The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-06-28
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| contained enough diamonds, polished anC
| In the rough, to adOrn court He WAS Al
well known among the diamond brokers O.
| Amsterdam as he was in Hatton Garden
| lie had villa on the breezy Northern
| Hights of London, and Mrs. GoIdsmid anS
| her two daughters gloried in such an array
| OF sparkling brilliants as made most of thei,
| lady friends heartily dislike them, though
apart from this, they were very apliable
people.
Mr. Reuben Goldsmid had very little te
| trouble him, but even the most peaceful
/ lives have their period of unrest, and trouble
came to Mr. Goldsmid in the shape of q
kindly circular from Scotland Yard. II
warned him that the enterprising burglar
was on the war-path in the London suburbs
| and that detached houses standing in their
own grounds were especially liable to his
attack. This completely spoiled Mr.. Gold
smid's appetite for his breakfast, and its
effect was not diminished by his reading in
the morning papers that gang of burglars
had appropriated the jewels of an Ambassa-
doris wife
AS he went to town that day, his atten
ton was attracted by the talk of two of his
feilow-travelers. One was stout, comfor-
table-lookiDg city man; the other a tall,
bony man, with sunburnt face, and big
black mustache.
Fearful business, this burglary at the
Bulgarian Ambassadors" said the stout
man where are the poIice?n
That's just what want to know" said
the tall man. In my country, if chap
goes burglng in city, why. the police run
him to the earth pretty quick and if he
tries that game on in the country, you bet
he soon has the regulators on his track, and
finds himself strung up to telegraph pole.
You take things a long sight too easy in
this old country of yours"
"All very well talking" said the stout
man, gruffly; "Pve heard of American
burglaries before this"
See here" said the tall man; can Amer
| ican burglar has a lot to do before he gets
inside house. Your idea here seems to be
10 have locks that you can pick with a
crooked nail, and window catches you can
open with a butter-knife. Why, you just
encourage the burglars. / should like to
rig up a house and make it safe, and see
some of your clever burglars fooling around
trying to find way ip."
Mr.. Golds,nid could keep silence no lon
ger. beg your pardon, sir" be said, but
| really should like to have talk with you.
To tell you the truth, am very much dis
glary, and if you can help me to put my
house In something like a tolerable state of
security, l shall be most grateful. 1 am
ready to spend any amount of money-any
reasonable smount-if this can be done, and
done at once You must pardon me, stran-
ger, putting the thing in this way to you,
but l am most anxious, assure you. Here
is my card"
"And here is mine, sir. / am happy to
make your acquaintance, Mr.. Goldsmld, and
/ shall be glad to help you."
Mr.. Goldsmid took the card and read !:
"Cyrus +. Trotter, Mechanical and Electri-
cal Engineer, PSI West Fifteenth street,
New York"
Mr.. Trotter went on to say that he was on
professional visit to England, and that if
Mr.. Goldsmid really wanted his place fixed
up" he (Mr. Trotter) was the man to do it :;
and finally agreed TO lunch that day with
Mr.. Goldsmid, submit to him plan of de-
fense, and take steps for carrying it out
After lunch Mr.. Trotter took the diamond
merchant to half dozen shops and offices,
TO show him various engines Of destruction
and mechanical devices which he must pur-
chase in order to fix up" the house at
Highgate. At an electricians he explained
to him delicately-arranged system of bells,
which would be put in action by burg
lars foot alighting ON a board fitted as a
treadle inside door or window; at machine
gun company's offices the Secretary of the
company showed, at his request, neat little
domestic Gatling," which could be mount
ed on window-sill, or at the head of a
staircase, and which was so simple that a
baby in arms could work it. Finally, in a
city warehouse, Mr.. Trotter showed him
what looked like gigantic rat trap.
We use that kind of thing out West,n
he said, = for trapping bars and wolves; but
L reckon you have to be careful how you set
it, or you might be caught in it yourself,
and have 10 stop there till the bar comes
and takes you out by installments reckon
we can set two or three traps in your shrub
berry, and then your precious police will be
able to make some arrests, for the burglars
won't have the start of them"
Mr.. Trotter was busy for nearly three
days putting his appliances in position.
Then he dined at Highgate, and showed
Mr.. Goldsmid how, by merely turning a
button behind the hall-door, all his appa-
ratus was put in full working order, while
by turning it back again the whole would
be turned out of gear. Mr. Goldsmid slept
comfortably that night, and felt like man
who is beyond the reach OF the dangers that
aHlIct OEuInary HoTtalS.
Next day he was called away to Amster-
dam on important business. He sent a tele-
gram to Mrs. Goldsnid, telling her that if
he were not back by 6 p. m. on Tuesday,
she was not to expect him till the next day.
Tuesday found him on his way home; but
it was foggy in the Channel, and the boat
was late. 1t was midnight when he arrived.
There was fog on the land as well as at
sea. There was not carriage to meet him,
no cab WAS to be had; so he took his bag in
his hand and tramped off to his house. He
made his way up the foggy lane, glad when
he found his own gate. He could see that
gas was burning dimly in the hall. He
would try if he could let himself in with
his latch-key without disturbing the house
hold.
He turned the key. He pushed the door
open, and there was a pleasant feeling of
being safe at home, when, as his foot crossed
the familiar threshold, he heard somewhere
the jingling sound of an electric bell; then
there was a whirring noise Of clockwork
halfway up the stairs in front of him, and
he had barely time to remember all that
Mr.. Cyrus T. Trotter had done before his
departure, when from the stair came long,
bright flash, ringing report, and whistling
ball.
Gr-r-rl went the clockwOrk; then, in
another second, flash bang whiz! crash
and shower of splinters flew from the door
he had just opened; and poor Mr.. Goldsmid
realized that the domestic Gatling" had
come into action. He had started it as he
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