Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-10-08

was accused Of being concerned in a
large diamond robbery, and was sup
posed TO have been travelling to Am
sterdam in order to make use Of my
knowledge Of precious stones in dis
posing of the spOils among the fences
in the Jewish quarter of the town.
The actual thief was confidential
clerk to a large firm of diamond mer-
chants in London; his escape with the
booty had been noticed a few hours al
ter his departure from town, and full
particulars of his clothing and general
appearance had been cabled 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-
cOrdiagly.
Selecting me as a man 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 trad
ers at the moment Of my examination
by the official az the station.
The fact that I had no diamonds in
my possession at the time Of my arrest
meant nothing; they might have been
concealed anywhere in the vessel, or
even have been thrown overheard. The
steward. to whom l appealed in support
OF my story, could only assert that he
had found me asleep, or feigning sleep,
while the other passengers were all
preparing to land, and, OF course, this
told against me. There was only one
man in Holland who could help me cut
Of my scrape. and at the name OF Van
Ger DEM, diamond merchant, OF Am
sterdam. and Hatton Garden, the Off
cials looked even more suspicious,
though they promised that he should be
communicated with in due course"
I was compelled to content myself with
this and resign myself to my fate.
7 suppose I must have spent four or
five hours in confinement and was be-
ginning TO wonder whether I was fated
to pass the night in like fashion. When
the key suddenly turned in the lock
and a warden entered, closely followed
by my friend. Van der DEM.
MY dear fellow" said the old boy,
effusively. rushing toward me and
gripping me by the hands, what an
adventure to have had, to be sure. But
airs we'll that ends we'll, and when
YOU have changed your clothes we Il
start Tor Amsterdam at once. Chris
is getting quite anxious about you.
"Why. certainly We've got the
clothes. and the jewelry, and the dia-
monds. and. what's quite Us important,
the man himself. It's the most curious
thing I ever knew in my life. Chris
tina and / We're expecting you hours
back. and / was going TO the station
TO see what had become Of you, when l
suddenly caught a back view OF your
counterpart-trave cap and that
brown ulster OF yours, English every
inch of it.; why, 1 should know II a
mile. off in misunderstanding across
the Dam. caught up to him in mo-
ment. and laid my hand heavily on MS
shoulder-and instead OF your race
Holt IL AIarksOn's confidential clerk
turned to meet me- with terror in his
ewes. I had the police up in hall a
minute. the diamonds and your watch
and chain were discovered; he confess
ed the whole plot, and beyond that
there's nothing else to tell, save that
your things are waiting for you to slip
into them. as quickly as possible, down
belOW-Tit-BitS.