The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-04-07
THE GOLDROOM.

The night mail from Paris painted into
Calais Pier station only five minutes
late. The usual scrambling exodus of
passengers eager to get a snack at the
buffet before the steamer was due to
start began almost before the train had
stopped.
My employment is that of travelling
clerk to an express company. whose bust
ness it is to convey between Paris and
London valuables intrusted to it by eli
ents.
was more than usually anxious that
night, because it was marked by the in
auguration of a new system. Hitherto
the valuables had been placed by one of
us in the goldroom rented by our COM
pany on the steamers. The room had
been carefully locked, and the property
had been left to take care of itself until
it got to Dover, where it was met by an
other official of the company. who was
provided with a duplicate key.
The captains of the boats were also in
possession of keys in case it should be
necessary for the safety of the ship to
enter the goldroom.
These precautions, however, had
proved insufficient. Although the locks
on the goldroom door were safety ones
of the most approved kind, impressions
in wax had been obtained. false keys had
been manufactured, and robberies had
been frequent-perpetrated. without
doubt. during the passage across the
channel by a gang of expert thieves.
In consequence, an official was to &C
company in future every consignment
and keep watch and ward at the gold
room door.
That night the consignment was OF
small bulk, but of extraordinary value.
1t consisted Of two tin boxes, one of
which contained notes on the Bank of
France. sent to the Bank of England in
payment for a purchase of 500, 900 SOW
ereigns. the other box contained nego-
table bonds, with coupons attached, of
the new Turkish loan-the property Of
the largest financial house in the world.
The bonds were worth e250, 900. so
that my total charge amounted to 49,
$50, 900.
Two of the company's porters had &C
companied me from Paris to assist in
shipping the boxes. AS l stood on the
platform watching my men haul the
boxes from the treasury van l was tapped
on the shoulder by one of the French de-
tectives whose duty it is to keep an eye
on the boats.
You cross tonight under the new ar.
rangement. Mr.. Dutton. I think" he
whispered.
That is So" | replied. Have you
taken stock of my fellow passengers"
Yes" he said; land l have not spotted
any suspicious characters so far. Ali
stand aside there, mon ami; make way
for madame" and the detective pulled
me gently back a step to allow a solemn
procession to pass along the platform to
the gangway of the steamer.
A couple of railway porters were car
rying a sick woman, by whose side
walked a tall maid. Two other porters
followed, wheeling a truck of unmistak-
able feminine luggage.
The detective stepped quickly to the
side of the truck and read the address
painted in large white letters on one of
the packages.
Mime. la Comtesse de Brune," he said
as he rejoined me. st is not a title with
which am familiar. Mon cher, it might
be as well if you kept yourself acquaint-
ed with that lady's whereabouts on the
boat.
What Have you cause for suspi-
cion?" | asked.
Not in the least. I did not recognize
either the grande dame or her maid.
Only when one comes across a title un-
known to US of the French police it
makes n cautious-that is all. my
friend. Bon voyage"
The detective moved away, and l fol-
lowed my men on board the boat, each
carrying of the boxes. On the gang
way | met the captain, to whom I was
well known-jolly old Captain Temple.
'Hullo, my boyl" he said. $50 you're
going with us. That's good; you'll re-
lieve me from a lot of responsibility. /
got my new key for your precious new
lock from the agent today, but I've hit
on q better dodge than all the locks in
the world. just come along with me-"
Captain Temple led the way below.
l followed within men. The goldroom
was situated on the main deck in a lit
tie recess aft Of the saloon.
It was about 10 feet square and was