The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-11-07

y
Lets have a look at the other |
things" said one of the policemen, ig-
noring my question altogether, and
turning to meet the steward, who was
stumbling up the gangway under the
weight of the clothes that had left in
the cabin. blue shirt, light trousers,
dark mustache, astrachan overcoat,
soft felt hat" he muttered, checking
off the items with cablegram he held
in his hand. And he speaks Dutch
pretty well, but with foreign accent.
Yes, my friend, I'm afraid we shall have
to take charge of you for the present,
in spite of your clever little ruse. Just
put the rest of your things on, please.
and come along quietly"
But what's the meaning of all this?"
l asked in bewilderment, as the hand
cuffs were clicked on directly l had fin
ished dressing. "a man steals my
clothes and my money, and you lock
me up for it, and allow him to escape.
Is that the way things are usually man
aged in Holland?"
You'll see how things are managed
in Holland where diamond thieves are
concerned, quite soon enough, sir" said
the man, CURLY, evidently annoyed at,
my tone. "Any explanations or eX-
cuses you can give later on; in the
meantime, perhaps you will accom-
pany US quietly"
Eyes, and in the meantime this gen.
tleman is hurrying off as fast as trains
can carry him to some out-of-the-way
| corner of Europe" L grumbled; but
resistance was worse than useless, and,
followed by a small crowd of stolid
/ urchins, we made our way along the
tree-lined Bompjes to the police station.
Here a short interview with a fiery
faced and fiery-mustached officer told
me the nature of my supposed offense,
but did not in any way improve my
prospects of release. The object of
my cabin companion was now quite
clear to me, though all my ordinations
with regard to the change of clothes
were smiled at by the officers, who evil
IDENTIFY thought them very clumsy
excuses. l was accused of being con-
cerned in large diamond robbery and
was supposed to have been travelling
in Amsterdam in order to make use of
my knowledge of precious stones in
disposing of the spoils among the
fences" in the Jewish quarter of the
town.
The actual thief was confidential
clerk to large firm of diamond mer-
chants in London; his escape with the
booty had been noticed a few hours
after his departure from town, and full
particulars of his clothing and general
appearance had been oabled to Rotter-
dam, with instructions to detain him
on the arrival of the boat. But my
friend" had foreseen some difficulty
of this kind, and had laid his plans ac-
cordingly.
Selecting me as a man of about his
own height and appearance, he had man
aged easily enough to change the
clothes in the cabin, the drugged cigar
aiding him in his scheme. Clad IN my
brown ulster and travelling cap he had
passed off the deck with the other pas
sengers without attracting any special
! attention, and was probably in the act
of negotiating with Amsterdam traders
, at the moment of my examination by
the officers at the station.
The fact that / had no diamonds in
my possession at the time of my arrest
meant nothing; they might have beer
concealed anywhere in the vessel, OIL
even have been thrown overheard. The
: steward, to whom appealed for sup
port of my story, could only assert thai
he had found me asleep, or feigning
sleep, while the other passengers were
, all preparing to lanG--and, of course
this told against me. There was only
one man in Holland who could help me
out of my scrape, and at the name O
Van der DEM, diamond merchant, O.
Amsterdam and Hatton Garden, the
officers looked even more suspicious
though they promised that he SHOULD
be communicated with sin due course
I was compelled to content myself will
this, and resigned myself to my fate.
l suppose [ must have spent four o.
five hours in confinement, and was be
ginning to wonder whether was fateC
to pass the night in like fashion, whel
the key suddenly turned in the loci;
and a warder entered, closely followed
by my friend Van der Dem.
: my dear fellow" said the old boy
y effusively, rushing toward me and grip
ping me by the hands, what an advcn
1 ture to have had, to be sure! But all
well that ends well, and when you hav
5 changed your clothes we will start TO
. Amsterdam at once. Chris is getting
quite anxious about you.
{ "Why, certainly. We've got tn
L clothes and the jewelry, and the dia
monds, and, what's quite as important
= the man himself. It's the most curiou
a thing ever knew in my life. Christin
Il and l were expecting you hours back
and l was going to the station to Sc
o what had become of you, when | sud
y denly caught a back view of your coun
L terpart-traveling cap, and that brow
= ulster of yours, English every inch o
+ it; why, should know it a mile off il
a Mountaineering across the dam.
g caught up to him in a moment, an
d laid my hand heavily on his shoulder
II and instead of your face, Holt IS Mark
;,1 L.