Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-15
EMILY BAKER
A Leaf from a Detectives Diary.

On the night of January 10, is
the Clifton Bank was entered by burg
lars, who made good their escape with
100000 in their possession. AS soon as
the robbery became known L repaired
to the bank and sought the President
to whom I presented my credentials
and made known my intentions OF com
mencing work at once. The old gen.
tleman readily acquiesced, and together
We passed into the main office, where
several spruce-looking young men We're
scratching away as unconcernedly as il
they had not been engaged in an ami
mated discussion Of the robbery only a
minute before. l glanced at them
sharply, but saw nothing suspicious in
their looks, and concluded it would be
a waste of time to question them.
examined the lock Of the door
opening upon the street, and found it
had not been tempered with, although
the first arrival had found the door
ajar. / next turned my attention to a
door opening upon the rear, and found
it securely locked, in which condition
it had been, so the President assured
me, since the night before.
who has charge OF the key of this
door?" / inquired.
"Mr. NJ, the cashier, has one, and
our janitor the other"
Can either Of the gentlemen be
summoned?"
"Yes, both if needs be. Here, War
ren, run around to MIR. Ms and tell
him that I wish to see him immedi-
ately."
The clerk addressed was about to
obey, when a sudden thought struck
me, and called him back.
"You need not trouble Mr.. N;
but if the janitor can be found ask him
to step down for minute OF two"
In less than two minutes the clerk
returned with the janitor-a broad
shouldered Irishman, whose answers to
my questions We're given in such a
straightforward manner that I at once
exonerated him from all blame.
You lock up after the clerks have all
gone home, do you?" I inquired. look
ing the man in the eyes.
"les, sometimes I does, an sometimes
l doesn't" was the laconic reply.
w hen do you not?"
when Mr.. N worruks late O.
nights as it has been the much o'late. :"
Did you lookup last night?"
sYls sur, watts more, I tried every
dure afterward."
cat what time did you lock that
door?" and pointed to the front en-
trance.
We'll, as near as I can recollect,
about half past siven."
Are you sure you shot the bolt into
the socket?"
GAY! could swear that locked
that dure an left it locked"
"How about the windows-did you
fasten them as well?"
"Yis, every wan ov them"
Very good, sir; you may go now, if
you like, and I turned to the Presi-
dent.
"Now then, Mr.. j. with vour
permission, we will examine matters
below stairs"
The old gentleman conducted me to
the vault below. The heavy iron door
of the large vault in which the bank
funds were stored, stood wide open.
at1ording view Of the interior, which
presented scene of confusion not I'm
familiar to my eyes. Books and papers
lay on the floor in every direction,
where they had been thrown after graf
flying the curiosity of the burglars.
L stopped to pick up crumpled doc
ument that lay at my feet, and as I did
so, the sparkle of q gem heretofore
concealed by the paper, caught my eyes.
With quick motion of the hand I
picked the stone from the floor. and
held it concealed in the palm of nv
hand, while l perused the document,
more for the purpose of concealing the
exultation felt at having gained so i'm
portant clue, than for any other rea-
son.
Having glanced at several other pa
pers similar to the one had first picked
up, I began thorough search of the
vault, which proved fruitless; but the
diamond in my possession was sufficient
on which to weave a network of circrm-
stantial evidence.
Having no further business at the
bank took my departure, and went di-
rect 10 celebrated jewelers. establish
ment in somers street. The proprietor
OF the store knew me, and intuitivelv
guessing my business, conducted me to
his private office.
Well, Tracy, what's up?' he in
quired, when we had become seated.
Nothing unusual" ! replied. "You
have heard Of the Clifton bank rob-
berry, presume
The Clifton bank? An! yes did
hear some one remarking about it.
There was no account of it in the morn
ing papers"
No, 1 believe not. The affair was
not discovered in time for the reporters
to get hold of it. Well, sir, the bank
has been robbed to the tune Of $4,000,
znd I am engaged on the case"
Hum! indeed! Hope you'll catch
the rascal, old boy. A dreadful state
of things exist in small city like this"