The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-21
A DETECTIVES STORY.
The Smartest Bit Of RoGuery He
Had Ever Heard OF.
How . Pair Of Clever Thieves Relieved
Physician of His vA.uables While
Seeking His Professional
Services.

At Bohemian gathering the other
night. at which all Of the guests were
expected to contribute at least one
yarn. says the New York Herald, p~i-
vate detective tcld the following as an
example CT the smartest bit of rognery
that had ever come under his cSserva-
ton:
"a certain physician, whose name
and address for professional reasons
cannot reveal. had a-=nuired both fame
and wealth by an extensive practice
and had often been brought prominent
ly before the public as an insanity ex-
pert in important cases that were tried
in the courts. Being man of taste.
with the means of gratifying it, he
surrounded himself with rare and
costly articles of bric-a-brac, curios
and antiquities which he had picked up
in his travels abroad.
Zone day he was waited upon by an
elegantly dressed gentleman of engag-
ing manners and cultivated converse
tional powers. He said that he had
crossed tie continent to obtain the
doctors aid and advice in a case of ex
treme delicacy. His VIE. who in all
other respects was everything thai his
heart could desire, had become a con-
frmed kleptomaniac. Though his for
tune was ample to crafty all her
freaks of fancy and lovs of luxuries,
she couldn't keep her hands off other
peoples portable property. Even iu
her own home she would purloin arti-
cles belonging to other members of the
afmily.
"a curious phase of her disease-of
course, It could not be regarded Is any
thing else-w/s illustrated ey the fact
tnat wirhiIa few hours Of commit
ting thefts she intariably became pen
itent and abandoned herself to cts OF
grief and modification, which were
none the less severe because always
followed by the restitution of thu
stolen property. Thus she was break
ing her own heart and her husband 3.
He had consulted the most famous
alienists in Europe and placed his wife
under the treatment of sorne Of them,
but she still continued incorrigibie,
Still. from what he had read and heard
of the success achieT.d by DR.. - in
dealing with similar cases, he had
been led to believe that if it were pos
siblc tc cure his unfortunate wife Or.
was the one man living who could
do it.
"'The physician naturally felt some
what fet1ered by this svowal of conf
dence in his skill and, besides, felt a
deep professional interest in case so
remarkable.
The engaging stranger promised to
call next day and bring his wife, NAM
ing some fashionable hotel as their
temporary abode.
True to his promise. he celled next
day, bringing with MIN an exceeding
ly handsome end stylish woman, whom
he introduced as his wife. The physi-
clan engaged her in conversation and
found her apparently Just as refined
and cultivated rs her husband. Whilo
in the consulting room she afforded
the physician practical evidence of tho
over1nastcrin2 power Of her aff1iction
by pocketing several rare and costly
articles when she deemed herself nm.
observed.
"'You see for yourself said the
rnuch-distressed husband in an aside,
what terrible affection hers is. II
breaks forth even here. In an hour or
and experience all the grief and NOR
tificatiou that the saneet and most
conscientious of persons could feel
under similar circumstances. / will
restore all the articles she has taken
at any hour you may choose to make
ap appointment with me tomorrow
You can then consider the case in your
hands without any restrictions. and
all your directions shall be implicitly
obeyed.'
The morrow came and went, but the
engaging stranger did not keep the ap-
pointment, nor were the articles that
the supposed klepcOmaniac had pock-
put on the case. but never succeeded in
getting track cf the couple They had
vanished completely.
'It is the only case IN all my expe-
rience where shrewd, wide-awake
man was robbed before his very eyer
under his own nose. "a il were
without the faintest suspicion that he
was being victimized. It may be
wrong, perhaps, bnt can't help feeling
the profoundest admiration for the
man who had brains enough to concoct
such a scheme and sufficient audacity