Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-25
STOLEN GOLD.

telling me that tho man who was convict cd for stealing my money would be nber- ated the following day, and if cared to make 1t worth hls while he would have Q ! watch set upon the prisoner with view to recovering the treasure should he, us was suspected, have it still concealed.
 I accepted his proposal, and soon after midnight was on my way back to Man chester with the prison warden.
 He told me that he did not propose him. self to do the watching but that it would be done by man who had at one time been a warden of the jail but had left the place some years ago.
 From this man learned that the ticket of leave man had taken up his place of abode in a northern suburb of the city, and arrangements had been made by which he (the ex-warder) would be informed of all his movements.
 Tho thief had been convicted under the name of James Gale, and it was not until year later that discovered "Jim Gale' to be one of tho aliases of the notorious housebreaker and burglar, Charles Peace.
 On tho second day after my arrival in Manchester we learned that the ticket of leave man had made arrangements with Q carter to accompany him out to some open fields lying on the confines of a northern suburb of the city.
 About o'clock in the evening tho thief joined the carter whom he had engaged bringing with him n pickax and shovel He had changed his dress and appeared an ordinary laborer
 When we reached tho fields in the sub urbs, 1t was close upon o'clock and pitch dark. Tho thief had, however, provided himself with a lantern, and by it's light we saw him busily engaged digging at spot 80 yards from the roadside.
 The carter whom he had brought with him had remained with his horse and cart in the roadway, so that VIC could not ap- proaoh very near for fear of being ob- served.
 Consequently we turned back along the road, and then striking across tho field at right angles were able to approach the scene of operations from tho farther side. By this means we were able to get within few feet of the thief without being ob- served.
 Ho was busily engaged and already had sunk pit of some feet in depth. He had placed his lantern in tho hole and was himself standing in it and throwing out the soil in large shovolfuls. The hole we then saw was at the foot of large heap of stones, which had evidently been used as a landmark to identify the spot.
 Making 0 circuit to the right, we got to the back of the heap of stones, and ap- preaching woro able to get close up to the thief without being observed and to look down upon him at his work.
 He was so busy that he would not havo noticed us had we been evon less cautious than we were. Tho hole was now sunk to a depth of six feet, and tbc thief had to exert himself considerably to throw out the earth.
 At last, with grunt of satisfaction, he stopped in his work and stopped down. His shovel had struck the lid of a large square box Another minute and he had the lid opened, and we saw before us collection of old silver tanka1ds and sal vers and spoons, and among the silver small box or casket. This he also opened, and in it we saw, still bright and glitter. ing, mass of jewelry.
 There were rings and chains and brace lets, but what struck us more than all else was magnificent diamond tiara, containing stones of marvellous size and hrilliance.
 And beneath tho diamonds was packet of papers, whi .h, with a great gasp of satisfaction, I recognized as the bank notes which this man had stolen, now nearly seven years ugo.
 Having satisfied himself that the stolen booty was still there, the thief closed tho box and lifted it up to the surface of tho ground. He placed it on tho edge at tho foot of the heap of stones behind which we were concealed and over the top of which we were observing him.
 had drawn the revolver with which had provided myself and was quite pre- pared for the moment when he should sec us.
 This be did not do until he had placed the box on the ground and was preparing to climb out of tho holo after it.
 The man was no coward-fcw of the scoundrcs who resort to burglary are and though he started when he found himself faco to face with loaded revolver he did not quail. Anger rather than feur was the emotion which expressed itself upon his features
 "Curso you," he said, what has 1t got to do with you2
 Nothing, only that you've got my bank notes in that box, and that tho rest of it has got to be handed over to the police "
 Tho thief still retained the samo posi- tion, with one knce raised to tho bank of earth and his other foot still resting at tho bottom of the hole.
 Ono of his hands, however, had stolen into his coat pocket, and though had not noticed it my companion had done so and exclaimed:
 Now, No. 1s9, drop that, or you're a dead man, at the same time covering him with lis revolver.
 And if | do, what then? How much do you want? pll givo you half of it, and keep the rest :"
 "We shall hand you over to tho police with the swag"
 No sooner had tho words left my lips than tho thief, grown desperate at tho prospect of again returning to prison to work out the remainder of his sentence, drow from his pocket tho revolver upon which his fingers had been resting during