Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1890-01-18
MY FIRST CASE.
by AN ENGLISH DETECTIVE.

OHuoC ~ was tllS IlioO VI any liIpoi bdIlCo
in which [ was engaged, and because,
thanks to the happy chance of which l
am going to tell you, it gave me a start
il my career which | have never lost.
1t was one morning several winters
ago when diamond merchant who had
reported loss of diamonds worth 800,
600. Further than that the house was
in Soho, | need not give any particulars
of this gentleman's name or address.
was then very young to be entrusted
with 50 important case, but we were
busy at the time, and my chief was kind
enough to express his faith in my
ability
had not been ten minutes in the
house before l saw that had before me
a task of no little difficulty. The room
in which | stood was oblong in shape
One end was occupied by large win
dow looking on the street. Standing
with your back to the window, on the
right hand side, was fireplace. on the
left the door; between them stood a
large square table; above which was
the chandelier with four OF 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. 1t was from the safe that
the diamonds in question had been
stolen. But there was the puZz!e-the
safe ha9 been drilled open, work which
must have taken at least an hour and a
half, and the room remained all night
with the blinds drawn up and the gas
lighted, in full view of the passers- by
in the street and Of The policeman on
the beat, who passed every half hour.
There were two keys OF the safe -one
in the possession OF Mr. and the
other belonging to his son. The custom
was that the old gentleman left the
Office first and went home to his place
at Dulwich, the two clerks, left Of t
O'Clock, and the son was usually the
last to leave, locking the safe and see
ing that all was lett il security The
other rooms in the house were let out a;
offices, but all the tenants left before {
o'clock, and when Mr.. IS office wa.
locked up the only occupants of the
house were the caretaker and his wife
who lived in the attic
The robbery had been discovered by
Mr.. - on his arrival first at the of
flee on the morning in question H,
had been followed by mis- clerks and hi
son in the order named. and found al
four present when | reached the house
On making inquiries / found that Mr.
-- himself had locked the safe on tin
previous evening The clerks ha,
gone rs usual at s, and Mr.. --. hav
ing had to remain later than usual, sax
everything clear before his departure
Heand his son left together, the larhe
going home and the son going to lin
with friend, with whom he went t
tho theater and at whose house b
slept. The housekeeper had sweep
and cleaned the offices as usual and ha
finished work by 8 o'clock, at whic
hour she and her husband went u
stairs to their own rooms at the top q
the house. They did not come dow
again that night and heard no noise.
felt little difficulty as to tho OK
trance or exit OF the thief He m.gl
have entered the house at any time .
the previous afternoon aud, as tho.
was more than one unoceupied soom
the house have lain perdu till is IS.
time 10 commence operations And. as
found window at the back 3i ID
house uutasteuel 1 concluded BE- hu
made god las escape through che yal
aud by way 81 a low wall into aa az
joining coust But how had he bt.
able % work 30 long without attraction
attention from any ope fht street vi
not a tuy th.mushtArv tut There ug
. have lpen suaa Aag tuaes despite A
, iaet tAaf the night hal bssa a. lauls.
EFT pHs and al have std 4 patt
IVA. langl aseg halt ha1E luAIa
aatuGI Inspection af tha la.hl F.