Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-07-24
THE LOST JEWELS.

ling! Ling Ling!
The electric bell over Detective Mar
tinot's desk told him he was wanted in
the office of the chief of the secret serv-
ice Opening a large glass door he stood
before his superior. The latter motioned
him to a chair. tTell me, he said, eff
you have been reading the newspapers
and are posted upon the Mantle disas
ter
''The Mantle" said Mr.. Martinot,
running the case over in his mind and
speaking in the bright, quick way which
so pleased the chief, "was an apartment
house, an old fashioned, aristocratic
structure, facing Washington square.
At midnight, month ago, it burned to
the ground with great loss of life. The
fire is supposed to have originated in an
explosion in an upper story, caused in
some mysterious way by the gas with
which most of the tenants heated their
rooms -
'Good,'' said the chief "Now 1
have only to tell you wherein this fire
concerns us. There visited here today
Henry Williams, the famous diamond
collector, whose apartments were in the
Mantle, and he tells me that on the
night of the fire he was robbed of his
fortune in jewels, $3.50, 900 being sto-
len.
"And you wish me-
''To talk with Henry Williams, get
the points of the robbery and recover
the missing gems for him. And-I
would suggest that in tracing the rob-
berry you may find that the Mantle was
set on fire This involves case of man.
slaughter, as lives were lost. In short,
it will be the biggest case of the year.
And I have in my hand a letter from
the Empire Fire Insurance offering
$4,000 reward for the discovery Of the
origin of the fire.. !"
'tWhen do begin?''
"Right away. You will find Henry
Williams in the reception ROOM
Detective Martinot bowed in his usu
al quiet manner and stepped across the
hall to where Collector Williams sat,
nervously waiting to tell his story.
"Before you Begin" said Mr.. Marti-
not, "tell me why you have waited
month before coming here.
81 have been expecting to find the
Jewels in the ruins Of the building, es-
pecially as 1 have offered immense re-
wards to the workmen. :"
"And when did the idea of their be-
ing stolen enter your mind?''
81 had suspicion the night Of the
fire. But it was too vague to put in
words. You must have read that [ was
the first to give the alarm and the last
to leave the building The fact is that
1 was awakened that night by sound
in my rooms. And, always on the alert
for my jewels, arose, and, lighting
taper, stepped out into my private
hallway to go to the front room where
the jewels were hidden in safe in the
wall. As 1 did so I heard a swift
sound as though some one was run
ming. 1t was the merest movement, but
it alarmed me, and, fearing to make
mark of myself, l blew out the taper
and picked up my revolver. An upcan-
ny something seemed to rush past me;
but, recovering msyelf. flew after it
to my hall door. 1t was closed, and all
was still again. IT'S my imagination,
said to myself. But I went into the
front room to look after the jewels.
ST was about to put my hand in the
safe, which was behind the picture,
when I was startled by terrific explo-
sion, which seemed to blow the roof off
the house. I rushed back along my hall
way and threw open the door. The big
hall was filling with smoke, and, with
a sudden fear for the people in the
house, ran along, knocking on all the
doors and calling Oh everybody to awak
en-.
"Then, flying back to my rooms, I
slipped on some clothing, put my watch
and money i'll my pocket, and ran to
my front room for my jewel casket.
put my hand in the safe in the wall,
but the casket was not there! Across
the room was another and similar safe,
and, hurrying across, [ was about to
move the picture from in front of it
when a fireman rushed in, shouting:
Run for your life. The main staircase
is on firep would have waited even
then, but he seized me by the shoulders
and forced me to the iron fire escape,
which was already hot with the tongues
Of flame.
EVEN then I did not forget the jew
els. But, knowing they were in the solid
iron casket, I reasoned that they would
| fall through into the ruins, and that I
| should recover the box entire. Even if
its fastenings melted away there were
steel drawers, absolutely fireproof
''I did not leave the scene, and with
| this idea in my mind I have haunted
the ruins night and day. And now the
| fact of not finding them, taken with the
recollections of that night, convinces me
that they were stolen from me before
the fire. And there is something else.
''That same night my old housekeeper
who occupies room on the floor above
me, slept very uneasily. Finally she
rose, seeing light burning in the front
| apartment, where she was sure she had
left none, and was about to investigate
it when-When the explosion occurred.
| 1t was so near her that she was over
come with smoke and escaped with diff
| ficulty, flame seeming to be all around
| her.
"And still more singular. Yesterday
| Sarah hobbled out for the first time
and naturally turned her steps toward
her burned home, where they are still
busy with the ruins, and while she
stood there a plainly dressed woman
came along, wearing on her hand a
brilliant marquise ring, one which
Sarah thought she recognized as one of
my collection.
would you recognize your jewels, "
asked Mr. Martinot, eff they had been
taken from their settings?"
GAS quickly as would my own fin
gers," stretching out the long slender
hand of q student. tAnd I will give
you my gem catalogue, with each de-
Bcribed in it. And upon all, making
very tiny mark, 'there is this sign,
easily seen with pocket microscope
my own particular trademark -
"There is one thing certain" he
unused as he put on his hat and coat.
"Henry Williams was robbed OF those