Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-07-02
A LOST JEWEL MYSTERY.

James Blayne was a little out OF tenn
per. For more than fortnight he had
unsuccessfully devoted all the oppor-
whereabouts cff'Edy' of Lady MterfG;nR1sS Jewels;
and of the man or woman who had
stolen them.
James Blayne was q promising young
member of the detective force, on the
lookout for the lucky step that should
lift him above the level of his compeers,
and when the Merton robbery was in
trusted to his care he thought he had
got his chance at last.
It certainly was rather an interesting
case.
About three weeks before the day on
which we record Mr.. Blayne's loss of
temper, pretty Lady Merton, as might
have been gathered subsequently from
the newspaper reports, was spending u
solitary evening in her house in Brook
street. Sir Robert was dining with an
old friend some little way out of town,
and, not returning till the morning, my
lady had intended going to the play
with some friends. But late in the
aftarnoon she altered her plans, dis
patched note begging to be excused
on account of severe headache from
joining the party, and with a curious
feminine idea of comfort and indul-
gence, told her maid that she would not
go down stairs again, but would have
some dinner ~on tray" in her boudoir
at 80.
At 10 o'clock she rang her bedroom
bell. and saying that her head still
ached badly and she should go to bed,
dismissed her maid, requiring nothing
more that night. Before leaving the
maid asked if she should go to the Jew
eler's the next morning early, as had
been arranged, to take there for repair
a diamond brooch of her mistress.
-Yes," adding as her maid opened
the jewel case to take out the brooch,
"Oh. leave it till the morning."
The box was reiocked and the key
nut in its nsnal salaa.. ;.>-1s~~ - 49,
stated that at l0:30 the house was shut
up and every one went to bed.
The next morning Lady Merton, find
ing her headache no better, kept her
room darkened till after 10 o'clock,
when some tea was brought to her by
her maid. The latter then went to the
iewel-ease for the broken brooch, and
fnding the box unlocked with the key
living near it hastily opened it and cried
out the robbery to her mistress.
This was the story that in twenty-foul
hours was known to most newspaper
readers in the country, and this was the
story that about three weeks later wa:
trying James Blayne's temper. Agar
and again he reviewed the few heads o
the case.
On July 25 Lady Merton went to bee
between 10 and 10 :30p. m. The jewel
, were then in their places, ana she, see
ing the box opened, told her maid no
to disturb them till morning. Th,
maid locked the box, replaced the Ike,
in drawer, aud shortly went to he
own room, fastening the door-this las
fact being attested by the housemaids
who slept in an outer room. The but
Ier swore 20 turning out the lights ant
shutting" up at 10:30. Lady Mertol
slept little and restlessly till 1890
when she got up and stirred the fire
this fact attested bv the cook, who slep
in an outer room above and was arouse'
by the sound of the poker. At L
o'clock the next morning the jewel
were missing. aud the jewel-case stoo'
in the dressing-room within, and onl
approachable through Lady Merton
bedroom.
Robbery from without, Blayne rt
iected after due examination as an In
possibility. From within, by a mar
well.nigh impossible, owing to tn
position Of the jewel-case and to Lad
Merton's restless state during the nigh
It seemed case of cherchez Ia femme
and Blayne had sought ceaselessly
chiefly among the women of the house
of course, though here also the grei
difficulty of crossing Lady Merton's bee
room unperceived by her was with hi
more strongly in their favor than the
excellent characters from their en-
ployers. The ladY's maid seemed b
only chance, as, of course, she was full
acquainted with the situation in all j
senses; and her football, which h
proved 70 be light aud to which,
course, Lady Merton was accustomed
would disturb her less than any Of ar
other visitors. But the lady, viii
suggesting no other solution Of Il
problem, rejected this last theory WI
some indignation, declaring that 81
had the utmost confidence in her mai
and that she had scarcely closed b.
eyes before midnight. after which hol
tha hon Aid pronounced Il An imposi