selected
about $4,000 worth of diamonds in
rings and bracelets. There was a SER
| want in the room who was very impru-
dent and with whom the gentleman
was apparently becoming more and
more angry. He finally put the jewels
he wanted back in the box and sealed
it up with red tape and sealing wax.
This servant was an accomplish and
had previously ascertained the make
and shape of boxes used by the Re-
gent street firm. As soon as the box
was sealed he prepared another one
just like it from the stock he had laid
in beforehand and set it in readiness
outside the door, Then he entered the
room and said something so unpardon-
| ably insulting that his ostensible mas
ter made a dash at him with the box
of diamonds under his arm and follow
| ed the servant to the door and just out
side of it. He changed the boxes and
| returned with the decoy, apologized
for the scene that had just occurred
and gave the clerk a check and the
box, telling him TO place the latter in
a safe until the check was cashed,
when he was to send it to Lady Mabel
Dudley, who was staying with some
friends in 'Devonshire. The decoy
box, sealed and fashioned like the real
one, was put in the firms safe, and the
check sent to the bank When it was
returned dishonored the box was open
ed and found to contain these three
Jumps of coal, not the sort of dia-
monds the firm dealt in.
This" he continued, sis the pistol
with which O'Conner attempted the
life of the queen and this is the petit
ton he sent her. This is photograph
of LEROY, who murdered a gentleman
in an underground railway carriage,
and this is knife used by woman at
Brockley to chop off two children's
heads"
The room is full of such relics, burg
lars tools Of wonderful ingenuity,
bludgeons with leaden balls for heads,
strange looking pouiards and daggers
taken from Afghan and Malay sailors.
who have committed murder with them,
and dainty silver box half filled with
perfumed cigarettes, found beside the
body of beautiful woman murdered
in her bed in little high walled house
in the doubtful neighborhood of St.
Johns Wood. Her photograph stands