Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-03-04

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two stones, though ! have the written
record complete, with names Of all the
victims Suffice it to say that fer years
no one was the gamer by getting pos
session Of them. They have always been
impossible to sell until I bought this
ono, which is the first time either ever
was offered honestly in the market. Be-
fore this each new owner had obtained
the Jewels either by theft or murder and
dared not admit that he had them. An
other curious thing is that no one has
ever succeeded in hiding the jewels SO
that they could not be found. They
have been secreted between the stones
of a wall, they nave been sewed under
the hide of an ass and hidden in other
equally obscure places, yet always the
next thief has found and taken xtem.
"Ah, that is Interestingly said Mr..
Thauret "But tell us frankly, since
we are pledged not to repeat what we
hear, do you suppose there is any power
inherent in the stone which attracts
persons to their discovery"
"I cannot say, but that is one Of the
claims. This seems to be susbtantiated
by recent events too.
Glow so?''
well. my usual interest in large
gems led me to police headquarters
when that woman Rose Mitchell was
killed, after having been robbed. The
Jewels, you remember, had been quickly
recovered aud are still in the hands Of
the police. I was allowed to see them,
and the ruby in that lot is undoubtedly
the mate to mine. "
"You think that it was the presence
Of that stone which led to the discovery
by the police Of the satchel containing
the jewels?"
Mr.. Thauret seemed much interested,
but Mr.. Mitchell merely shrugged his
shoulders for answer, though it seemed
plain that he did hold that opinion. Mr..
Barnes wondered whether Mr.. Thauret's
interest was due to the fact that, having
stolen the jewels. be was astonished to
hear of so strange an explanation of
their recovery from the hotel where he
had hidden them. Yet the mans next
words seemed to dispel such an idea. he
said:
'":You may believe in that sort OF
thing, Mr. Mitchell, but I, who have
only modern ideas, c;.nnot accept any
such theory. The fact that the stones
have always been discovered when hid
den has led those who know the history
to mistake a chain Of condolences for
evidence Of supernatural power within
the stones themselves. I think / can
readily accoun: for the series Of hidingf
and findings"
II should be pleased to have you do
so," said Mr.. Mitchell.
"Have you never read Edgar Poe's
tale, the one where letter is stolen and
hidden? The detectives failed to find it,
though it was in plain sight all the
time, but another man did find it. He
went upon the correct theory that the
thief, knowing that a search would be
made, and guessing that all obscure
places would be explored first, would
hide it in some commonplace manner.
He visited the apartments, and found
the letter in the letter rack. Now this
is ingenious, but Mr. Poe here gives us
a bit of special pleading and curious
anomaly at the same time. he wished
to show that IN obscure corner would be
a bad hiding place, and so worked out
his result. At the same time he draws
skillful thief who baffled expert police,
and yet who hid his letter where the
first man with brains easily found it.
This is the anomaly. Where the article
is small, as is the case with this lost
ruby, there is but one safe place for the
thief to hide his stolen property"
"And that place is?" asked MIR. Mitch
ell, himself betraying interest.
"ITpon his own person, where at all
times he could be on the alert to thwart
the searching committee.
"Ah, you are forgetting" said Mr..
Mitchell, "that idea was not overlooked
by Edgar Poe. In the tale the man was
waylaid by officers in disguise, who
bound him and then searched him. If
the letter had been about him, it would
have been found. "
"Not at all. The letter was placed
in an envelope, which had been turned,
and then mailed so that on the reverse
it received the postal imprint This
foiled the detectives when they exam
ined the letter rack. 1t would have
fooled them in exploring his pockets if
found with other letters similarly ad-
dressed. On the other hand, had it been
in his pocket the man who finally OBJ
tanned it could bave done so by creating
a confusion in the street which attracted
the man to the window. 1t would have
been difficult for him even to guess that
it was in the pocket. Besides with the
ruby it would be simple, since 1t is an
article that can be disposed of at mo-
ment's notice.
Every true." said Mr.. Mitchell,
"but''- Here he paused for moment
and seemed distracted. Quickly recov-
ering, he said: "What was I saying? I
have lost the thread Of our conversa-
tion."
"Mr. Thauret suggested that the thief
could keep the ruby about him, replied
Mr.. Randolph.
"Ah, exactly Now I remember.
WILL chow III COW that II xpou1d ha a