The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-06
CLEW OF THE BAMBOO ROD


/ room bOunQSQ- hclus my ear 10 the ln-
strunent. received the usual query, Are
You Zambra's"
YES" replied. "Who are your
"Burts. Queen Victoria street." the an
swer came. ''Nr. Burt wants to see Mr..
cambria at once. If he is disengaged."
''You are speaking to Mr.. Zambra," re-
piled. II will come on Immediately"
/ In ten minutes quick hanson deposited
me at the door Of the millionaire financier.
l knew John Burt very we'll by repute. Mr.
Burt was a self-made man, and he had made
/ hlmself-so 1t was whispered In the West
End ard freely bruited about in the city
to great extent at other peoples expense
In early life he had gone out TO Asia Minor,
where, after working in an oil factory for
years, he had taken to prospecting for oil
on his own account. Right and left he
struck" IL, but being a shrewd man, DOS
sessed OF enough technical knowledge to be
aware that the mineral fluid often dries up
as rapidly as 1t is found, he did not run his
oil well himself.
The first one he disposed of to small
company with such success that be came
home to England. and settled down In the
city as professional promoter OF oil COM
panles. Whatever might be the ultimate
fate of the schemes started, John Burt him
self throve and prospered till LIE was &C
counted the richest man in the city.
Through retaining the Management Of the
companies in his own hands, he knew just
when to buy or sell the shares, and it was
notorious that 1t was rather from his share
deal ngs and speculations than from any
bona fide profit on oil that he had amassed
his wealth.
The millionaire's Offices were on the top
floor of one of those huge caravansaries
near the Mansion house, which are let out
in fats
Thinking it probable that Mr.. Burt might
not wish my identity TO be disclosed TO his
employees, l sent in my card sealed up in an
envelope. The clerk who took it returned
Immediately and led me through the line
OF desks to door opening into an inner
room, where gentleman sat writing. For
moment imagined myself to be in the
presence OF Mr.. Burt. but a second glance,
and the clerks uninterrupted progress to-
ward further door at the other end Of the
room, told me that had not yet reached
the sanctum.
Following my guide across the antecham~
Der, without attracting more than a care
less look from It's tenant. a gray-haired,
rather bulky man of 90, I was finally
ushered through a green baizs door into tho
smallest and coziest room of the suite.
The short, pursy, warm-looking indi
vidual who rose to greet me was familiar
enough. l had seen John Burt many
N-NAANS GAAA HAespSot
seen him looking quite as he looked to-day.
his usually ford complexion was mottled
and tiabby, and his haggard eyes suggested
q series of sleepless nights.
''Sit down, Mr.. Zambra, sit down. be
said, 10 a voice which trembled with nervous
excitement 81 am pleased to make your
acquaintance, apart from the matter in
hand. Tell me-" he went on. with startling
abruptress, do you believe in thought
reading"
'If your question has any bearing on the
business upon which you wish me to advise
you, il would be better if you gave me the
particulars first - l said
"Perhaps you are right he replied
well, it is like this: As you are aware, l
am largely interested in a number OF oil
companies carrying on operations in Asiatc
Turkey. l make good deal of money by
buying and selling the shares of these COM
parties In a speculative way for the rise or
fall. For instance. if get cable from
one of our local managers to the effect that
coed output may be expected for a GER
tain month from the wells of a certain COM
| pany, | buy those shares on the stock ex-
| change. II, on the other hand, hear that
poor return is to follow by the next mail,
sell the shares instead. You follow me 30
fari"
"Persectly."
'Well, the trouble about which want
to consult you is this: For the last two
months my private information has been
| got at and made use of to such an extent
that its value to myself has been largely
! discOunted-in some cases uulifed alto
gether. One of the kesnest cliques in Capel
court is either regularly forestaiag every
| move l contemplate, or is acting stimuli
| taneously on identical lines in such large
| amounts that the cream Of my market is
| stolen; and, in fact. if it goes on may as
| we'll shut up my shop for good and all
AM 70 nd
! this information to no once" asked.
Not living soul" replied Mr.. Burt
"Wh hat is TO hinder some person in the
! telegraph office from using the cabied news
| for his own purposesm
The messages are received in cipher, I
alone possess the key" said the troubled
| millionaire. IL don't even use one of the
ordinary commercial codes. Ny daughter.
! who is clever at that sort of thing, made a
| special one for me- and keep it secret from
every one, even from my trusted conhden-
| tial manager in the next room there"
80 far there appears to be only one solu-
tion." l replied. ''Some one must be get
ting access both to the code and to the
cipher messages. here do you keep
| tbemN
THAT is the strange part Of it." said Mr..
! Burt. The cipher code is always kept in
| the top drawer of this writing table, but
since this mystery has been gong on have
| Originally used to keep them in the dra wer
| here with the code; but when found that
| the contents were being acted on took TO
| carrying them about my person, only 10
| dlvest myself of them in my own bedroom
at my place at Sydenhsm at night. This
| made no difference my secrets leaked out
! just the same-so have during the last few
| days gone back to the old plan of keeping
them in the drawer, which, as you see, has
| patent lock"
! AND you have reason to believe that
! since going back to the old plan your papers
I have again been tempered with?" l asked
! ''Oaly two days ago q cable reached me
| from the wells at Taku about noon advising
me Of bad months takinks. could not
! go round to my Or 5ker's at once, as was
! due at meeting, but | went the moment l
was free. lJ was too late. The clique I
| told you of bad been beforehand with me,
! and The shares we're down to such a price
that II would It pay me to sell. It's sick
g-thet's what it is" sighed the fnan-
cler, passing his baud through his scanty
| auburn haIr
But look here, Zambra," be continued,
waxing friendly in his distress, "you ought
| TO be able to spot them to-day, | got
another wire from our man at Taku this
morning saying that he b s had a splendid
ma OF fresh We'll on his company's prop