The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-14

I AO"csSf. SGTFCptlllOuoIy AOAiio'S~~ -
from its hiding place and carefully in
/ spected it, in order 10 impress its
peculiarities more indehbly On my
| memory: for upon it I built my hopes
| of bringing a fragrant crime home to
| its perpetrators. and of restoring valu-
/ able property to it's rigttful owner.
! This is how became possessed Of il.
i There had been a somewhat daring
/ robbery at a house in Shepherds
! Bush A certain Mr.. and Mrs Blanch-
! ard were giving a party in honor of
| their eldest daughters twenty-frst
| birthday. It was rather pretentious
| affair and it required considerable
| powers of management to make the
doings as successful as was desired.
Needless to say, the two servants
| found enough to occupy their time all
the evening. and there was practically
no one on guard upstairs, it being as
sumed that there would be so much
passing to and fro as to render even
the usual watchfulness unnecessary.
But this extra sense Of security was
taken advantage Of by thieves clever
enough to avail themselves of a favor
able opportunity. The Blanchards oc-
cupied a semi-detached villa, theadjoin-
ing one being untenanted. Into the
empty house the thieves had effected
an entrance Then they had stepped
out of the window, which was exactly
over the double door porch, and from
this porch they had found it easy to
climb through the bedroom window of
Mr. Blanchard's house. The room to
which access was thus gained was the
one occupied by the master and mis-
tress of the house. and in it some valu-
able jewelry was kept, together with
the cash box. Most of the jewelry hap
pened to be in use, but the cash box
contained two hundred pounds, intend
ed TO pay the quarterly bills on the
morrow, and some family papers,
deemed OF the greatest Importance,
since they were to prove Mr.. Blan-
chard's claim to an estate worth a
thousand year.
The first suspicion that something
was wrong was aroused when a servant
went upstairs to light the bedroom gas,
and found the dressing-tab bic pushed to
one side, and the window wide open.
She at once gave the alarm. and it was
soon discovered that the cash box and
its contents were missing. So were the
thieves, unfortunately, and they proved
very difficult to trace. The only clue
that they had left behind them was the
bit of tweed before mentioned. 1t was
sticking to nail at the side OF the
! u
off some garment worn by the thief at
the moment of his hurried exit.
Il have done my best with it, said
Uncle Bell to me one day, and l now
turn this scrap of stuff over to you, to
use as advantageously as you can. The
money stolen from Mr.. Blanchard is ir-
revocably lost, but if the papers can be
discovered 1t will be good thing for
the finder. They are certificates of
marriage and of baptism, copied from
registers that have since been destroyed
by fire Without them Mr.. Blanchard
cannot prove his heirship to the
Blanchard property. Restore them, and
he will pay you well.
Now, this uncle of mine had unrav-
cannot tell to this day whether he real
" thought this case hopeless. or
whether he merely wanted TO try my
skill He succeeded, at any rate, IN
putting me on my nettle, and for many
q month the Blanchard case was never
out of my mind.
Early in the month of September,
- h
berry, l found il convenient to use
Drury lane as a thoroughfa-e between
High Holborn and tie Strand 1t was
already dusk and / was not inclined TO
lose much time, but was compelled to
do SO, owing to a large crowd which
had assem- bled to witness one OF the
many fires which flourish IN this neigh
borhood The street was practically
impossible. and the din for time al
most deafening.
But did no. want 70 escape. was
fascinated as well as Mortified by the
awful sight which was the resseR a-etys
Of such a gathering. Such . sickening
sight it was, too. | shall never forget
it A fve-story dwelling was being
Quilted. and the fanes, which had their
origin in the basement, II an oil and
color shop. spread with such frighlfuI
rapidity that exit By ordinary means
was cut of Eve minutes after the
flames broke out. The frightened IL
mates crowded 10 the upper rooms.
and were shrieking for be , from the
windows. The fire engines were SPLEEN
didIy prompt. bat could DO little De-
yond restricting the fire 70 the building
in which it had broken cut. and i
seemed doubtful II a fire escape could
arrive and be fixed in time TO save all
To the panic stric ken threatened
ones, the danger looked more iuuedi-
ate than to the areuen. who shouted 10
them 70 endare moment longer.
Il carrot shrieked one nau, II an
already burning A second later he
had sn-uag from the open window: the
crowd shudlsse-ingIv parted and he fell
with 2 ssckeaIa- thad near the engine /
never 70 speak or move again The ]
si-hs was a dreadful one But Il was
Sill moro dreadful 10 witness the an
Euish Of .acse who saw nothing bet /
destruction before them TIE fate OF +.
the unfortunate uap vas ei1lser net /
realized or II was poweriess 10 restrain /
their panic, ard woman preparing 20 /
jump ont herself, threw her baby clear /
OF the 6evoG<ing element
There was err OF horror as the poor 1
little rsite hurled and struggled II lis i
frantic fight f1og7 one death 10 aaotser.
The next EaoZneut-I can never rerneEs- I
Der ho.x sis3 i'll ha3 tern TIT clczlz